Translator: KJ

After the burial, a ‘Hermann Fund’ was established within Sentinel, led by Hermann’s fellow recruits. The senior knights, too, gladly opened their wallets and donated generously, and the one who contributed the largest share was, of course, Maximilian.

He handsomely pledged no less than ten million Imperial Dollars!

“......Accordingly, this fund shall be used transparently to support knights, soldiers, or their bereaved families who have been harmed by anti-state, anti-establishment terror groups, including the Revolutionary forces.”

A draft of the statement to be submitted to Sentinel command and distributed to the press.

“What do you think?”

The rookie knight ‘Mia’ asked Hannah, who sat across from her. Hannah smiled and nodded.

“It’s good. Nicely written, clean and clear.”

“Then...... haah.”

Mia dropped her gaze for a moment and murmured, almost like a sigh.

“Somehow...... it’s still hard to believe. Feels like if I went to the break room right now, he’d be sitting there.”

A comrade’s death was hard to accept.

When she’d first heard the news, the shock had wiped her mind blank, and grief and rage had soon surged in like a tidal wave, but now, with a little time passed, it simply felt like a dream.

“Deputy Commander Chiron said it too, didn’t he. That it’s the duty of those left behind to meet their malice with our own resolve.”

At Hannah’s words, Mia bit down hard on her lip and nodded.

The Revolutionary forces. Vermin who did more than threaten the Empire’s order, who destroyed ordinary people with their twisted ideology-

Ding.

An alert went off on Mia’s device. The sender was Julian.

“Ah. I’ve got a mission, so I’ll be off now.”

“Knight Julian?”

“Yes.”

Because it was a case connected to Hermann, Julian had decided to bring along Mia, who had been close to him.

“Take care. Stay safe.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Mia gathered the documents and headed down to the parking lot.

Before the Knight Order’s duty vehicle ─this, too, Maximilian had donated─ Julian stood like a ghost.

“Sir. Mia, zeroth-year.”

Julian gave an expressionless nod and got into the passenger seat first. Tense, Mia climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“You know the location?”

“Yes.”

Julian’s voice was always bone-dry. Different from the easygoing, mischievous Leon, and plainly different too from Maximilian, around whom one could hardly breathe; a parched air all its own.

Vrrrooom—

The car cut across the heart of the city.

“.......”

Feeling needlessly awkward, Mia stole glances toward the passenger seat.

“Punishment...... it’ll be possible, right?”

In the past, Hermann had collapsed because of the illegal mana stone toxin leak. Because of it, Hermann’s older brother had pushed himself too hard to earn the treatment costs, and in the end was blown to nothing by a Revolutionary forces’ bomb.

And so this dispatch was to investigate ‘Gregory’, the central noble behind the illegal mana stone distribution. [TL Note: The author spelled this name "Gregor" in a previous chapter and "Gregory" here. Which is intended isn't clear until the author revises it.]

“It should be.”

To Mia, and in fact to nearly every knight, Julian was a man whose inner self could not be read.

A knight who denied nothing, and conversely affirmed nothing...... a knight who concealed himself.

Meanwhile, the car entered Kleinschmidt District, the affluent quarter at the Empire’s center.

“Sir. We’ve arrived.”

The two got out of the car. Count Gregory’s mansion occupied an enormous plot even by the standards of this expensive land.

“Wow.......”

'How many years would I have to work to live in a house like this?'

While Mia was thinking, Julian handed his ID to the mansion’s guard. The guard nodded and opened the gate.

Beyond it, as they walked together through a garden broad as a lakeside, Julian gave an instruction.

“You take the lead on this matter.”

“Huh. Me?”

“You ought to learn how to handle nobles, too.”

They stepped inside the mansion. Treading over smooth marble, they reached the drawing room.

There, a man in a luxurious gown was waiting.

“......So you’ve come.”

Gregory Hohenberg. He rose smoothly and greeted the two.

In his mid-fifties, he had a sharp build and looked, on the face of it, quite young.

'So this is what money buys, huh.'

Gregory courteously showed the two knights in and settled onto a plush sofa.

“And what brings the Sentinel all the way out here to call on me?”

Julian and Mia sat down across from him. Refreshments had been laid out on a silver tray before them.

“Actually...... let me ask you something first.”

Mia carefully broached the subject.

“Are you aware of this incident?”

She took out the documents she’d prepared and recited, clearly and precisely, the circumstances of the past illegal synthetic mana stone leak.

Gregory wore a faint smile.

“Ahh, I’m aware. It weighs on me too. That incident...... no one could have foreseen it. But wasn’t it closed long ago? Due punishment was carried out, as well.”

Mia set the document down and replied.

“As the Empire’s overseers, knights have the authority to reinvestigate any case.”

“......I see.”

At the time, Gregory had pinned all the blame on one of the company executives, who had been swiftly executed. A textbook case of cutting off the tail to save the body.

“Truly, it grieved me as well. So many diligent employees were sacrificed because of one man’s greed and depravity.......”

