Translator: KJ

The most secret stronghold of the revolutionary forces─ Veil.

In that place, which existed on no map, a council of those who never showed their faces was underway.

"Has information been leaked?"

The Rabbit Mask, 'Sensi'.

At her question, the round table sank into a heavy silence for a moment.

"It does not matter."

One of the shadows answered. Its face was veiled in darkness, and even its voice was distorted by mana.

He was a person who had to be that way. A leader at the head of the revolution whose gender, let alone age, could not be guessed— 'Oracle'.

"Then what does matter?"

Sensi asked him.

"Choice."

"...Choice?"

"For the sake of the cause alone, one must choose the more important person."

Everyone at the round table was suddenly steeped in thought.

What was revolution? It was the act of overturning the heavens and remaking the world. It was an altar built upon the blood and bones of others, an offering that weighed sacrifice in the name of a great cause.

"War is not far off."

Oracle's voice pressed down upon Veil.

War.

The flames of ruin the Empire would ignite.

"The Empire's persecution of minority races has already begun."

The「Imperial Citizenship Law」was no more than the first button fastened. Their madness would race forward along its track.

And so, those robbed of even the space to breathe. Those driven, pushed ever closer to the edge of the cliff.

In the end, in order to survive, they would have no choice but to gather beneath the banner of the revolution.

"For them, revolution is not a choice but an inevitability."

Those who would gladly hurl themselves into the burning pit of revolution in order to live. They themselves would become wildfire and spread across the continent.

"We merely, for their sake..."

Oracle's gaze slowly swept over the silhouettes gathered at the round table.

"...make the hardest choice in their stead."

* * *

The interrogation room of the Sentinel Knight Order.

I looked at Laura, seated across from me. Before her lay a blank sheet of paper and a fountain pen.

"Laura Espin."

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet mine.

"An elite who studied at the Empire's Sentio Magic Tower. A Pure Aran noble family that has produced mages for generations."

A profile that could have let her live wealthy and esteemed within the Empire.

I asked with a faint smile.

"There was hardly any need for you to throw yourself into the revolution."

"...Pure Aran."

Laura murmured, lacing the words with scorn.

"Do you truly believe that any purity exists in this race called 'Aran'?"

...The division of races.

Such things were, in truth, nothing but illusion. Even the golden hair and golden eyes said to be the mark of the Aran were merely the expression of inherited traits.

"This hierarchy of races that you people insis⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠t upon with such fervor."

If one traced back the unfathomably distant origin of humanity and the countless intermingled currents of history, no perfectly pure bloodline existed anywhere on this continent.

That was something all of humanity would come to acknowledge in time.

"It is nothing but violence written to suit the tastes of imperialists."

Laura's words were a fact of the future.

"Is that so."

I nodded without feeling.

The banner of the revolutionary forces was right. Their cause held the universal truth of mankind. I, too, understood the freedom and equality they championed, but this world did not turn on right and wrong alone.

"Then let me ask you one thing."

I leaned my upper body forward.

"Why have you not refused all food and drink?"

Laura's pupils trembled.

"Why are you sitting here, speaking your ideology to me?"

The root of what I wished to ask was, in the end, this.

"Why are you still breathing, still alive?"

Life.

"Wouldn't it be a simple matter to bite through your tongue and die?"

I gave a small laugh and slid the blank pape⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠r toward her.

"And yet you are not doing so."

Write down only the names of your comrades, and you could live.

As if she understood my words, a smile suddenly flickered at the corner of her mouth as well.

"You're mistaken. My life means nothing to me now. If you wish, you may cut off my head this very instant."

A resolute but unnatural voice. The hard emotion that dwelt within it.

"...I see."

I gazed quietl⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠y down at her and opened my mouth.

"Unfortunately, you are not my charge."

The instinct I had honed thus far, filtering out subversives in my own way, told me as much. This woman was undoubtedly hiding something.

"However, you should probably pray every night, and pray hard."

Laura did not avert her gaze from mine.

