Do Your Own Revolution

#143

Kaboom–!

Along with the explosion, the solid ground collapsed entirely.

A detonation spell cast simultaneously by two mages.

The explosion that struck the empty city devoid of even a single ant tore away the thick road in an instant, revealing what lay hidden underneath.

“It’s an underground bunker. Just as Chief of Staff Erich’s information indicated.”

“So this is where they were hiding after abandoning Colossus and their unit…?”

Hovering in the sky was the Special Magical Power Unit’s flagship, ‘Emperor’s Spear’.

The Special Magical Power Unit members who descended from there were still dealing with Republic soldiers and Armored Infantry hidden throughout the city.

Without delay, I drew Heresy and fired three magic bullets simultaneously.

“Fire.”

Boom–!

When [Spear of Mithra] struck at maximum output, the massive 50-centimeter thick iron door melted away without a trace.

A straight corridor stretched ahead.

The defensive forces who had planned to lay down covering fire the moment the door opened were incinerated without a trace by my spell.

“Kuhek…! Kuluk, kuluk…! Keuuu…!”

Hearing groans from inside the bunker, I immediately signaled to my subordinates.

After activating [Eye of Horus], the units slowly entered the bunker.

Though most had been burned by my recent spell, the bunker’s interior decorations were still extravagantly luxurious.

One floor, then another.

Breaking through the defensive forces blocking our path, we descended further down.

Step, step.

When a large iron door appeared, one of my men facing me tapped his chest twice.

‘Life signs. However, no magical power or weapons detected.’

It meant our target was inside.

After nodding, I checked the units spread out on both sides of the door and took a deep breath.

‘The barrier thickness is similar to before. I’ll need to adjust the explosive power somewhat.’

After making my assessment, I prepared a detonation spell rather than the penetration spell I’d used earlier.

The mission objective was capture, not elimination.

If I used a high-powered spell like [Spear of Mithra], I could end up taking out Dr. Lavrenti beyond the door as well.

Woong-!

After gathering a measured amount of magical power.

One. Two. Three.

Clang–!

“It’s over, Lavrenti Kravchenko!”

“Hands up over your head! If you move even a finger…!”

The units who burst into the room aimed their guns while shouting.

Even after a second check, there were no visible guard forces.

However, the target who emerged from the thick smoke maintained a composed expression throughout.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

With slow applause, Dr. Lavrenti Kravchenko faced me.

He was the secretary general’s right-hand man and the target of this capture operation.

“Welcome, Brigadier General Eugene Lorentz. This is our first time meeting face to face, isn’t it?”

“This isn’t exactly a situation where you can afford to be so composed, doctor.”

Seeing Heresy’s muzzle pointed at his face,

Dr. Lavrenti spoke with a low laugh.

“I’m surprised you found me so quickly… but it’s already too late. The secretary general has already…”

“You mean he’s begun his plan? I know roughly what it is.”

“…What did you say?”

Cracks appeared in the doctor’s face that had been composed until now.

Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to interrupt his words.

Or maybe he was surprised that I knew about the secretary general’s ‘plan’.

“The Republic forces’ indiscriminate attacks, the Black Star corps, and Colossus. I know that the purpose of everything you’ve done so far was to buy time.”

“…!”

“So what I want to know isn’t the secretary general’s objective.”

As my men’s rough hands grabbed the doctor’s arms, I brought my face close to his.

“I want to know how far the secretary general’s plan has progressed. And exactly where that crazy fat bastard is.”

The doctor’s once-composed face gradually hardened.

That expression suggesting something that shouldn’t have been discovered was found out.

It was proof that the information provided by that protagonist kid was true.

***

“Uu, uwaak?!”

“The escaped prisoner is coming this way! Everyone run!”

“The Revolutionary Army! Q-quick, contact the Revolutionary Army…!”

When I opened my eyes after closing them, an unfamiliar scene unfolded before me.

A game world that wasn’t in my memories.

