Translator: KJ

A shelter from childhood.

Through the thorny vines of the cozy little space, moonlight carried on the breeze seeped in. The undergrowth swayed with a soft rushing sound.

In the strangely hushed air, Schatz looked at the man across from her.

"...Sir Knight."

Her voice trembled faintly.

Maximilian faced her without a word.

—Before the temptation of that overwhelming power, even the Maximilian you serve will inevitably waver.

Falkenrath's sneer hovered at her ear.

Schatz clenched her fists and thought about herself.

'Am I doubting Maximilian right now? Am I afraid of him? Or am I praying that he, at least, will be different from those monsters?'

No, what does 'monster' even mean to begin with?

"Schatz Heizen."

Maxi⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌milian called her name.

"...Yes."

Schatz recalled the day she had been able to come to this place. She thought about why she had been able to achieve her revenge.

Maximilian.

It had all begun with Maximilian.

And yet now, Schatz was afraid of something.

'Could it be that Maximilian, too, might become a man like Hector? That he might be blinded by power and lose himself?'

'...No.'

Hector had been evil from the start.

But for Maximilian, there is no distinction between good and evil.

He is neither a good man nor an evil one.

He simply looks at places we cannot see, and walks toward places we cannot reach.

That is why he was able to strike Hector across the face, and why he would not bend his will even before the Emperor's command.

He is the most noble, and the most imperial, of knights...

Schatz raised her trembling arms. She held out her father's box to him.

Maximilian took it indifferently and opened it. The contents within were revealed.

"...Ah."

A gasp escaped Schatz. Above the box, a mana sphere brimming with red radiance rose into the air.

A small power source emitting mana. Her eyes trembled in tiny tremors as she watched it.

Maximilian asked,

"Your father's work?"

"...Yes. I believe so."

How many people had been sacrificed to complete this sphere? How many human bodies had been dissected?

Had her own father, Arthur Heizen, willingly taken part in that process?

Even she could not yet be certain.

Schatz had taken her revenge on Mason, who had killed her father, but the vague faith that her father at least had been good had long since shattered.

But still...

─That arrogant knight will choose the 'power' we offer him over the loyalty of one hound like you.

The reason Falkenrath's words kept resurfacing was, perhaps, because she vaguely sensed Maximilian's deepest darkness.

Because she knew his 'heart', which loathed subspecies, and Ezenheim above all.

"Sir Knight... do you intend to use this?"

Her voice trembled pitifully. The red sphere was reflected in Maximilian's eyes. Schatz reached out, then hesitated.

She wanted to erase that sphere from his eyes. She wanted to hide it away where it could not be seen.

─In the end he too will become a monster looking toward the same place we are.

Maximilian quietly gazed at the sphere. He stared at the thing drifting before his eyes, dancing as if to seduce him...

Crunch!

He gripped it hard. Silver mana rippled within his fist.

Krzzzzt!

Like shattering glass, it crumbled in an instant.

"...!"

Schatz's eyes flew wide.

Her father's legacy, that crystallization of mana, vanished in a single moment. Red ash trickled emptily through Maximilian's fingers.

"Schatz."

Crushing the traces left on the ground underfoot, Maximilian spoke.

"We are Aran."

Aran. The word 'we'. Those words flowed into Schatz's ears. They reached her heart and settled in some deeper place. An emotion she could not put into words raced through her entire body.

"..."

Schatz only remained silent, and Maximilian lightly brushed the dust from his hand.

Still bearing himself as if not a single speck had touched him, he laid his hand on Schatz's shoulder.

And then──

"We are not so weak that we must rely on some trifling foreign object like this."

Against the backdrop of the night sky, he wore his brightest smile. Moonlight poured down over his golden hair. At the sight, slightly dreamlike, Schatz suddenly knew.

'I will probably,

no, certainly,

never forget this scene for as long as I live...'

* * *

On the road back to the center of the Empire, in the back seat of the car.

I quietly watch the back of Schatz's head as she gripped the steering wheel. Maybe because the road is in poor shape, her head bobbed every time we round a corner.

"..."

Schatz had doubted me. The doubt was that I might be bewitched by the mana engine, or that I might fall.

But I had doubted Schatz, too. In truth, my doubt had been far greater than hers. When I faced her, there was a longsword at my back.

Schatz was, in reality, not so different from the Outcasts. Her essence was that of a good person, and before my regression, she had shot Sebestian dead.

If our paths had diverged, if she could not fully trust me, or if I could not wholly keep her by my side,

I would have had to behead her with my own hand.

