Translator: KJ

Chiron had become the Deputy Commander of the Sentinel. But he did not let go of the field work. He cast his information network ever wider, and poured his assets into it without restraint.

"The land prices in Southern Hermes have..."

And so, the field Chiron focused on most outside of his official duties was managing his money.

"...risen this much. Gwahaha."

He peered at his terminal screen and let out a snort of disbelief. Two commercial buildings and one mansion he had purchased. In just over a year, their value had skyrocketed more than fourfold.

On top of that, his various stocks and bonds, every single one he invested in, had paid off.

"Gwahah... Whew."

But the real game starts now.

The Zerpha civil war and the Valkania-Mekerel war were nothing but a beginning. The all-out war that would swallow the continent would surely arrive, and soon.

That was why Chiron, as Deputy Commander, needed more money. So that he would never have to go begging to the bastards in the Imperial Guard or the Imperial Palace, he needed more assets.

His choice was the 'Mana Stone'.

He had already used up every bit of his remaining cash to buy Mana Stone Bonds. He would sell off the Hermes real estate and his other miscellaneous assets too, and steadily pour it all into mana stones.

"War, huh..."

If war broke out, then of course he himself would be sent to the front lines.

He had already resolved himself for that day, and deep down, he even looked forward to it.

"..."

Chiron's gaze settled on the jet-black helmet at one corner of his desk. The latest tactical equipment newly invented by Maximilian's company.

With a curious expression, he put the helm on.

Wrrrr─.

When he channeled mana into it, the visor slid smoothly down before his eyes with a soft mechanical hum.

"Oh."

In that instant his vision opened up into a wide angle, and every scene before his eyes was converted into thermal imaging data. All complex shapes and unnecessary visual information were erased, leaving only the red and blue heat sources sharply picked out in a combat-ready field of view.

There was no need to press a button or touch anything.

When he cut off the flow of mana just slightly,

Click.

The visor folded crisply upward.

And when he fed mana into it again.

Wrrrr─

It came down.

Click

And went up.

"So this is that micro mana, or whatever, cutting-edge responsive sensor thing."

Wrrrr─ Click

Wrrrr─ Click

"...Oh."

Somehow there was a strange addictive quality to it.

Wrrrr─ Click

Wrrrr─ Click

"Whoa."

Wrrrr─ Click

Wrrrr─ Click

Just as Chiron was raising and lowering the visor over and over.

Wrrrr──

──Knock knock

"──Hurk!"

At the sudden knocking sound, he flung the helmet off in a fright.

"Uh, ahem! Ahem. Y-yeah, come in."

Sweeping back his disheveled hair, he cleared his throat.

'Wait, hold on, what kind of bastard dares to knock without even making an appointment first. I'm the Deputy Commander now.'

"Who is it!"

Chiron glared toward the spot, ready to give whoever it was a piece of his mind, but the moment the door opened, every trace of that feeling vanished. A bright grin burst out first.

Chiron shot to his feet, calling out the man's name.

"Julian!"

Julian, having finished a long, long undercover stint, had finally returned to the Sentinel.

......

Julian had stabilized Verkina, the eastern drug hub. The drug cartel that ruled the underworld had been definitively reorganized under a single 'head', and had transformed into a business enterprise.

From now on, the smuggling of low-grade narcotics into the Empire would drop dramatically.

If any lower organization tried to traffic drugs within Verkina, they would immediately be branded enemies of the cartel and wiped out.

"You're back, Sir Knight."

The lobby of the Knight Order Headquarters. Tiana approached with a bright face and greeted him.

"And you've gotten quite tan since I saw you last."

Julian answered with a faint smile. Tiana glanced around and lowered her voice.

"...Leon just got back from his mission a little while ago too."

Leon Ascar.

Julian's own younger brother.

But there was quite a gap in their ages, and during the years the boy was growing up, Julian had been living in the dormitories at Empire Point, and by the time Julian was knighted and had gained some breathing room, Leon, conversely, had enrolled at Empire Point.

Because of this, the two brothers, despite sharing blood, had an oddly distant streak between them.

