Translator: KJ

Arthur Winston had returned safely to his homeland, Highland.

He'd come back with two or three more bags than when he set off on his journey. Every one of them a gift from the Empire.

“.......”

He gazed quietly at the framed photograph sitting on the desk in his study.

A commemorative photo of Arthur, his wife, and his daughter Sarah, taken together with the Empire's great actor, Leonard.

The profound scholarly conversations with Professor Arnold, the richly varied and startling artistry of the wholly renewed Arte Museum, and even a dining experience he would never forget for the rest of his life:「Lilac Vita」.

Because they carried the pass written by Maximilian's own hand, the Winston family had been lavishly received by everyone in the Empire.

And yet, Arthur's own one-line verdict on Maximilian the man himself was this── dangerous.

He was a dangerous man. Just as a celebrated leader is more dangerous than a tyrant one cannot reason with. Just as a general prized by his enemies is more dangerous than a commander revered by his own troops.

“......Arthur. When in the world is that book of yours coming out?”

Gary, his old colleague, had drifted over and asked the question.

Today a small party was being held at Arthur's home to celebrate his daughter Sarah's birthday.

“It'll be out soon.”

“Mm. I heard you took a trip to the Empire. Sarah seems to have loved it over there. She keeps boasting about it, going on about 'the Knight, the Knight'. I hear this Maximilian is quite the handsome one.”

“.......”

Arthur said nothing, and Gary asked with a shrug,

“Is that war thesis of yours still good? The Empire-as-All-Evil Theory too?”

“I must have told you any number of times that I was hauled in over there on suspicion of being a spy.”

“You march into the heart of another nation with a soldier at your side and go poking around, of course you get hauled in.”

A dry chuckle spread across Gary's lips.

“If anything, it's remarkable that Maximilian let you go at all. You ought to write him a thank-you letter.”

Gary and the rest of Highland's leadership still refused to believe in the threat of the war to come.

“Arthur. The Empire's economy, I tell you, is in superb shape right now. They've struck another Mana Stone vein down in Southern Hermes.”

No matter how many veins they struck, a Mana Stone economy could never be enough to prop up a body as vast as the Empire. The real reason the Empire was thriving was the munitions industry and the public-works projects it had forced into being on promissory notes.

No matter how many times he said it, these fools simp⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠ly would not listen.

“And yet there you are, still blindly convinced the Empire means to make war. I find it truly pitiful.”

Gary added, swirling his wine glass.

“If anything, the Empire wants no war. Just look at how wholeheartedly they backed Mekerel this time around. Doesn't that tell you anything?”

Mekerel. A powerless little nation that had been invaded by Valkania.

“The Empire means to preserve its standing and its legitimacy as the hegemon. By stepping forward to shield the weak, it intends to cement its permanence and its influence within the international community.”

Arthur no longer felt it was even worth the breath to argue. Instead, he drew out a thick hardcover and shoved it against Gary's chest.

“Read it. It's one of the countless bestsellers in the Empire right now.”

The book dressed up a logic of hatred and extermination aimed at a people called the 'Ezenheim'.

“The bookshops over there are full of nothing but insane hate-screeds like this.”

“And yet your wife and Sarah seem to have been treated royally and enjoyed every minute of it?”

“.......”

Arthur's face twisted into something grim.

Gary let out a small snort of laughter.

“All right, all right. For the sake of your standing, I'll give it a read at least. But.”

Tucking the book into his inside pocket, he turned rather grave.

“Mind your manners from now on, would you. I am your Prime Minister.”

Gary Beaufort. He was the current Prime Minister of Highland. A man of feeble temperament who did not believe in war, yet an untrustworthy sort who instead passed that very weakness off as magnanimity.

“And go easier on this mindless screaming for war in Parliament. Even within the party, people are whispering that you're a war-crazed maniac lost in his own delusions.”

Arthur glared at his complacent old colleague and murmured,

“I am only doing my own work.”

On a continent not far from madness, in a Highland that longed for its fainthearted peace, the one thing that only a man named Arthur Winston could do.

For now, that meant nothing more than crying out about the danger called war.

* * *

Reeeeeee── reeeeeeee──

The eardrum-splitting cry of cicadas. High noon in the dead of summer, the blazing sun rising up like shimmering waves of heat.

Hannah was taking in the steaming summer heat with her whole body.

“Ugh.......”

Hot. Stiflingly, breathlessly hot.

She wiped away the sweat and shot a glance at her agent.

“......Well?”

