Of course, here is the English translation of the web novel chapter.

The Semi-Forced Imperialist
In the End, the Problem is People (2)

Screeeeech! Screeeeeeech!

The foothills of Tongmilteon—a place with rugged terrain, frequented by beasts and monsters, and very few people.
A magitech drill was currently piercing through its hard bedrock.

Crash!

Centuries-old trees snapped like twigs. The slope gave way, and a cloud of dust billowed up.

Rumble!

"Well, well! There you are."

Mayor Jensen of Hermes approached with a wide grin, amidst the mountain range bustling with mining activity. The man who had been so hostile just a few days ago had done a complete one-eighty. He was truly a politician who knew which side his bread was buttered on.

"Administrator Dieter, how are things progressing?" Jensen asked, putting on a safety helmet.

"Smoothly."
“Haha, that’s wonderful to hear. There have been some grim rumors lately about the southern mines drying up, so we’ve been quite concerned. I pray that you hit the jackpot.”

To be honest, Dieter had his doubts. Maximilian’s first order of business had been to purchase the land, and the next was to survey and mine it.
As far as Dieter knew, prospecting for magic stones was a high-risk gamble with a low probability of success. Even if a faint trace of magical energy was detected on the surface, there was no guarantee it would lead to a large vein of magic stones.
But Maximilian had been half-convinced, and as an employee, Dieter had simply followed his instructions.

“Um, Administrator.”

Just then, a field expert walked over, wiping sweat from his brow.

“At this depth, if we dig for about two more weeks and don’t find anything, you can assume there’s nothing here.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, come on. There’s got to be something. Of course there will be. Hahaha…”

Jensen laughed, and Dieter quietly watched the site.
They had to find a vein within three months at the most. That was the deadline, considering the initial capital, the sunk costs so far, and the future operating expenses.


Zephestian received the report from his butler, Engi. It was about Maximilian’s first business venture.

“The great enterprise he started is nothing more than digging in the ground?”

Tsk, tsk. He clicked his tongue and tossed the documents aside.

“He’s making all this fuss just to dig a mine?”

Quite a few petitions had come up from the southern part of the empire. Of course, they had all backed down as soon as they found out who was behind it.
Engi spoke cautiously.

“The young master seems to have a vision of his own.”
“Vision? What vision? He must have picked up some silly rumor somewhere. He’s always been impressionable; that boy’s ears are thinner than tracing paper.”

Zephestian was a man of both literary and martial accomplishments. He had more than doubled the Ebenholz family’s assets compared to the previous generation, and he himself was recognized as one of the most skilled swordsmen in the empire. As such, his standards for judging others, especially his successor, were incredibly high.

“If, by some chance, the results are good—”
“Engi, do you know why those digging in the ground are treated like fools?”

Zephestian continued, his tone filled with disdain.

“It’s because they can’t give up. Once they start digging, they feel compelled to dig up every inch of the land they bought, wasting time and money poking around here and there. They delude themselves into thinking they haven’t failed until they put down the shovel. They’re no better than moles.”

Engi gave a bitter smile.

“The young master is changing, little by little.”
“...It’s too late for that.”

Zephestian looked out the window and stated coldly.

“I’ve been watching him for over twenty years. That’s more than enough.”


“...I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Right now, I’m in the middle of a stakeout as a knight of the Sentinel.
My location is the aristocratic district of the imperial capital. Specifically, Kerios Mansion, a very expensive residential area within that district. It’s a place I strongly suspect—no, I’m certain—is where a Head-Eater resides.
I’m watching it from inside my car.
Without a doubt, a Head-Eater, an Isenheim, is lurking in there.


I got out of the car and stood at a distance from the entrance of Kerios Mansion.

“Who are you?”

A security guard immediately stopped me. I was in plain clothes, after all.

“...I’m here to look at a house.”
“A house?”

The guard looked at me with suspicion.

“Please present your identification.”
“—Hmm? Sir Maximilian?”

Just as the guard’s tone became stern, an overly smooth voice called my name.