──Thump.

Suddenly, my Virus throbbed heavily.

Schatz's father. Arthur Heizen had been a far greater genius than I had thought. He may have created something close to a mana engine.

I destroyed it, but my Virus absorbed some of the fragments, and now it is in the process of digesting them.

─Thump.

It seems I have overeaten, though, and it will take a while. The pulse keeps beating irregularly, and when I call, there is no answer.

What this 'feeding' will mean for me, what changes it will bring, I cannot yet know, but...

"Will you be all right?"

Schatz suddenly asked.

I asked back briefly.

"With what?"

"That may have been something important my father left to this world. Hector had been searching for it. If it really was a mana engine..."

I smiled.

A perfectly fair point.

If what I had destroyed had been a mana engine—or at the very least an invention close to one—and through careful analysis we could have made full use of it, we might have secured a very advantageous position against Ezenheim.

"No."

But Schatz is just as important.

She is the talent that defeated Sebestian.

When I do not know the level of a mana engine's performance, there is no need to gamble away a winning lottery ticket I already hold.

"The treasure your father left to this world is something else."

There is no need to put it into words.

I trust the certain person before me more than any uncertain technology.

That is my decision.

"...Ahem."

Schatz cleared her throat. It was meant to mean she would focus on driving, but the top of her head bobbed in a strange way.

I quietly closed my eyes.

* * *

Hector had been dealt with, but the dismantling of Mason Industry was still ahead.

"Mason Industry's structure is highly unusual. There are plenty of profitable companies, but this research center is running serious losses."

Dieter, whom I hadn't seen in some time, adjusted his glasses and held out a report. He and his subordinate experts had thoroughly dissected every aspect of Mason Industry's financial structure and cash flow.

The slush funds Hector had siphoned off had been scattered fairly intricately through dozens of shell companies, which made tracking them a chore, but given Dieter's tenacity, he would recover them in the end.

"If you, Sir Knight, were to take over this research center directly..."

The items Dieter pointed to were Mason Industry's research complex and its all-but-subsidiary 'T24'.

"You would face tens of millions of imperial dollars in losses every year, and most of Mason Industry's debt is concentrated in this research complex."

This too was part of the corruption. Borrowing money against a research complex trusted by the Imperial Household. The banks, pressured by the imperial connection, could not dare reject the loan, nor could they press for collection.

So Mason Industry's research complex carried enormous debt for its scale.

"I know. Take it anyway."

I answered firmly.

"We have to honor the value of loyalty."

In this matter, I had defied the Emperor's command.

Whatever my objective had been, that much was clear.

"Yes. In that case I understand."

"Take down the signs. Es⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌tablish it as a new research center."

The facility called T24 would be erased from the surface without a trace.

"Shall we carry over the employment?"

"Most of it. But the existing researchers will need to be screened."

I struck out several names on the personnel roster with a red pen.

Those who carried out their superiors' orders 'ordinarily'─in other words, those who buried themselves in research like machines without ethical judgment─those, I would keep.

But the ones who took pointless sadistic pleasure in the test subjects, the ones who crossed lines for their own gratification.

Trash like 'Gennady', for example, the one Elze had tried to kill. They would all be cut.

Men of that kind were of no use whatsoever to the research I was envisioning. They were nothing but variables that would threaten security.

"This list. Pass it to Schatz."

Throw out the trash, hire only the worthwhile ones.

What I need are researchers who simply lack a conscience in an ordinary way.

"Yes. I will see to it."

Dieter took the personnel roster.

.......

The newly constructed underground research center.

It had no separate name, simply 'the research center'.

"Welcome."

Dieter Schmidt courteously greeted the researchers who had come to join.

For reference, the ones Maximilian had spared during「the Outcast」's incursion on Mason Industry had no idea at all that the 'Dr. Gerd' of that day had been Maximilian.

"From now on, you will all be working at the new research center in Empire 35th District."

At Dieter's words, the researchers showed a slightly bewildered expression. A sudden change of workplace. For men with families, it was a natural reaction.

But these were people who c⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌arried out their superiors' orders without any moral filter or self-correction. The optimal talent absolutely necessary for the research Maximilian had in mind.

"These are your terms of employment."

Accordingly, the figures and conditions written into the contract far exceeded anything they had imagined.

The researchers who received the papers froze blankly. The silence sank thick around them.

"...Is this... really true?"

Milo, who had been selected as the research center's director, was the first to raise his hand, asking as though he could not believe it.

