The Coercive Imperialist
One Step (2)
2025.09.13 | Views 2,760 | Recommended 203
A dark night. A worn-out car sped feverishly down a dark road on the outskirts of the capital. Fleeing the capital were Armand and his family.
“They’re coming.”
Masked subordinates of Rodriguez watched them from within the forest.
“The Major’s orders.”
The Royal Guardsman who seemed to be the most trusted raised a hand. A multitude of eyes glinted, tracking the vehicle's movement.
“That trash doesn’t get to make a fool of us and leave in one piece.”
A vicious smile spread across their lips.
“Erase them without a trace.”
They would be wiped out as if they had never existed in the first place.
“Get ready.”
They crouched, preparing to leap.
The moment the vehicle rounded the corner and came into view.
“Go!”
They shot out. Dust kicked up from the force of their steps.
In an instant, they surrounded the car, slashing at the tires and stabbing through the hood to destroy the engine.
Screeeech—!
The car ground to a halt with a deafening shriek. Inside were Armand, his wife, and their three terrified children.
“Kill them all.”
The children screamed while Armand pleaded, begging them to at least spare his children. The more he begged, the broader the sneers on their faces grew.
Crack!
The moment they tore off the car door and raised their blades to plunge them inside.
—Fwoosh!
An arrow sliced through the night. The sharp steel buried itself deep in one of the men’s necks.
The instant they turned, figures in jet-black clothing appeared in silence.
“Wh…”
They were surrounded. It had happened in an instant. They reflexively raised their swords into a defensive stance, but a murderous aura pricked their skin. Their arms and legs trembled uncontrollably. The difference in power emanating from their very beings was palpable.
“…Who the hell are you?”
There was no answer. Instead, a man walked out from between them like a phantom. He had long, narrow eyes—a gentle yet somehow chilling appearance.
A cool voice settled over the dense air.
“I have a message for you.”
The dagger in his hand glinted coldly in the moonlight.
“It is but a single phrase.”
Suddenly, the man’s narrow eyes drew an arc like a crescent moon.
“Know your place.”
That was the signal. A multitude of swords flashed coldly. The clash of steel broke the silence, but only for a moment. Soon, human screams were swallowed by the wet tearing of flesh and blood.
Enji was slaughtering Rodriguez’s men.
It was a massacre.
“Sir, Major Rodriguez himself is not here.”
“I know. He never had the guts for this in the first place.”
Enji checked on Armand. The three children and his wife had fainted, but thankfully, their lives were not in danger.
“The car is wrecked.”
“…”
Armand could only swallow dryly. The words wouldn’t come out. His thoughts had frozen. It felt as if the very folds of his brain were tangled together.
Enji smiled faintly.
“Don’t be too alarmed. This is merely a small token of Sir Maximillian’s gratitude for providing such a fine mansion.”
He then gestured toward the scattered corpses.
“As you can see, these contemptible fools can’t let things go so easily. They try to vent their anger any way they can.”
“Th… ah… th-thank you, thank you…”
“I will be sure to pass it along. A new car will be arriving shortly, so please use it to leave.”
Gurgle…
Just then, a gurgle of blood bubbled up from below. One of them had gotten lucky and was still alive.
Armand flinched.
“Ah, I kept him alive on purpose, so don’t you worry. A message has to be delivered, after all.”
It was both a threat and a declaration. The interpretation was simple.
—Leave the capital and live as if you were dead.
It was, in effect, an intelligence test. The smarter one was, the more properly they would behave to preserve their own life. The stupider they were, the less they would be willing to give up.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.”
Enji nodded to his men. They melted back into the darkness of the night. With a single step, Enji, too, vanished without a trace.
“…”
In the middle of the pile of corpses, Armand sat down, completely stunned.
The next morning, when I arrived at the knight order’s headquarters for work, a single letter was sitting on my desk.
I tore open the envelope. The contents were as follows.