“What brings you here?”

It was Jun Kandel. Why, of all people, is it the guy who I let have the white porcelain last time?

“...Salute!”

The guard saluted him, then bowed to me, apologizing for his rudeness.
I suppose I’m an acquaintance of Jun’s, for now.
But seriously, how can a person’s name be Jun? It’s so annoying.

“I’m looking around for a house.”
“Another house? You seem to have taken an interest in real estate.”

Jun Kandel swept back his long hair. I really didn’t like that horse-like face of his.

“I heard you purchased a property recently.”
“Yes, the land prices in the capital are bound to rise. It’s a good business.”
“Haha, so what kind of book are you planning to use to acquire a property this time? ...But I’m afraid there won’t be any available properties in Kerios. The low-level methods you used before won’t work here either.”

I smiled at Jun Kandel’s mocking words.
Losing my temper at this snake-tongued man would be my loss.

“If there are no properties available.”
“Ah, that’s right. You became a Sentinel knight recently. I should have congratulated you, my apologies. I’ve been busy with work at the Mage Tower.”

For reference, this guy is a mage.

“Congratulations are not necessary.”
“But what do we care? Just hearing the news is enough for us.”
“Indeed—”
“Then come in. It’s unlikely anyone will be selling their property in Kerios, but since you’re already here, I can give you a tour. For your information, it took me quite a while to acquire this mansion myself.”

Let me get a word in too, you bastard.

“First of all, this Kerios mansion is enhanced with spatial expansion magic.”

Jun led me into the mansion. Inside, there was a spacious park.

“The park is three times larger than it appears. It’s perfect for contemplation in the sun. I’m not sure what thoughts a person who swings a sword around might have, but for a high-ranking mage like myself, it’s very important...”

As I was half-listening to the bastard’s ramblings and strolling along…

Thump.

Suddenly, my heart pounded.

Thump.

It was a signal from the virus.

Thump.

I quickly looked around.

Thump.

A woman was elegantly descending the central staircase. Skin as white as snow, jet-black hair cascading down to her waist, and deep blue eyes. A necklace shimmered on her collarbone, a ring sparkled on her finger. She was about 173cm tall, with slender ankles and wrists, a body of golden proportions.
All that information flooded into my mind.


Suddenly, Jun Kandel also stopped walking.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Jun knows this woman.
The woman knows Jun too.

Look at these two.

The woman passed us by without a word, as if she didn't notice us, but I asked Jun.

“Do you know her?”
“...We’ve seen each other around.”
“She’s beautiful.”

For a split second, Jun’s brow twitched. This guy really can’t control his expression. That’s why his younger sibling always gets the better of him.

“I thought you were here to look at a house, not to look at people.”

Jun asked, his tone laced with thorns. His pretense of being a refined gentleman was shattered because of that woman just now.
I hid my smile and nodded.

“Ah. I’ve developed a new hobby, you see.”
“A hobby?”
“Yes.”

I suddenly felt cheerful. My heart felt lighter too.

“There have been a few articles about it recently.”

I casually clasped my hands behind my back.

“Lately, I’ve gotten incredibly good at catching those who ‘pretend’ to be citizens of the Empire.”

That woman is an Isenheim. An Isenheim is staying in a place where only pure-blooded imperial nobles can reside.
Does Jun know about this?

“...So?”
“Perhaps, in this mansion as well... there might be some of those folks. That’s what I’m thinking.”
“...What?”
“If that’s the case, a property might become available naturally.”

Jun was silent for a moment. He scanned my face, then twisted one corner of his mouth into a smirk.

“Surely not. This is Kerios.”
“You never know. Not unless you do a full investigation later.”
“Investigate the nobility? Are you insane?”

He’s suddenly getting worked up.
I gave a bitter smile and ran a hand through my hair.

“I was just saying.”
“What do you mean—”
“Well, I’ve seen enough.”

I tilted my head slightly, taking another look at the woman’s retreating figure in the distance.