"That I am not the one handed the 'case' that is you."

I rose from my seat and reached a hand toward Laura. Her eyes clenched shut.

──Clack.

I unfastened the iron chain connected to the desk.

"Now go down to the basement and rest in comfort."

The dungeon beneath the Sentinel headquarters. There, at the very least, one could lie down, so it would be better than the interrogation room.

* * *

In the late hours of the early morning, someone carefully pushed open the door to the Sentinel interrogation room.

'He' stepped into the empty space and sat down before the mana recorder atop the questioning table. He drew out the tape containing the contents of the recent interrogation and pushed it in.

Clunk.

When he pressed the playback button, the voices of two people flowed out.

─An elite who studied at the Empire's Sentio Magic Tower. A Pure Aran noble family that has produced mages for generations....

Maximilian opened the conversation.

─Do you truly believe that any purity exists in this race called Aran?

Laura spoke dangerous words.

─Why have you not refused all food and drink... Wouldn't it be a simple matter to bite through your tongue and die...

Maximilian. Even knowing him to be the most unmistakable imperialist, Laura answered like this.

─...You're mistaken. My life means nothing to me now. If you wish, you may cut off my head this very instant.

Julian listened to the conversation in silence.

With his eyes closed, he sank into deep thought.

Eshton, who had once been his friend.

The reason Eshton's lover, Laura, did not fear death. There seemed to be some great cause she sought to carry out.

"..."

Julian opened his eyes with a bitter expression.

Clack. Wheeeeen─.

He laid his hand on the recorder and poured mana into it. The mana waves disrupted the mana-stone catalyst of the tape, scrambling the core part of the conversation between Maximilian and Laura.

In that instant.

"Huh?"

He sensed a presence behind him.

Julian rose calmly and turned around.

"Sir Julian?"

At the threshold of the interrogation room stood the 0-year roo⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠kie knight, Hermann. He approached with an easygoing smile.

"What are you doing at this late hour?"

Julian regarded Hermann with a deep gaze. The lingering traces of his contemplation reached toward the younger knight, but Julian soon answered placidly enough.

"It's nothing. Why haven't you gone home yet?"

"...Ah, well, me."

Hermann scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"It was my first official field mission, wasn't it? I wanted to do a little better. Well, since I couldn't sleep anyway, I came down to look over the records again."

Just then his administrative officer came in, arms full of a thick bundle of documents. At the officer's greeting, Julian only gave a slight nod.

"Ah, and another thing. Aside from that woman Laura, I think we've gotten just about all the information out of the other revolutionary force members we hauled in today."

"Did it go well?"

"Yes. They sang like birds."

"Well done."

Just as Julian was about to pass by him.

"...Sir Julian."

Hermann called out to him from behind. To Julian's profile, Hermann snapped a crisp salute and smiled.

"Rest well, sir."

"Keep up the good work."

Thud. Thud.

Julian disappeared down the corridor. As his footsteps faded completely away, the smile that had hung at the corner of Hermann's mouth scattered like an ebbing tide.

"..."

He looked at the recorder with coldly settled eyes. The tape Julian had just set down. He toyed with it quietly, then, clack, pressed the playback button.

Wheeeeeen——

Only the sound of the tape spinning came out; no voice at all.

"How strange."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Hermann dr⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠ummed his fingers on the table and muttered.

"There should have been an interrogation..."

He had seen Maximilian interrogating Laura with his own eyes. And yet that recording had been wiped in its entirety, gone without a trace.

─Tssshk.

All at once Hermann's eyes were dyed blue. Onto his moistening retinas, a faint 'active residue' was captured.

In this way, a crime scene always left traces behind. Marks that could not be hidden remained.

"...So it works."

Hermann thought, a deep smile spreading across his face.

Julian Ascar could become an enemy of the Empire.

* * *

'...It's been a while.'

A certain day in the past, before I regressed.

I had once seen Julian locked behind iron bars. Sentenced to death, abandoned by his family and by everyone in the Empire, he had waited alone for death.