"No. It's fine. I've got a mission."

Julian shook his head.

"What? You came back three days ago, and already?"

"It was just up on the system."

"Wow... Take it easy, would you."

Julian did not delay.

He plunged straight into his next mission.

[ Knight Support Request ]

[ Accepted: Julian Ascar ]

The location was the outskirts of the Empire's 31st District. Originally a community had formed around a mana stone mine, but with the mine's closure it had become a ghost town that everyone had abandoned.

The Revolutionary forces had slip⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌ped in here.

Julian entered in silence. A battle between the advance party of knights and soldiers and the Revolutionary forces was in full swing.

Kabooooom──!

Mana clashing among the building's rubble. Boulders came crashing down in a roar, kicking up clouds of dust. Julian took one large stride. He crouched beside a certain knight who had taken cover behind a wall.

"Who, who are you?"

The knight flinched and readjusted his grip on his sword.

"It's Julian. Rookie?"

"Ah... Yes. That's right. I'm Hermann."

A rookie knight, 'Hermann'. Blond hair swept back neatly, a tidy, sharply pressed uniform.

A guy who somehow seemed to resemble Maximilian, a textbook specimen of an Aran.

"The situation?"

"Presumed to be Revolutionary forces, sir, but their firepower is fiercer than expected."

──Kaboom!

From the rooftop of the building across the way, a Mana Cannon blast came flying and blew off the top of the wall they were hiding behind.

"I'll open a path. Follow my trail."

Tah─!

Julian's legs kicked off the ground. His body cut through the air like the wind. Leaping with the collapsed rubble as his stepping stones, he bored his way into the interior of the building where the Revolutionary forces had dug in, in an instant.

......

The engagement concluded before nightfall. Most of the ones who fled were apprehended as well. Such was the might of the Senior Knight named Julian.

"First, take the photos. The scene and everything..."

Soldiers and police were moving busily back and forth.

Most of the Revolutionary forces had been shot dead on the scene, and only five or six, drenched in blood, were forced to their knees on the ground.

"Every one of you's a target for summary execution, right~? You're all dead, right~?"

Hermann extended his blade. His sword's tip pointed at the neck of one of the captives, a woman.

"..."

The woman simply closed her eyes. As if she had already given up on life, there was nothing like agitation in her.

Julian gazed steadily at her, and then—

Thunk.

He laid his hand on Hermann's blade and quietly pressed it down.

"...Eh?"

Hermann looked at him with bewildered eyes.

"These ones are larger in scale than expected. They've surely received orders from above."

He spoke as he looked down upon the kneeling Revolutionary members.

"Keep them alive. They may know meaningful information, so we hand them over to the interrogation room."

Meaning, do not kill them carelessly.

"Uh..."

Hermann worked his tongue around in his mouth. Julian looked at him.

Somehow, an incident from a few years back came to his mind.

If it had been Maximilian, he would have ignored his words. He'd have swung his sword first.

But.

"...Yes. Sure. Let's do that."

Hermann smacked his lips and withdrew his sword. Julian gave a small nod too.

'This kid is not Maximilian.'

Because the only person like Maximilian is Maximilian himself.

* * *

The news that revolutionary forces members had been hauled in to the Knight Order Headquarters, I received as a report in my office.

I checked the roster of knights who had participated in the operation, and ran my eyes down the profiles of the apprehended Revolutionary members.

"..."

One face among the photos caught my eye. Without a word, I rose from my seat and made my way to the interrogation room on the upper floor.

Creeeeak.

When I opened the door and stepped inside, the knight and the staff officers within hurriedly snapped to a salute and greeted me.

After a light nod of the head, I looked beyond into the interrogation room.

Julian was seated at the questioning table. Across from him, a woman who, handcuffed, kept her mouth firmly shut.

Someone I know.

"Her name is Revolutionary forces."

A young knight murmured as he flipped through documents.

"Her affiliation is 'Laura'."

"Her name is Revolutionary forces?"

