Do Your Own Revolution

#173

“Take aim.”

Whoosh-

The white-uniformed royal guards raised their gun barrels toward the sky in unison.

After a moment’s pause, as if reflecting on time passed.

“Fire.”

One week after blowing away Prince Meldir’s coronation ceremony.

With that quiet command, the royal guards’ ceremonial shots shook the gray sky above the imperial capital.

The first thing I did after occupying the imperial capital was to hold Emperor Friedrich’s funeral.

“Ah…!”

“General Eugene!”

I thought this when I first got my stars, but I still can’t get used to being called ‘General’ no matter how many times I hear it.

But regardless of how I felt about it, I maintained a solemn expression and bowed my head.

“Thanks to everyone here, we were able to recover the bodies of the loyal subjects abandoned in the palace underground. On behalf of the entire Kalhyram Army, I express my gratitude for your dedication and loyalty.”

“Ah, no!”

“Please raise your head. We…”

The people bowing their heads humbly at my words.

I heard they were palace servants who had escaped from the palace before Buckenheim invaded the imperial capital.

Those who didn’t leave the capital even during the Knight Order and magic nobles’ occupation.

I met them while searching for Andrei and the Knight Order’s bodies, and after hearing my story, they willingly came forward to help recover the bodies discarded in the palace sewers.

“Good! Lower it! Slowly…”

Rumble…

Led by the hands of the surviving royal guards, Andrei’s coffin took its place beside the Emperor’s.

Next came the coffins of the guard knights who had defended the palace with him, followed by the royal guards who had perished alongside them.

Not in the royal exclusive cemetery, but in the public cemetery where imperial citizens are typically buried.

The Emperor and Imperial Guard Knight Order would be able to rest in peace alongside the many imperial citizens who had passed before them.

“Whew.”

After all the ceremonies were finished, citizens who had been hiding in their homes to avoid the civil war began to pay their respects to the Emperor.

The crowd filling the public cemetery.

Watching from a distance, I let out a soft sigh and put a cigarette in my mouth.

Now, where did I put my lighter…

“Here.”

“Hm?”

While I was searching my pockets for my lighter, someone held out a metal lighter in front of me.

A bear insignia drawn in the center of the rusty lighter.

It was a military-issue lighter from the Westraine Republic.

“Never thought I’d get a light from a Republic spy.”

“Same here.”

I can’t imagine giving a light to the devil who blew away the Republic.

Looking at the blonde woman who said that, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

Anthony Rose.

Agent 2 who had controlled the Republic’s Intelligence Department.

A spy who moved between magic nobles and the Republic, and now a Republic remnant who declared she would stick with me.

“Your hair color was different when I saw you before.”

“Occupational hazard. My hair doesn’t last long because of it.”

After saying that and lighting my cigarette, she put a cigarette in her own mouth and started walking.

“The Knight Orders stationed in Korhonen and Gloucester have been annihilated.”

The reason she came here was to report on the situation at the front.

The report she handed over bore the approval stamps of Operations Director Erich Hartmann and Kalhyram Army Marshal Keiren Buckenheim.

“What about Ortega and Matt?”

“They’re returning after completing their operations. Both Margraves said they would join up with the main force when it advances.”

We won the war.

Without being able to capture Ruinberg, their plan to cut off the Kalhyram Army’s supplies had failed.

And now only two remained of their boasted seven stroke imprint specialists.

‘While Count Drexler is a bit of a tiresome type… he doesn’t have the power to change the tide of war at this point.’

Then now, only one thing remains.

To completely eliminate all the Knight Orders gathered around Buckenheim.

I stopped in place and was lost in thought for a moment.

“One step left.”

Not wanting to be betrayed by the Revolutionary Army.

The life that started with that thought had now come this far.

Killing Elcidore, killing Maximilien.

Killing Claude, killing the Republic’s hero, killing the Secretary General.

After killing and killing and killing again, I’ve reached this point.

“By the way, you really are a ruthless person, Your Excellency.”

Just as my thoughts were about to chain together, Anthony, who had been walking ahead, noticed I had stopped and spoke up.

“Among the knights gathered there were nobles who once were loyal to the Emperor.”

“…”

“There were nobles supported by the citizens, and people who devoted themselves to the Empire. To say you’ll kill them without even trying to distinguish between them if they don’t agree to abolish the nobility. This is…”

“Magic nobles aren’t disappearing because they’re evil.”

Saying that, I resumed my halted steps.

“Not all nobles could be corrupt aristocrats eating away at the Empire, and not all imperial citizens could be good people being exploited by the nobility.”

Just as the hero who reformed the Republic was an ordinary person who couldn’t prevent its downfall. And the Secretary General who tried to prevent the downfall was a monster who massacred his own citizens.

The world is too complex to be divided by such simple dichotomy.

A chaotic mix of gray that can’t be separated into the black and white of good and evil.

That’s why I chose to cut them down based on utility rather than good and evil.

“Which side is necessary for the Empire’s future ahead.”

“…”

“To rebuild the war-torn territory and pioneer the Republic’s territory… whose hands should we raise between nobles and non-nobles.”

If Feilun or Kyle hadn’t agreed to abolish the nobility system, I would have cut them down without hesitation.

The Emperor must have left his will with similar thoughts.

[If they oppose the abolition of vested interests including the nobility system, include Gloucester and Korhonen in the targets for elimination as well.]

Such instructions were even included on the back of the will the Emperor handed to me.