[To the Imperial Judiciary]
[Formal Complaint]
- Complainant
Name: Giovanni von Rodriguez - Accused
Name: Maximillian von Ebenholz - Purpose of Complaint
I hereby accuse the individual named Maximillian von Ebenholz of instigating murder and the illegal use of armed force, and I request a thorough investigation and punishment in accordance with the laws and justice of the Empire. - Details of Complaint
On March 17th, 1038 of the Imperial Calendar, on a road on the outskirts of the capital, Arcadia, the accused did mobilize an armed force of unknown identity to brutally murder the complainant’s loyal retainers: ‘Yuten Bell,’ ‘Cassio Veron,’ ‘Ten Ishin,’ and 7 others (10 in total).
This is an undeniable act of murder and a grave crime that ignores the laws of the Empire and abuses private military force.
Such an act of instigation by the accused has not only severely damaged the dignity of an Imperial Knight but is also a clear act of defiance against the authority of the Imperial Royal Guard, who carry out the law in the name of His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor. Therefore, it can never be overlooked.
Thus, the complainant strongly urges the Imperial Judiciary to swiftly and fairly uncover the truth of this case and to deliver a punishment to the accused that is befitting of his crimes. - Evidence
Map and photos of the crime scene (submitted separately)
List of victims’ identities (submitted separately)
Complainant Giovanni von Rodriguez (Signature)
Rodriguez had filed a complaint against me. The claim was that I had murdered his subordinates.
“Hah.”
A scoff escaped my lips.
“How can a country bumpkin be so ignorant of the ways of the world.”
Before my regression, this imbecile had become an officer in the Royal Guard and wielded all sorts of power as one of the Emperor’s inner circle. He was a testament to just how rotten the Empire had become back then.
Of course, he must have made his own calculations. It wasn't as if Ebenholz had no political enemies.
My relationship with Kandel, my immediate rival for the Emperor's favor, and Jetz, the wealthiest man in the Empire, was strained.
'The Royal Guard has close ties to House Kandel, so if I use that connection to stir up public opinion, I might be able to trip up Ebenholz—'
Such a shallow line of thought.
A delusion possible only for a country bumpkin who doesn't understand the power dynamics of the capital.
I crumpled up the complaint and tossed it into the trash.
This was likely part of Enji’s calculations as well.
He could have handled it without leaving a shred of evidence, but he deliberately left a survivor to give Rodriguez a justification to act.
“Farewell.”
This complaint would become his last will and testament. And I had more important things to do than deal with this kind of moron.
A staff interview.
I needed to secure my own people.
A knight is the sword of the Empire, but he can do nothing alone. That is why modern knights have many attachments: administrators, intelligence officers, adjutants, and so on.
An administrator is both a secretary and a butler who handles a knight’s administrative tasks. They take care of all the miscellaneous duties—budget management, report writing, procurement, schedule management—so the knight can focus solely on his mission.
An intelligence officer is a spy specialist who gathers and analyzes all information related to a case and provides it to the knight. They become the knight’s eyes and ears by analyzing crime scene evidence, running background checks on suspects, and accessing relevant records.
However, what I wanted was something more.
The first piece of my ‘private organization.’
I had hated factions, but now I had to build one.
I needed talent. Not just people with outstanding abilities, but people who could understand my intentions and follow them in silence.
Such people don't usually come looking for me. I have to go find them.
And in that, I had a great advantage.
Because I am a regressor.
“Let’s see…”
I opened the knight order’s [Personnel Search System].
On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, Arcadia, was Berihol Street, lined with unassuming buildings. In a corner stood a small company with a sign so faded it was barely legible.
「Veritas Trading」
I had no idea what they bought or sold, but this was where the future chancellor who would single-handedly prop up the finances of the collapsing Empire was.
I entered the company.
Immediately, by the counter, sat a thin man in his early twenties, wearing glasses.
His name was Dieter Schmidt.
I stood before his desk and watched him as he remained buried in a pile of documents.
“…?”
Sensing a presence, he looked up.
“Can I help you?”
He asked nonchalantly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His face was filled with weariness from the paperwork and a complete indifference to the world.
“A pleasure to meet you.”
Before my regression, Dieter was the Empire’s Minister of Finance. Though a pure-blooded Imperial, he had no other background to speak of and entered the imperial bureaucracy on sheer merit alone. He managed the finances of the dying empire with such astounding efficiency that he single-handedly delayed its bankruptcy by a year or two.
“I am Maximillian, a knight of the Sentinel Knight Order.”
