Translator: KJ

The theater, Nostalgia. Atop a stage where dust had settled layer upon layer. Class-1 Wanted Criminal Dominic and the Sentinel knight Julian.

Hermann watched the stillness between them, the two facing each other like the leads of a play.

Hyah─!

In an instant, Hermann kicked off the ground and shot upward. Treading the empty air, in a single beat he seized the space behind Dominic's back, and thwack! He drove his boot into the back of the man's knee.

"Gah!"

Dominic's body buckled. Hermann wrenched his two wrists together and clamped the Mana Stone Handcuffs onto them.

Click.

"Dominic Baumann. You are under arrest for conspiracy to incite rebellion, for endangering the security of the Empire, and on countless charges of treason against the Imperial House."

Hermann, re⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠citing the principles of a knight.

Julian gazed at him quietly. In his clouded pupils there was not the slightest tremor.

"Whew."

Still pinning Dominic to the floor, Hermann lifted his head. A bright smile had spread across his whole face before he knew it.

"Well, well. Impressive work, Sir Julian."

He laid on the exaggerated flattery, as though feigning genuine admiration. In the two eyes that curved toward Julian, a faint scorn and a thick suspicion seemed to flicker like a snake's tongue.

"But here's the thing. What's that letter you're holding?"

Hermann held out his hand. The letter from Laura, gripped in Julian's grasp.

"Mind if I take a look at it too? Sir Julian."

The smile hanging at the corners of Hermann's mouth grew thicker still.

......

Julian handed over the letter. Hermann snatched it up as though catching it in midair.

"Thank you."

Hermann's gaze settled on the request Laura had left in the letter.

A wish that, should she die, she be buried beside Eshton. Nothing about the cause of the revolution, no secrets that might threaten the Empire. Just a trivial, unremarkable last testament.

"Hmm..."

While Hermann read through such contents as though chewing and swallowing each word.

Julian looked at Dominic sprawled across the stage.

"Cough, kha..."

A man whose breath rasped and wheezed as though he were spitting up blood.

Once a promising elite of the Sentio Magic Tower, now an officer of the revolutionary forces that had betrayed the Empire.

A terrible stench of death clung to his flesh.

Lung disease, perhaps. Or cancer.

Either way his remaining days were not long, and Julian knew the nature of the revolutionary forces all too well.

They made use of even their own deaths.

If they could become the kindling to open a new world, then gladly.

They would sacrifice themselves.

.......

I stepped out into the Sentinel Knight Order's parking lot. An aide opened the door of the waiting car courteously.

The moment I was about to climb into the back seat.

"Max!"

A voice suddenly called out my name.

"Max! Max! Max!"

"...What."

I furrowed my brow and turned to look that way.

"Ma⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠x! Max!"

It was Reutern II.

What the hell is this bastard. Why has he turned up here.

Before I even had time to wonder, he came scampering across the parking lot toward me.

"Max!"

Reutern puffed out his chest and called my name.

"Max!"

Is this bastard some kind of animal.

"Max!"

Did "Max" suddenly become the only word he knows how to say.

"Max!"

"...Lord Reutern. Calm down, what is the matter?"

I forced myself to answer evenly.

"Aw, nah, just~"

Reutern dragged out the end of his sentence with a slow grin, but I had no room to spare for hearing him out.

"My apologies. I have somewhere to be."

I got straight into the car. As I fastened my seatbelt, I glanced over to the side without thinking, and Reutern had quite naturally seated himself beside me.

......

I stared blankly at that face of his.

Reutern fastened his seatbelt with a click. He sat there still, in a posture that seemed to be waiting for us to set off.

"...What are you doing?"

"Hm? Why?"

He asked it right back at me, puffing his chest out again, and this man made my head spin.

Vrooom─

In the meantime the car started moving.

The aide must have assumed this fellow was part of my party.

"Ohh~ nice car, Max~ is this the new model?"

"Yes."

"I've got a new one too. Wonder which one~ it is."

......

For now I decided to just take him along. I couldn't even afford to spend the time prying into what on earth this man was thinking, or why he'd latched onto me.

"So, Max. Where are we headed right now?"

Reutern asked, peering out the window.

"Knight's business. It could be dangerous. No, it is very dangerous. Would you like to get out, even now?"