"Ah, my apologies. Her affiliation is the Revolutionary forces, her name is 'Laura'. She was once a promising elite Wizard out of the Empire's Sentio Magic Tower, but she got steeped in seditious ideology and defected, apparently."

He added, casting a sidelong glance into the interrogation room.

"Actually, we tried to carry out a summary execution on the scene, but Sir Julian went out of his way to stop us. Said she might have meaningful information..."

I nodded.

"Ah, right. I'm Hermann, a 0-Year Knight who just joined this time around. It's truly an honor to meet you in person like this, Sir Maximilian. Hahaha."

Hermann.

I repeated the name over in my mind. It was a name I knew very well, and a face all too familiar.

"Your age?"

"I'm twenty-one. Oldest of my cohort."

"You've got an old face."

"...Sorry? Ah, yes, that's right. Haha. I hear it a lot. That I look five years older. Maybe it's because I part my hair like this."

Before my Regression, this was the guy who had raced up the promotion track to become a real power player in the Sentinel.

I had watched with my own two eyes as a junior who came in two whole years after me climbed his way to success.

Yes, it had been a sense of inferiority.

"But honestly, she doesn't really look like she's holding any great information, if you ask me."

Hermann sneered as he looked at Laura. At that moment Julian rose from his seat and came out.

"Ma⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌x."

"It's been a while. How's the interrogation?"

It really had been a long time, but neither of us had much to say.

Just as though we had met yesterday, we simply talked about today's business.

"She won't open her mouth. Though she does seem to know something."

"Excuse me, Sir Knight! Then would it be all right if I went in and worked her over a bit?!"

Hermann asked with his eyes gleaming. Julian nodded in a weary tone.

"Thank you!"

Hermann gleefully went into the interrogation room, and Julian's gaze settled on me.

"Max. Let's talk for a moment."

"Sure."

I followed him up to the rooftop of the Knight Order.

The rooftop. A clean zone where the Imperial Palace's eavesdropping couldn't reach.

"So she's someone you know."

Leaning against the railing, I went straight for the heart of it.

"That's right."

Julian didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it, either.

"Do you remember? The operation codenamed 'Path of Dreams'. Verkina. And... Eshton."

Eshton. Julian's old friend, the one who had been killed by Julian in Verkina.

The Ezenheim knight.

"Yes. I remember."

He rummaged through his coat, pulled out a crumpled cigarette, and put it to his lips.

"That woman was Eshton's lover."

"..."

I fell silent for a moment.

An elite Wizard and an Imperial knight. And the Imperial knight, no less, was a man of a position that should never have allowed him to become a knight in the first place.

A romance that would sell quite well.

"I tolerated it as far as Eshton exchanging letters with her. Eshton told Laura his truth. He confessed that he had concealed his identity."

A⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌nd even so, the two of them had loved each other.

No, only one of them had loved.

Ezenheim ha⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌d used Laura, and dragged an innocent elite onto the path called revolution.

"So Eshton turned Laura into a Revolutionary."

"...Who knows. Laura may have leaned that way on her own."

"Either way, joining the Revolutionary forces is a death sentence under Imperial law."

"Max. Isn't there one more clause after that?"

Julian let out a thin breath of cigarette smoke and gave a bitter smile.

"If she was merely a passive participant, or if she actively cooperates with the investigation—"

"If she gives up a name, her sentence could be reduced."

I folded my arms.

"So you want her to live."

"Because I can't exactly say I bear no responsibility for how she went astray."

Julian looked at me quietly, and then abruptly threw out a different question.

"That rookie, Hermann, do you know him?"

"...Yes. I do know of him."

"He must be a fellow worth keeping an eye on. If even you know of him."

I looked down below the rooftop, over the courtyard of the Knight Order, and gave a faint smile.

"Yes. I'm keeping an eye on him."

He would become famous. Not just that guy, but Hermann's entire cohort.

I had turned the admission policy and training intensity at Empire Point into some⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌thing hellish, yet even under that brutal control and surveillance, there were monsters who had survived.

"...Why. Does he happen to resemble me?"

At my question, Julian gave a bitter smile, as if the idea were absurd.