Gregory shook his head with a sorrowful look.

“For all that, you didn’t give the victims any proper compensation at all, from what I saw.”

Mia shot back.

“.......”

Gregory fell silent. His jaw clenched for an instant with a grinding crunch, but he quickly composed his expression.

“The truth is, compensation...... I’m not the one responsible for it, Knight Mia. As you know, legally it’s that executed criminal who must compensate them, but the man had no assets, so.......”

Gregory rattled off such remarks with perfect composure. Mia was dumbfounded.

Putting on every air of nobility and refinement, and what he actually does is pinch pennies. A more irritating breed than a noble who’s just openly arrogant.

“This man.”

Just then Julian held out a photograph.

It was a photo of Otto...... no, of Hermann.

“Do you remember him? One of the victims. Hermann Berg.”

“Ahh, I know him. I heard the news. He recovered magnificently from that disaster and even became a Sentinel knight, but because of those bastards from the Revolutionary forces...... you can’t imagine how it grieved me to hear it.”

Even as he looked at Otto’s face, Gregory couldn’t tell him apart from the dead Hermann. However alike the brothers were, he had never gone to see the victim in person, so of course he didn’t know.

Mia furrowed her brow.

“Hermann wasn’t the only victim. Back then, thirty-three people died. Thirty-three. Their bereaved families sent our Order documents stating they intend to file criminal and civil complaints against you.”

“‘You’, is it.......”

Gregory seemed grated by being addressed as ‘you’, but.

“So the bereaved families see it that way. Well, well. How unexpected.”

Once a⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌gain, as if astonished, he opened his eyes wide.

A contrived expression. The superiority and disdain nested within it.

Julian gazed deep into Gregory.

“It’s a tragedy. A great tragedy...... But, might you tell me their names?”

“Why the names?”

“......Well. Never mind. I can come to learn them in time anyway.”

Gregory looked between Julian and Mia, then crossed his legs with a slight frown. He let out a hot breath and rubbed at his own brow.

He gave a small, weary laugh and spoke.

“So, what do you intend to do now? Will you indict me, Knight Mia? Or will it be you, Knight Julian?”

Gregory’s gaze landed on Julian.

“House Head Ascar is keeping well, I trust? Why, just last month we dined together, in fact.”

To this man flaunting his connections and power, Julian didn’t so much as respond; he merely gestured at Mia with his eyes.

Mia spoke up again.

“Actually, we aren’t the knights in charge of this case. The knight in charge is away on business, so-”

“Ha, then?”

Gregory let out a snort. By now it was a sneer with the mask thrown off.

“If you’re not even the knights in charge, why on earth did you come? Do you have so little to do?”

At that, Mia drew a formal summons stamped with a red seal from inside her coat and sl⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌id it across the table.

The name written in the blank for ‘knight in charge’.

[ Maximilian Albrech⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌t von Ebenholtz ]

“......Uh.”

At that signature alone, the face of Gregory, until now the very picture of ease, dried up.

.......

“This letter arrived.”

The residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, Sebestian Ebenholtz.

Enzi courteously held out Gregory’s elegantly sealed letter.

“.......”

Sebestian paused his paperwork for a moment. He picked up the letter and ran his eyes indifferently over its contents.

It was Gregory’s long-winded petition begging him to halt Maximilian’s targeted investigation.

The bond of years past, the day they had first met in society as children, the friendship between the previous House Heads, and so on, all written out with great diligence.

“How shabby.”

If anything, Sebestian’s gaze sank into deeper contempt. It was precisely the sort of petition he loathed most.

Had the man been prepared to wage a feud between houses, he might at least have spared him his life, but this cringing posture was simply revolting.

“What shall we do, Commander?”

Sebestian crumpled the letter. With a flick, he tossed it into the wastebasket and said,

“A father does not meddle in his son’s affairs.”

A contented sm⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌ile drifted softly through the slits of Enzi’s narrowed eyes.

In truth, this was not the first such petition.

Every time Maximilian killed someone, every time he referred a man to the knights’ court or issued a summons, a great many people had sent Sebestian letters in a last desperate struggle.

Sebestian ignored every one of them.

Because, just as he’d said, a father does not involve himself in his son’s affairs.

“......Yes. Understood.”

He gave a slight bow of the head and turned to leave, but then, suddenly,

“Ah. They say Knight Maximilian set off for the East again today.”

Sebestian kept his eyes fixed on his papers and gave no reply.

“It seems he’s quite busy with diplomatic matters.”

Still, there was no answer. He appeared uninterested, and in truth he likely was.

Because to Sebestian, it was only natural that the heir of Ebenholtz should devote himself to the Empire.......

* * *

I arrived in the East, in Robrus. Since this visit was not an official diplomatic engagement, there was no grand honor-guard review, no welcoming crowd.

Even so, Robrus’s People’s Commissar for Internal Affairs, ‘Zerov’, came out to greet me in person.