"Ah, I see~ It's fine. As it happens, I didn't have much to do today either. Perfect timing."

This fucking bastard.

But I didn't let it show. I bit down lightly on my teeth and gave the aide an instruction.

"Get there as fast as you can."

"As fast as we can? Sounds fun~ Let's go!"

Reutern's eyes sparkled as he fixed his gaze on the scenery rushing past outside the window.

.......

[ Julian, I won't hold it against you for betraying me. ]

[ This was the path Eshton and I chose, so the ending we meet is entirely ours to bear. ]

Laura's final words.

The rookie knight 'Hermann' deliberately wore a gloomy expression as he read down through the letter.

He feigned a sorrowful face.

[ But borrowing the affection of those days long ago, when we laughed together, let me ask just one last favor. ]

[ When I die, could you bury me in some sunlit place not far from where Eshton sleeps? ]

[ Since we couldn't be together in life, I want to remain beside him at least in death. ]

"...Eshton, was it."

Having finished the letter, Hermann let out a deep sigh.

"Haa... So this woman was the lover of that Sir Eshton."

"You know of Eshton."

At Julian's question, he lifted his head, folding the letter.

"How could I not. It's an incident that's even in the textbooks at Empire Point."

Hermann grinned.

"The 'Path of Dreams' operation is a tragic heroic tale that serves as a model to every cadet at Empire Point and swells the heart with pride."

Julian glared at Hermann. More precisely, he fixed his gaze on the crease gathered between the man's brows.

"Hoo... And yet, to think the lover of such a fine knight was a stooge of the revolutionary forces."

Hermann clicked his tongue as though it were a great pity.

"I wonder what Sir Maximilian will think when he sees this letter... How truly bewildering."

As he made to hand the letter back, he abruptly drew his hand away and asked again.

"Ah, right. This letter, I should collect it as evidence, shouldn't I? After all, it's something the revolutionary forces left with you, Sir Julian."

Julian nodded without a word. Hermann, contrary to expectation, was irritated by his silence, but soon smiled and clapped his hands.

Clap, clap, clap.

It must have been a signal, for his aides came rushing into the theater.

"Everyone, search the place!"

At Hermann's order they tore through the whole building, rummaging beneath the stage, between the rows of seats, the waiting room, the management office, and everywhere else, raising chaos.

A pale haze of dust rose all through the little theater.

"...Oh dear. This is trouble."

Dominic's voice rose from the stage. He had sunk into a peaceful calm, as though for a moment he had escaped the pain.

"This is trouble..."

Unlike Dominic, who kept murmuring this, Julian merely looked over all the commotion quietly, like a spectator watching a play.

.......

In the moving car, gazing at the scenery drifting indifferently past the window, I suddenly sink into a thought like this.

Hermann von Berg.

He is a minor noble of the Empire's west. From a declining house that has barely clung to its l⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠ineage in a rough farming village. Hermann is the second of two sons born there.

But his mother and father passed away long ago, and even his elder brother, the firstborn, lost his life when he was caught up in a bombing by the revolutionary forces.

Therefore, the only blood left in the Berg Family is Hermann alone.

──A familiar set of circumstances.

An isolation in which every trace of the past has been erased, with no one left who can confirm whether a person is who they claim to be.

"...Oh. Nice view."

A clear, ringing voice shattered my reverie.

"This is why people need to get outside. Clears the mind."

I shot a glare at the seat beside me. I wished he'd shut his trap, but Reutern II was busy thrusting his face toward the window as if to plant his nose against it, marveling away.

"Stay cooped up in the palace and you start getting restless~ you know?"

And from that sight of Reutern, a thought suddenly rises up in my mind.

A thought so very simple and light.

"Lord Reutern."

"Hm?"

The instant he answered, Reutern puffed out his chest.

Is he some kind of peacock. I had no idea why he kept doing this, but right now my concern isn't his bizarre behavior.

"Do you happen to get separate skincare treatments?"

"...Eh? Ah~ well~ I do use some top-grade cosmetics. Hahaha!"

Reu⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠tern chuckled and stroked his own cheek.

The fellow certainly has a youthful face. But no matter how much money he smears on, it can't hide the fine wrinkles that come with age.

A youthful face.

Youthful, yes, but the marks fitting for his age are clearly there.