"Max. There isn't a knight in this world who resembles you."

Was it praise, or a reproach.

Either way, it was something he'd thrown out without much deep thought.

* * *

The Sentinel Knight Order Headquarters. Owing to the recent explosion in the Knight Order's budget and a reshuffling of its spaces, the second-floor lounge had become the exclusive domain of the 0-year and 1-year rookies.

"Hermann! Congrats!"

"Congratulations!"

Hermann, having come into the lounge, received gifts from his peers. To the man who had safely completed his first real combat mission, they were offering their own kind of congratulations.

"Thanks, thanks."

"Hey, how was the real thing? Was it brutal?"

The noble-born knight 'Claude' and the commoner-born 'Miles', along with various peers who had shared good times and bad ever since the Empire Point days, all swarmed around him.

"Come on, tell us already."

"Did you kill anyone?"

As a matter of fact, the 0-Year apprentice knights these days were in a state of emergency.

It was because a new clause had recently been added to the Sentinel Knight Order's internal regulations.

[During the 0-Year apprenticeship period, if a knight falls markedly short of the combat performance standard, their Knight Investiture may be revoked.]

"Nah, I mean, it was brutal, but I was fine. And hey, of course I killed someone. Sliced a throat."

Hermann fiddled with the sword at his waist and smirked.

"The Revolutionary forces, those guys we hauled in, their interrogation isn't finished yet, though."

His easygoing answer left everyone half relieved, half envious.

"How was Sir Julian? They say he's incredibly skilled."

"...He's incredibly fast, all right, but somehow his blade's edge felt dull. And he looked tired. Hey, but never mind that, today I saw Maximilian in the interrogation room."

Maximilian. At that name, the rookies reacted strongly.

Maximilian, who was still only in his 2-year, was the most fearsome figure in the entire Knight Order.

The number of people he had killed directly or indirectly was already in the thousands! Truly, no fewer than several thousand, they said.

There was a reason he was called a monster.

"For real? How was he?"

"Hmm..."

Hermann recalled the man he had faced in the interrogation room just moments ago.

The pressure that crushed the very air just by his standing there. A presence that seemed to crumple his shoulders.

"His presence was seriously insane. It knocked the breath right out of me. He's just, different. Really different."

He shook his head from side to side as if in admiration.

"Ah~ Sir Maximilian should've been the one to come to the scene. Then it would've been to hell with interrogation, he'd have sliced them all up?"

"...True. If it were him, he'd do exactly that and more."

"That's why, honestly, I'm a little disappointed."

Hermann leaned his back against the sofa and smiled crookedly.

"Fuck, those fucked-up Revolutionary bastards. We should've just lopped off all their heads, no need to even drag them back to the Knight Order, but some old fart of a guy went and stopped it..."

He clenched his teeth tight and shot to his feet.

"...Well, anyway. You lot work hard too, so you don't get cut from the apprenticeship. I'm heading off a step ahead~"

He breezed out of the lounge with ease.

......

In the dead of night, the Sentinel Knight Order interrogation room.

Laura sat with both hands bound.

Staring blankly at the gray-white wall, how many hours had she been like this.

Creeeak.

At one point the door opened and a staff officer held out a tray.

"You're to eat this."

Soup with warm steam rising from it, bread, and meat.

An unexpected meal.

Laura glared with wary eyes, but her starving stomach got ahead of her reason.

She picked up the spoon.

One bite, two bites, three bites.

Next she picked up the knife.

One slice, two slices, three slices.

The warm food loosened her body, and just as she had hastily emptied the entire plate that way.

Clunk. Creeeeak──.

Once again the interrogation room door opened.

"...!"

In that instant Laura's eyes flew wide open. The handcuffs at her wrists jangled, and her lips trembled.

"A pleasure to meet you."

Softly settled blond hair. Golden eyes catching the pale light.

The top-priority assassination target set by the Revolutionary forces leadership, and an extremely vicious Class-1 Dangerous Person─

"My name is Maximilian."

He, smiling right in front of her, asked.

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

~~~

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