Though the sight was strange, it was also a familiar phenomenon.

– Feilun… You carried out a mission with the second son of House Nachtval, right? You probably saw a similar scene then too.

In the original work, [Revolution Empire], what happened to him.

The story of how he witnessed his subordinate’s death, transformed into a murderer, and died as a villain.

‘So you were the one who showed me that?’

– Correct.

‘Eugene’ who answered briefly took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth and said to me.

– And this scene I’m showing now is also created by reconstructing parts of my memories.

‘Ha.’

– Doesn’t it feel like watching a movie? Want some popcorn?

‘Get lost.’

How does this game protagonist even know about movies and popcorn.

The protagonist guy who approached my side kept making snide remarks, but I focused on the scene unfolding before me without any particular reaction.

The capital of the Kalhyram Empire.

The massive government building erected where the imperial palace once stood.

The Revolutionary Army’s flag hanging there, and the statue of protagonist Eugene standing in front of the building’s entrance.

It was certain.

This scene before my eyes was the ending of the original game.

It was the scene of the empire after the revolution’s success.

“They built it quite grandly. To the point where even I feel embarrassed looking at it.”

A man in shabby clothes muttered while looking up at that massive statue.

[We shall forever remember Eugene Lorentz, Hero of the Revolution.]

The one who twisted his lips while reading the inscription on the statue was protagonist Eugene, with his haggard appearance.

“Th-there he is!”

“Get him!”

Rustle-!

While silently looking up at the statue, the sound of military boots and shouts tickled the protagonist’s back.

Soldiers wearing Revolutionary Army uniforms had rushed out and were aiming their guns at the protagonist.

The Revolutionary Army’s clothes covered in gold thread and decorations.

Finding that sight quite amusing, protagonist Eugene showed his teeth and stretched his hand toward them with a snicker.

“You who brought down the empire through revolution now wear the same attire as the imperial army. Isn’t that right?”

“H-hey, surrender quietly! We don’t want to shoot the hero of the revolution…!”

“Hero?”

The moment the thoroughly frightened soldier said that.

Paat-!

A red flash flickered.

An attack spell that came without warning.

All that remained where the light passed were two legs standing on the ground.

“Never call me by that title again. It’s disgusting.”

“Uh, uuh…!”

Eugene looked down like he was looking at insects at the soldiers he had once trained himself.

Seeing his face twisted like a demon, the soldiers’ faces turned pale as they stumbled backward.

“Wh-what’s this, his magic circuit was supposed to be completely destroyed in prison…!”

“This is different from what we were told?!”

“Mages…! Q-quickly, we need to contact Revolutionary Army headquarters…!”

Looking at the Revolutionary Army members panicking at the sight of him,

Eugene let out a low sigh.

“Haah…”

He had destroyed the prison in the imperial capital’s center, launched bombing spells at five train stations, and then come here.

It had been roughly four hours.

During all that time, he had roamed the capital without facing any opposition.

Yet all that came to stop him were just these handful of Revolutionary Army soldiers.

The reason was quite simple.

The first thing the revolutionary government did after seizing power from the empire was to end the war with the Republic.

‘……’

The Revolutionary Army executives who should have defended the empire against the Republic… signed the surrender documents without any hesitation.

An empire at the Republic’s feet.

But from the Revolutionary Army executives’ perspective, well, it wasn’t such a bad deal.

Randall had been a Republic agent from the start.

Claude, who killed Elcidore and achieved the revolution, had lost his purpose and fallen into hedonism.

And Prince Baker, who ascended to the throne with the Republic’s support, became nothing more than a puppet controlled by the Republic as they pleased.

The Kalhyram Empire after the revolution.

No, the Kalhyram Republic had fallen to become Westraine’s satellite state.

And the first thing the Republic did after swallowing up the empire was…

– To forcibly relocate every magical power awakener living in the empire to the western Republic, without leaving a single one behind.