"What. You want me to recommend a cosmetics brand too? Oh, right, never use mana-stone-extract cosmetics! Those turn your skin bright red."

Listening to Reutern's nonsense, I think again about my own doubt.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah? Then why'd you ask?"

Was the record of Hermann's brother being killed by the revolutionary forces really the truth.

"It's nothing much."

Was Hermann really the second son of the Berg Family to begin with.

"...I was just reminded of a friend who had an unusually old-looking face."

A blank page, with all the truth obscured.

Across that empty space, a single rather reasonable hypothesis was quietly rising.

.......

"Yes. This is the small theater Nostalgia. The west, Kamel District. Yes, yes. We request prompt support."

Hermann requested Knight Order backup over his terminal.

Class-1 Wanted Criminal Dominic had already been subdued and bound in Mana Handcuffs, and the letter Laura had left behind was sealed as evidence.

"Mm~"

Hermann stretched. He looked refreshed at having finished the job.

"Ah, Sir Julian."

Lowering the terminal, he wore a twisted smile.

"You'll let me put my name in the report, won't you? For a rookie, every single one of these credits is desperately needed."

Julian answered with silence in place of words.

"Thank you."

Hermann took it however he pleased, and in the meantime the aides discovered one piece of evidence after another.

The underside of the stage machinery. The torn seams of leather in the audience seats.

The frantic shout of an aide who had pried open a hidden double-space in the floorboards.

"Found it!"

Unknown symbols. Baffling formulas. All manner of forged identification, and correspondence the revolutionary forces had exchanged. The aide set out a thick bundle of documents crammed full of such things.

"Hand it here."

Hermann took several pages of it.

"...What's this. A cipher?"

Hermann's gaze slid over the papers. He furrowed his brow and concentrated, but shook his head as though it made no sense at all.

"Ah, shit. What are these things... Sir Julian, would you take a look?"

He held out the evidence. Julian, taking it, made out the strands of mana woven into the page.

"For now I'll transfer it to Sentinel headquarters. Well, we'll have to send it to the Magic Tower and several other places for decryption."

As Hermann wore a meaningful smile, and amid the bustle of the aides hurriedly gathering and packing away the evidence that kept turning up.

......

All at once, Julian's gaze fell upon Dominic.

Dominic's two blood-soaked eyes drew a graceful arc.

A strange smile, as if to say, I know who you are.

"Pack up every last thing!"

The moment Hermann shouted at the aides and turned his back.

Dominic's lips stirred.

It was a quiet whisper.

'...Sir Julian. You read it, didn't you.'

The last words Laura had left for Julian.

But within that letter there had been a 'hidden sentence'.

Mana pressed down into it, firmly, so that only members of the revolutionary forces, or those who could read the grain of mana, would recognize the secret truth carved there.

'That is the last message Laura sends to you.'

The cruel truth that Dominic's lips shaped.

'She... hates you enough to wish you dead.'

A soundless curse.

Laura's trap.

'You see, she would give even her own life...'

All the evidence filling this place would, in all likelihood, point to Julian.

The evidence Laura had painstakingly fabricated would be presented together with the life of Dominic, who had already reached the end of his own.

It would become the greatest credit of all, and it would lift a certain knight up into the heart of the Sentinel Order.

'She wants you to die.'

Julian nodded faintly.

He knew.

All of his sins.

All of his karma.

Under the pretext of serving the Empire as a knight, the wickedness of casting aside friendship and driving him to his death.

From the moment he learned that Eshton was a Subspecies, he had used him, and in the end had sold him off to the cartel.

Eshton's wretched end had been unmistakably his own intention.

It was his own wrong, one he himself had to accept humbly.

'Sir Julian. In the end, the Empire will di⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠scard you.'

Julian's gaze drifted aside at an angle.

His two eyes came to rest on Hermann.

"Everyone, pack it up without damaging anything! Support will arrive soon!"

Just as Hermann's shout filled the small theater.

──Creeeeak.

The theater door moved first.

Every gaze was drawn there at once.

Beyond it, slowly opening, within the backlit glow of the sunlight pouring in──

Reutern II stood there.

"What's all this~?"

Pushing aside the man who cheerfully puffed out his chest, Maximilian walked out.

~~~

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