"Yes."

Dieter answered, gazing at them through his glasses.

"It is a formal contract without so much as a hint of falsehood."

More than four times their pay at Mason Industry.

The duties to be carried out were still 'undetermined', but the work they had been doing at the Industry had been 'undetermined' from the start.

"However, there is something you must keep in mind."

Dieter's voice suddenly sank into something cold.

"You are to remain absolutely silent regarding everything you see, hear, and do at this research center."

Thorough control and enormous reward.

A life of doing what you were told, being paid in proportion to what you did, never letting information out, and living comfortably with your family.

"Should so much as a single character of information leak to the outside, in accordance with the security breach clause specified at the bottom of the contract, you will lose everything that very moment."

For researchers of this kind, perhaps this was the very life they desired most.

And so, one,

two,

three.

The sound of signatures being scrawled onto contracts gradually echoed through the room.

.......

Meanwhile, this was the Underground City, where the Empire's laws and order did not reach.

Sonnet Kandel, the 'Big Shot' who walked the streets inspecting the area's public order, came to a stop in front of a certain bookstore.

"...?"

At first she thought, what's this?

An unfamiliar cover, piled on a display stand in front of the bookstore, had caught her eye. A familiar name. But the art style was flawless.

「Outcast: Beginning」

Outcast. They had been a fairly well-known mercenary group in the Underground City. There was no way Sonnet wouldn't have known them. Foolish mercenaries who had assaulted Mason Industry this time around and been beheaded to the last man by Maximilian.

But just as they'd hoped, Mason Industry had collapsed, and Hector had been unofficially executed, so it could be said they had achieved their intended purpose.

"Hmm."

Sonnet picked up the comic book.

─R⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌ustle.

At first, out of mere light curiosity, she flipped through a few pages where she stood.

[The persons, place names, companies and organizations, and all other names appearing in this work, as well as the events and episodes, are entirely fictional creations, and any resemblance to actual reality is purely coincidental.]

The episode opened with a sentence like that.

─Rus⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌tle.

As she turned one page, then another, her focus narrowed further and further.

Before she knew it, she had become absorbed.

─Rustle.

While she was reading the comic.

Someone abruptly stepped up beside her and picked up the very same book. Sonnet shifted aside a little to make room, but sniff, sniff. Without meaning to, she caught a scent.

It wasn't an ordinary scent.

Though it was being concealed, the faint smell of a noble was leaking through.

She pressed her robe's hood firmly down and glanced sideways.

A woman in a rather clumsy disguise. But she had a pretty clear idea of who it was.

It was Ezell Runsellot.

The woman who had once nearly become Maximilian's wife. Her elder brother Jun Kandel's fellow mage.

"..."

She paged through the comic in silence, flip, flip, and then suddenly looked toward the shop owner inside the bookstore.

"Hey! How much is this!"

She asked the price in a tone that didn't suit her at all.

It was the misconception of nobles who had come down to the Underground City for the first time. They thought the Underground City had no law, no rules, no hierarchy, no anything.

"...What? Who the hell is this asshole?"

The owner furrowed his brow. Ezell shook the comic and shouted.

"I'm asking how much! This, this comic!"

"What?"

"I said I'm buying it. Can't you understand plain words?"

In the Underground City, you actually had to come on strong. Act weak and you got treated like a sucker... Who in the world had given her advice like that?

"Get lost. You moron, lunatic asshole."

"What, what? No, this is crazy. I said I'm buying it and you're giving me this bullshit. I said I'm buying it!"

The Underground City has its manners too. People like this would go back up to the surface and start cursing the Underground City this and the Underground City that.

"Hey! I said I'm buying!"

"Fuck off. Not selling, you fuck."

"What? Fuck?"

"Yeah, fuck! You asshole, you're dead today."

"Hey, wait, wait!"

As the owner came charging out clutching a broom, Sonnet quietly lifted her hood a little and asked,

"How much is it?"

"...Twenty dollars."

"I'll take two copies, keep the change."

"Ah... yes, certainly. Hey, you better know how lucky you are!"

"You crazy bast... huh?"

She paid a hundred dollars, bought two copies, then handed one to Ezell Runsellot.

Ezell, having spotted her, opened her eyes wide.

"Sonnet-"

"Shh."

Sonnet gestured with her eyes toward the side alley.

"Come with me."

Ezell glanced around for a moment as well, then nodded and followed behind her.

~~~

Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/cdZPxPVrXW