'Max.'

A man worn down to the bone.

A man who bore duties and obligations that ran contrary to his own nature, and who, even so, had striven countless times not to forsake them.

To the Julian of that time, death had instead seemed like a place of rest.

'I would rather have died by your hand.'

He had said he wished to die by my hand.

He, who had held no attachment whatsoever to the hell that was life.

The words he left me in his very last moment.

'...May I ask one thing of you?'

That request, which became his dying wish, was──

"..."

I opened my eyes.

Morning sunlight was already pouring in from beyond the mansion.

My day began like any other.

I had a meal, got into the car, received documents from my staff officer, and headed into the knight order.

A daily routine of waiting for the coming war while at the same time laying its foundations. Preparing the greatest massacre of all...

Us.

I arrived at the knight order's headquarters and stepped into the elevator. Tiana and Leon were already inside.

"Ah, Max."

"Max~ hi."

The two of them greeted me with smiles.

"Max. The 0-year rookies these days are so sharp, you know? It hasn't even been a few months since they joined and they're already so self-directed."

At Leon's words, Tiana chimed in too.

"It's really true. Max, you know Hermann, right?"

Hermann von Berg. A knight from a provincial noble family.

In the past, he had lost his older brother, a soldier, when he was caught up in a bombing by the revolutionary forces.

"Yeah. I know him."

"Lately he's been charging right ahead without even minding the seniors. Honestly, I'm a little worried. When someone's zeal gets too far ahead of them-"

Ding!

My terminal chimed. Checking the screen, I knit my brows slightly.

[ Urgent: A small-scale explosion and firefight have occurred in a civilian residential district, triggered by a knight deployment. ]

"...The moment we speak of it, this happens. Looks like he's caused some trouble?"

Tiana let out a dry laugh. So did Leon.

"Well~ it's that hot-blooded age, after all~"

I put the terminal away and said,

"I'll go."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah. I've got nothing to do in the mornings anyway."

Ding-

The elevator door opened right then, but I pressed the button for the first floor again.

......

A certain civilian boarding house in the Empire's 23rd District.

Two Sentinel rookie knights, Hermann and Mia, had discovered a very important piece of evidence.

"It's certain. It's Dominic's forged ID."

Dominic Baumann. They had found a trace of the linchpin of the revolutionary forces, that Class-1 wanted criminal.

Looking at the clues left scattered throughout this room, it was clear that he had used this place as one of his hideouts.

"Hey."

Hermann looked down roughly at the blood-soaked boarding house owner and the son trembling beside her, and jerked his chin.

"Talk."

"..."

"Talk, I said. Where the bastard who stayed here has gone now, what he's been doing all this time, where he is and what he's doing."

Even so, the owner only glared at Hermann, her mouth shut tight.

Hermann kicked her in the stomach with his military boot.

"Khuh─"

"Talk, I said!"

Beside him, Mia watched Hermann with anxious eyes.

"If you talk here, things will be a little easier for you once you're inside. If it goes well, you might even live. Hm? You ought to at least protect your son."

The rage Hermann had harbored since his Empire Point days. She knew its source as well, but his current conduct did him no good as a knight.

"Hermann. Calm down for now."

The moment Mia grabbed Hermann's shoulder.

The boarding house owner spat out the blood pooled in her mouth and sneered.

"...You're a fake, aren't you?"

"A fake? A fake—?"

Just as a laugh was about to burst from the corner of Hermann's mouth.

"─Hold a moment."

Beyond the broken front door, three Imperial Guardsmen in jet-black uniforms burst in.

"We responded to a report."

"What report? This is a matter under Sentinel jurisdiction. The Imperial Guard should stay out of it."

Hermann did not hide his displeasure, and the guardsmen too frowned at the sight of him.

"The explosion that just occurred."

It had been a trap left behind by Dominic. Hermann had thrown his own body in to knock the bomb outside, but it seemed it had reached the building across the way.

"The building right next door is the private property of a colonel of the Imperial Guard. And..."