“Where are the Knight Orders?”

“They’ve gathered in Lestil and are all heading this way. Given the timing, they should arrive in two days.”

After saying that, Anthony began smoothly relaying information about the formation of Knight Orders gathered in Lestil.

My surprise at the unexpectedly detailed information was brief.

Noticing my gaze, she shrugged as if to say not to worry.

“This information was obtained with our people’s lives, you know. No need to doubt it.”

“You’re working harder than I expected.”

“Of course.”

We have to repay the value of our spared lives.

Saying that, Anthony opened her mouth with a bitter smile.

“Even if it was underground work, the fact is we cooperated with magic nobles to threaten you all.”

“…”

“Normally, we’d be shot immediately regardless of any deal. The fact that we’re still alive in this situation is…”

“Because I accepted you all.”

Because I thought you’d be useful when normalizing the Republic’s territory.

Anthony nodded and continued speaking.

“So we need to prove that utility to you as much as possible. If we earn the trust of you, the core of the Kalhyram Army, we can survive.”

“And after you survive?”

“We go our separate ways.”

“How mercenary.”

“We’re the same in that regard.”

When she laid out her true intentions so openly, there was no room for other thoughts.

A deal based on mutual interests. A temporary alliance formed because of it.

But precisely because of that, I could trust the information she brought me.

“…A price.”

“Pardon?”

After mulling over her words for a moment, I got up from my spot.

I checked the remaining magic bullet Count, inspected my pistol, and straightened my uniform.

“Right. Time to pay the price.”

The military uniform I wear. The army I belong to.

All these achievements I’ve made were created through the Emperor’s arrangements.

The Emperor demanded that I create the Empire he envisioned in exchange for giving me these things.

And I answered by burning everything that stood in the Empire’s way.

“It will take about a day for the Knight Orders to reach the capital?”

“I know.”

The path not taken by the original protagonist.

The Empire designed by the Emperor who should have died in the prologue.

One step remained until its completion.

***

Wheee–!

With a whistle, the heavy armored train was racing along the rails.

An ornate pattern embedded in the blue body.

The engine compartment shaped like a spear tip.

It was the armored train used by Count Drexler’s Knight Order, the Blue Lance Knight Order.

“Twenty minutes to arrival!”

At the shout from the front car, the knights on the train all checked their weapons at once.

Their destination was the imperial capital.

Their mission was to find Eugene Lorentz who had coiled up inside the imperial palace.

“Listen well. The enemy’s capability is above seven stroke mage level. He’s more powerful than any mage we’ve faced before.”

A figure who blew away three family head-level mages and dozens of Knight Order leaders at once.

Thus, they planned to surround Eugene for as long as possible to drain his magical power.

No matter how powerful a mage, magical power couldn’t be infinite.

They judged they had a chance if they engaged in a war of attrition to drain his magical power before crushing him with mass formula.

“No mistakes will be tolerated. The future of the Round Table depends on this battle…!”

Just as Count Drexler was saying this while looking around at his knights.

“Y-Your Lordship!”

The engineer in the front car shouted in an urgent voice.

“I see lights ahead! It’s a train!”

“What?”

At those words, the Count looked out the window and couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

Rumble…

An armored train charging toward them from the imperial capital.

It was rushing straight at them on the same track, with the imperial insignia engraved on it.

And standing on that train, watching them was…

“This is insane…!”

Eugene Lorentz.

Their mission target was charging at full speed.

“Stop! We need to stop the engine…!”

“We’re going to crash-!”

Other knights who grasped the situation screamed.

Too late to do anything now.

Count Drexler, gritting his teeth, shouted to the knights on the train.

“Everyone, brace for impact-!”

And then the imperial armored train that had been charging at full speed crashed right into their train.

Crash—!

With a massive explosion, the derailed armored train cars tumbled chaotically across the barren field.

“Kuhek! Kheuk…”

“Damn… ramming a train, what kind of crazy…”

“Get it together! Maintain formation!”

A situation where normal people would have been pulverized by the impact of the collision.

But the knights who quickly regained their senses immediately began finding their positions and forming ranks.

A knight who hunts knights.

Living up to that reputation, these were the most battle-hardened mages among the mage families.

“I didn’t expect you to approach first, Eugene.”

The one standing at the vanguard of these knights.

Count Drexler spoke while watching Eugene slowly walk out of the smoke.

“However, you’re rash.”

Whoosh-!

Following the Count’s movement, Blue Lance Knight Order members positioned around aimed their spears at Eugene.

The core Count Drexler would take the firepower while the other knights supported him.

The following armored train would prepare bombardment, and the train cannon would also be ready in the meantime.

If they could hold him until then.

Victory would be theirs.

“Letting Buckenheim escape and giving the nobles time to gather.

That was your fatal mistake…!”

“Escape?”

Cutting off the Count’s words, Eugene opened his mouth.

“What?”

“Thanks to Buckenheim running away with his tail between his legs, I don’t have to go hunting them one by one.”

Thanks to that, they’ve gathered in one place, making it convenient to wipe them out all at once.

Saying that, Eugene activated the imprint sealed in his right arm.

Whoosh-!

“…!”

“Damn, what magical power…!”

The pressure felt just from activating the magic circuit.

“I didn’t let Buckenheim escape.”

In the midst of the knights gritting their teeth, Eugene showed a faint smile.

“I let him go on purpose.”

Now Eugene had only one thing left.

To clear away these idiots and kill Buckenheim.

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