“I’ll be on my way then.”

Thump.

I turned away from Jun. He glared daggers at my back.
Thanks to him, I learned a new fact that I didn’t know before my regression.
Jun Kandel was an unexpected romantic.


...I returned to my office. I turned on my computer and looked up the residents of Kerios Mansion.

[Name: Mexi von Argen]
[Date of Birth: November 1, 1012, Imperial Calendar, Capital Arcadia]
[Status: Eldest daughter of the Argen family]
[Occupation: 5th-rank mage of the Sentio Mage Tower]

“The culprit has been identified.”

I had also stumbled upon a rival’s weakness by chance.
Why did the Head-Eater suddenly stop killing? The answer was simple. It was because she had gained an opportunity to operate on a higher level.

“Identified, but…”

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t do this alone. A knight is a field operative, and I don’t have multiple bodies.
Dieter was competent enough to handle the administrative side of things, but he lacked the necessary force.

“People.”

I need people. An investigator, or an informant. Someone who can handle things in the field. Someone who can lead the charge in the shadows.
I stroked my chin. Stubble had already started to grow.

“...Wait a minute.”

Suddenly, the [Inmate Roster] on my computer caught my eye.
Knights can form their own private organizations. The Imperial Code has a gray area that grants knights a certain amount of discretion, and it’s entirely possible to use pardoned criminals as informants.
I leaned forward. I scanned the inmate roster displayed on the computer screen.

Scroll, scroll.

I scrolled through, looking for a name.
Perhaps there was a name I was familiar with…

“Found it.”


Imperial 13th Correctional Facility. The thirteenth prison of the Empire, located in the western part of the country.

“Welcome. Salute.”

As I got out of my car in the parking lot, the warden and the guards greeted me. I simply nodded my head.
I’ve realized recently. When dealing with subordinates, it’s much more convenient to be authoritative. If you act soft, they don’t necessarily try to walk all over you, but they do keep bothering you with questions.

“Your administrator has informed us of the general situation. You’re considering a special pardon…”
“Please lead the way.”
“Yes.”

The warden led me into the correctional facility.

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

Heavy security gates opened one after another, and I followed the warden.

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

We passed through several layers of gates, a yard, and a common living area, and arrived at a separate, specially constructed building.

“This is the solitary confinement wing. The inmates with more serious crimes or those who have caused trouble are held here.”

They were confined one by one in small, honeycomb-like rooms. In front of each steel door, there was a plaque with the inmate’s number, crime, and name.
I scanned them with my eyes as I walked down the corridor.

Thump, thump.

I stopped somewhere.


Beyond the bars, a woman with sharp eyes. Her unruly black hair half-covered her face, and the gaze that peeked through was piercingly sharp.
This was the person I was looking for.
I pointed a finger at the line of cells that included her cell.

“I’ll be conducting interviews. This entire line.”

If I singled out just one person, it might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

“Yes, understood. Number 771, number 3910, number 391…”

But the warden’s behavior was strange. He skipped over the very number I wanted.
I asked the warden.

“Why are you skipping number 330?”
“Ah, that… Inmate 330’s crimes are very severe. She shows no remorse, and she’s also connected to several other unsolved cases… She even has another trial pending. For the knight’s safety, it would be best to exclude her.”

The warden suddenly started spouting strange excuses. I spoke impassively.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

Something smells fishy. For some reason, I get the feeling that a ‘high-ranking official of the Empire’ is involved with this prison, and with this inmate.

“But, Sir Knight…”
“Silence.”

So what?
As long as that ‘high-ranking official’ isn’t the Emperor, he can’t be higher than me.
I have no intention of looking into the sob stories behind their dirty dealings.
So.

“Don’t talk back.”
“...Yes, understood.”

The warden bowed his head and bit his lip.

“Get everyone up to number 330 ready.”

Clang! Clang!

With a heavy sound, the steel doors of the solitary confinement cells began to open, one by one.

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Pub: 02 Oct 2025 04:35 UTC

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