The guardsmen, with strangely supercilious faces, pointed at the blood-soaked mother and son.

"...Have you inspected their Genealogy Certificate?"

"A Genealogy Certificate!"

Suddenly the owner's son cried out.

"Our, our Genealogy Certificate is right here...!"

The son drew a crumpled document from his bosom and held it out. The subordinate guardsman who received the document fitted a monocle-shaped mana detector into his eye.

"...It appears to be genuine."

At that, the guardsman gave a small smirk.

"Yes. As you can see, this is an Imperial citizen certified as a Pure Aran. No matter that you're a knight of the Sentinels, you can't just go around treating anyone like this—"

──Thud.

Suddenly, footsteps rang out calmly from somewhere below.

─Thud.

A neat reverberation climbing the stairs.

Thud.

Everyone turned to look, and through the gap in the doorway a man revealed himself.

Maximilian Ebenholtz.

The three guardsmen hurriedly shut their mouths. Straightening their backs, they saluted. They sidled toward the wall and cleared a path.

Maximilian, who had walked over treading on the wooden planks, first asked Hermann.

"What's going on?"

"Ah. Sir Maximilian."

"Start with the overview."

"Yes!"

The eyes of the boarding house owner, who recognized the name Maximilian and his very existence, trembled.

"We received intelligence that the Class-1 wanted criminal 'Dominic' was hiding here, and we made a raid."

Hermann hastily straightened his clothes as he reported.

"And indeed, there was clear evidence of the bastard's presence."

"Evidence?"

"Yes. The forged ID Dominic was using, and encrypted communication records."

He handed the collected evidence over to Maximilian. Maximilian's gaze swept across the interior of the boarding house and then settled on the owner and her son.

"And these two?"

"They appear to be Dominic's accomplices. And, take a look at this as well."

Hermann handed over another letter with a sour smile.

"It's a love letter she meant to send to Dominic but never did. That boarding house owner wrote it."

Maximilian looked at her. A woman with her hair thoroughly disheveled.

──Thump.

His heart beat. From the moment he had come here, he had known they were Ezenheim.

He was merely curious.

Could a thing like love even reside within an Ezenheim?

"I see. And beside her is the son?"

"Yes. Hey, Imperial Guard. You, over there. There! Hand over the Genealogy Certificate."

Hermann waved a hand at the guardsmen. Stiff with tension, the guardsman held out the Genealogy Certificate.

Maximilian skimmed the scrap of paper with indifference.

A flawless forgery, a fake no different from the real thing.

"─It's you, isn't it?"

All at once, the boarding house owner, kneeling on the floor, looked up at Maximilian and opened her mouth as if mocking him.

"Maximilian Ebenholtz."

──Thump.

Beneath Maximilian's collarbone, the Virus had already been pulsing from the moment he set foot in this place.

It was proof that the mother and son were both Ezenheim wearing human skin.

And so, he drew his pistol.

Bang!

A mana bullet pierced the brow of the teenage boy first.

In that instant, the boy crumpled, sliding down. Like waterlogged grass, he sank limply onto his own mother's shoulder.

"...Heh."

"Huh...?"

Hermann, of course, and Mia, and even the guardsmen, all froze at the execution that had unfolded before their eyes.

"Ah..."

The mother stared blankly down at the corpse of her son, fallen against her shoulder.

Had her thoughts stopped, too shocked to function? Or did she feel nothing at all?

Tick-

In the briefly slowed flow of time, Maximilian keenly observed her gaze and her reaction.

Grief? Wailing? Rage?

There was nothing of the sort.

Ezenheim.

Even at the death of their own kind, those creatures felt no emotion of mourning.

Yes. Looking back, even Jacob had been enraged only by the fact that he had stolen the 'language of their kind'.

"..."

Confirming the nature of those creatures once more, Maximilian indifferently turned the muzzle on her.

──Bang!

A second gunshot tore through the silence of the boarding house. Silver mana struck her skull. Thump. Her frail body plunged headfirst to the floor.

~~~

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