I came here to make such a man my personal administrator.
My organization would inevitably grow, so I needed the most capable person possible.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Knight Maximillian.”
Dieter replied placidly. The revolutionary army had assessed him as a stubborn mule. He had been so fixated on his work, unnaturally so, even as the Empire was on the verge of collapse.
“…I am Maximillian Ebenholz.”
I held out my hand and stated my full name.
It was a bit cheap, I admit, but this man was just so dry.
“Ah, I see.”
Even so, his reaction was lukewarm. The name Ebenholz seemed to elicit no emotion from him.
“I am Dieter Schmidt. An employee of this company.”
“…”
I was certain of it. This man wouldn't take my hand even if I held it out all day. He had a history of refusing even the persistent courtships of the New Cabinet and choosing to be executed instead.
It’s strange to call it a history, though.
In any case, it would be odd to just say, "Be my administrator," at our first meeting.
“…Excuse me. What can I do for you?”
Just then, a portly, middle-aged man cautiously emerged from the back of the office. I turned my gaze from Dieter.
“Are you the president of this company?”
“Yes, I am, but…”
I walked toward the president and produced my knight’s identification.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Maximillian von Ebenholz.”
“…Yes? D-did you say… Ebenholz?”
The president’s eyes widened in an instant. I glanced at Dieter.
He had clearly stated he was an employee of this company. The best way to get him was already decided.
“I’m here to acquire this company.”
It was a method favored by the Imperial Royal Guard. A hostile, no, a ‘coercive’ takeover.
But I am different from them. At the very least, I won’t just take it. I will pay a fair price.
“Please, have a seat.”
It just so happened that I needed a corporate body anyway.
“Ah, this is all so sudden. I’m sorry, but I have no intention of selling this company—”
“No.”
I smiled thinly and extended my hand to the president.
“Don’t misunderstand. This is not a request.”
If there was one thing I had in common with those Royal Guard bastards, it was that the other party had no right to refuse.
The world would end if I tried to accommodate every single person.
…The interior of the building was composed of cold marble and sharp, straight lines. Black-uniformed guards stood at attention in various spots along the corridor, their posture flawless. The high, empty hall was so stark that the very air felt frozen.
This was the headquarters of the Imperial Royal Guard, the KS.
“Hmph…”
In his office, Lieutenant General Straussenn of the Royal Guard spoke without looking up from his documents to Major Rodriguez, who stood opposite him.
“I heard the report, Rodriguez. You filed a complaint.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. This is a clear challenge to the authority of the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor.”
Rodriguez raised his voice as if wronged. Straussenn’s eyebrow twitched.
“I know. I saw the scene myself. It would have been better if you had given me a heads-up before filing the complaint, though.”
Rustle. He continued to stare at his papers as he turned the page.
“This was an unforgivable offense, sir. A duly-appointed Royal Guardsman was sacrificed. In the first place, Ebenholz walks a different path from us in the Royal Guard. We should take this opportunity to knock him off his high horse!”
“Hmm… I see your point. Ebenholz… he is a bit arrogant.”
Straussenn finally looked up. His pupils were relatively dry, but Rodriguez took strength from his words and smiled.
“Yes, thank you, Your Excellency. Then I shall contact Duke Kandel and make this issue public…”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
The Lieutenant General cut Rodriguez off. He stood up from his seat and walked to the window, a faint smile on his lips.
“I’ll handle it myself. You are a rising star of the Royal Guard, are you not? You needn’t concern yourself with such noise.”
Rodriguez’s lips twitched minutely. The praise, ‘rising star,’ was pleasant to hear.
“It is our duty, as men of our rank, to handle these troublesome conflicts. That’s why we have this rank, after all.”
Straussenn tapped the golden lion insignia pinned to his chest.
“You should focus on bigger things. Go and rest.”
“...Thank you, Your Excellency. Loyalty!”
With a deeply moved expression, Rodriguez saluted and left the office.
Slam!
The door closed. The moment it did, the smile vanished from Straussenn’s face. He clicked his tongue and reached for the communication device on his desk.
“Yes, Duke Kandel. This is Lieutenant General Straussenn…”
The sound of a voice discussing something in secret settled furtively over the room.