“It’s been a while.”

Zerov was a figure newly angling for the number-two seat after Yelena’s house had been ousted. He would in fact rise to it, yet he too was fated never to escape the bloody winds of the Great Purge down the line.

When the hare is caught, the hound is cooked, as they say.

......An aside, but I’m different.

My credo runs as follows : a dog, once you’ve raised it, always comes in handy.

“Good to see you, Commissar Zerov.”

I took Zerov’s hand with a faint smile. Zerov was slight of frame, and his grip was rather small as well.

“Yes. Lord Ebenholtz. What is it that brings you here this time?”

He treated me not as a knight but as an Ebenholtz.

“Tourism. The Robrus I experienced last time was simply too captivating, you see.”

Tourism. Zerov accepted the preposterous claim with a smile and gestured toward the official car.

“Please, do get in.”

“Yes.”

We climbed into the back seat. Zerov tipped up the brim of his hat.

“Our first stop is the Balshor Theater. Are you familiar with ballet, by any chance?”

“I a⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌m.”

“Wonderful. Let’s go and see it. It’s truly artistic.”

Zerov was brimming with ease. He seemed certain of his place as Robrus’s number two, but his climb to that seat would not be without its obstacles.

It had been so before the Regression, after all.

“Ah. I heard there was an incident involving the Revolutionary forces in the Empire recently. That one fine knight tragically lost his life.......”

It was a remark with Hermann’s death in mind. In truth, about half of it was surely a provocation.

So the knight you lot are so proud of fell to mere Revolutionaries-

“Yes. A regrettable affair.”

I added with a faint smile of my own.

“Only, do not assume the Revolutionary forces exist solely within the Empire.”

“......?”

Zerov hesitated. His face stiffened as he looked at me.

“They harbor deep discontent with the current order. And they have spread across this entire continent. What they dream of is total equality and a republic.”

Vrrrooooom.

The engine rumbled, rough and clunky. Inside the official car, which felt more like a truck than anything, I went on.

“Neither the Eastern Alliance nor Robrus is truly a republic, is it?”

A one-party dictatorship. A form of oppression the Revolutionary forces loathed just the same. The true hand behind the Revolutionary forces was, without doubt, Ezenheim, yet the cause they pursued was, in itself, equality and freedom.

It was the very reason factions divided even within the Revolutionary forces.

“They hold a hazy fantasy about this thing called a republic. Given the slightest opening, they’d gladly fan the first embers right here in Robrus, too.”

Zerov nodded with a grave expression, as though taking my words to heart.

“It seems this incident has affected you deeply, Lord Ebenholtz.”

I raised an eyebrow and changed the subject.

“I heard that Commissar Yelena was ousted.”

“......Ah, you’ve heard already?”

A strange delight crept over Zerov’s face.

“The truth is.”

He lowered his voice and whispered conspiratorially.

“Beyond merely being ousted...... she was shot dead while fleeing.”

“Is that so?”

I put on a surprised expression of my own.

“Yes. The fate of a traitor.”

They hadn’t even managed to shoot her, let alone take her alive, yet fearing reprimand they had filed a false report claiming she was dead outright.

It was a contest of loyalty, and good news for us.

If Yelena had become, on paper, a thoroughly dead woman, then putting her to use going forward would be all the easier.

“Hmm.......”

I pressed on my brow as if troubled and let out a sigh, feigning difficulty.

“Is something the matter?”

“I had a contract for an exclusive caviar supply from Commissar Yelena, and now it’s all rather awkward.”

“Ahh, hahaha! Have no worries, Sir. That contract, I shall fulfill it myself, in my own name, without fail.”

Zerov laughed heartily and stepped up, only too glad to fill the vacancy.

“If it’s you, Commissar Zerov, then I’m reassured.”

I played along. In the midst of it, the car pulled up at a grand theater somewhere in Robrus.

The Balshor Theater. A fairly famous attraction I’d wanted to visit at least once myself.

“Commissar Zerov?”

“Yes.”

But before stepping out of the car, I meant to deliver the heart of the matter to him first.

This place was bugged anyway. The driver, the theater staff, very likely nearly everyone around me was one of Robrus’s prized secret police, or an 'Adversary'.

“Let me state the purpose of my tourism first.”

I looked Zerov straight in the eye.

“I’ve heard a fair number of Imperials have crossed over into Robrus.”

“......You mean the defectors?”

Zerov asked back.

Those who had crossed into the East to escape the Empire’s oppression, or who had been driven out of it.

Robrus had taken them in and used them for regime propaganda and for condemning the Empire.

“More precisely, the Empire’s anti-establishment figures.”

An odd color washed over Zerov’s face.

“Now.”

The Revolutionary forces, or the intellectuals and undesirables who had sympathized with them.

Men who would be executed in the Empire, Robrus kept alive and put to use as assets of the state.

“It’s time we made a real deal, Commissar Zerov.”

I looked at him and let a deep smile spread across my face.

~~~

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