‘……’

– Thanks to that, I was able to easily achieve my long-held revenge. Randall, Claude, Baker… I overthrew the entire Revolutionary Army.

Like a slide show, horrific scenes unfolded one after another before my eyes.

The burning capital.

Fleeing citizens.

Eugene’s statue covered in Revolutionary Army blood.

The collapsed government building and corpses strewn throughout its ruins.

The Revolutionary Army flag stuck at the top, with the traitors’ heads hanging from its end.

And finally, the protagonist staring at the sky with empty eyes after completing all of this.

Though looking at the sky, his consciousness was elsewhere.

An old memory.

He was recalling the documents he had seen in the imperial palace before being imprisoned.

[With my death, the revolution’s signal flare will light up the sky.]

The revolution began when Maximilien killed the emperor.

[Elcidore Castle is engulfed in flames, and the corrupt mage’s head is cut off by the angry mob.]

That was how all the magic nobles, including Elcidore, met their end.

[The empire’s flag falls to the ground, and those bearing the Red Wings control the empire.]

That was something he had done himself.

End the king’s oppression and usher in a new era.

That’s what he had sworn.

[The hero who has served his purpose is discarded, and the Red Wings become tools of the Republic.]

After being brutally betrayed, this is where it led.

“Ha… Haha… Hahaha…!”

Tears welled up in Eugene’s eyes as he laughed weakly.

Tears mixed with the traitors’ blood.

The blood of those he once believed to be comrades was staining his face as tears.

“The emperor’s diary that I saw then… was true.”

The one he believed he had to overthrow as the source of evil was the only one who had foreseen his future.

His death, which was thought to be the revolution’s signal flare, was nothing but the beginning of the massive betrayal that would come to him.

The empire’s last emperor, who had prophesied and warned of all this.

The one who ignored his warnings was none other than himself.

“What exactly have I done?”

His good intentions to change the corrupt empire ended up destroying it.

His cause of wanting to become a hero reduced him to becoming a tool of the revolution.

The paradox of good intentions.

The other side of being a hero.

All the countless choices made without realizing this brought about all these tragedies.

Because of himself, who was praised as the hero of the revolution.

“Wait.”

Standing atop the traitors’ corpses, how much time had he spent in self-blame and regret.

A troubled light suddenly appeared in Eugene’s empty eyes.

“The emperor’s prophecy… this wasn’t all of it.”

From his hazy memories, Eugene desperately recalled that day.

The burning imperial palace.

The emperor’s diary he saw there.

The numerous phrases that remained among the many records turned to ashes.

[The empire falls, and the Republic’s exploitation reaches its peak.]

The Kalhyram Empire became a republic.

It became Westraine’s satellite state, reduced to a factory for extracting resources and magical power awakeners.

However, at the same time, it was quite a strange decision.

The numerous magical power awakeners in the empire.

Why send all those many mages to the western Republic?

And why is it that those mages who left for the Republic…

Not a single one has returned?

Rumble-!

As if his thoughts had reached somewhere they shouldn’t, a roar and tremor shook the earth.

The traitors’ corpses swayed uneasily.

But Eugene’s gaze was not directed there, but toward the sky.

“Uh, uuh…!”

“What… What is that…?!”

The bright daytime sky was covered in shade.

Despite the cloudless, clean sky with the sun still shining.

As if overlaying black paint, all the scenery before his eyes began to darken.

And what appeared before Eugene’s eyes at the same time.

It was a black sphere rising from beyond the horizon.

“This is, could it be……”

Why is it that the most important things only come to mind when it’s far too late?

Along with such thoughts, what arose in Eugene’s mind was the final part of the records the emperor left behind.

[The vanished Black Sun reveals itself once again.]

[The Great Rupture spreads across all lands, and otherworldly hordes cover the continent.]

[The king of the west who tried to stop this shall fail, brought down by his own people.]

[This is truly the end of the world, and the beginning of an inevitable doom.]

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