“Of those lined up: numbers one, three, seven, and nine.”

The Yaken informant standing beside her, 'Karak', gave the answer. He had sunglasses on, and a row of criminals stood drawn up before him.

“Four of them in all give off that scent.”

This was the front of some shabby dormitory in the Empire's Central 33rd District. It posed as a facility teaching letters to the poor commoners, but in truth it was a hideout where Ezenheim spreading Subversive Ideology lay concealed.

Fair enough to call it one of the Revolutionary forces' cells.

“Knight! We've secured the evidence!”

The field officers carried out a stack of banned books from inside. Hannah picked up a few of them. They dealt with such things as anti-war, peace, and equality.

“No doubt about it.”

With sunken eyes, Hannah pointed at the dormitory building.

“Haul them all in.”

.......

The Sentinel Knight Order headquarters, where she returned once the mission was done. Unlike outside, cool and pleasant air wrapped itself around her skin.

Thanks to the window air conditioners developed at Lorenzo Academy, the knights too could now enjoy a summer this comfortable.

“Hey, Hannah. Not too hot out there?”

Royce, whom she ran into in the corridor, asked. In one hand he held some iced coffee.

One of the Knight Order's perks these days. An endless supply of expensive coffee beans. This too, no doubt, was Maximilian's backing, a man with a real connoisseur's eye for fine food.

“Hot, sure. But you have to go out into the field if you want to catch the cockroaches.”

“True enough. Thought-crime's been rampant lately. Can't imagine what they've all got to complain about.”

Dare Tan appeared at her side as well.

The tw⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠o of them were always a pair.

“I mean, here we've got living proof right in front of us, that even a commoner can climb all the way up to Sentinel Knight if they've got the talent. The very picture of a life turned clean around.”

The two of them jerked their chins toward Hannah and laughed. Hannah scrunched her brow hard, but on the whole she agreed.

“Any Aran can succeed if they put in the work. It's the impure ones, the non-Arans, who are the problem.”

No, even those who weren't Aran could be treated well enough as 'Quasi-Bloodline', so long as they stayed loyal to the Empire.

And yet there were those goddamn vermin who, far from putting in any effort, busied themselves spreading Subversive Ideology.

“Those bastards always mix up cause and effect.”

They made the excuse that the Empire had persecuted them into becoming criminals, but it was a false claim.

From the very beginning they had brought the persecution down on themselves. Usury that bled the subjects dry, countless swindles, the spread of subversive ideas...... committing, without end, every act meant to topple the Empire, they had driven themselves to the edge of the cliff.

“It's not just the Empire. Every nation on the continent is the same. Only the degree differs, but wariness toward those Subspecies and discrimination against them has become common sense. So......”

Hannah looked out the window. By now she had been wholly assimilated into Maximilian's will.

As if she had harbored such thoughts from the very beginning—

“......it's Anti-Race.”

The word that slipped from her lips. Royce and Dare Tan nodded as well, smiling. Their faces said they agreed completely.

“Well, good luck out there. We're heading out now too.”

The two knights moved off together.

Most likely a mission much the same as Hannah's own. The Knight Ord⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠er's top priority these days was internal control. That meant excising Subversive Ideology and stamping out the Revolutionary forces.

* * *

Before I knew it, autumn had come, fallen leaves drifting down everywhere.

Aran Shepherds had been issued to the Empire's military police on a grand scale. The precisely trained dogs proved decisively effective at crime scenes, and seeing the results, the Imperial Guard set their sights on them too. I gladly shared the training methods and the trainers with them as well.

The Imperial Guard could, of course, become my enemy in the political arena, but in the end our purpose itself was one and the same.

My guard dog 'Leo' had made remarkable strides in the meantime. Having become Yukia's partner, he had acquired skills on par with an actual rookie knight, and above all he had dramatically sharpened his accuracy in identifying Ezenheim.

According to Yukia─he could tell apart all thousand out of a thousand.

Which meant one hundred percent.

Next, 'Aternum'.

My munitions factory had at last very nearly restored the output of the destroyed Gigantes. At this pace, by next year at the earliest, the year after at the latest, it would become the Empire's largest munitions complex, one surpassing Gigantes. And at far lower cost, with far stronger cutting-edge technology.

To mark that fact, I set out to inspect Aternum.

“──This, right here, is the arsenal of the pure Aran.”

The factory supervisor threw out his chest proudly and led me along the production line.

Indeed, the Ezenheim who had once infiltrated this place had dwindled in number little by little, until by now they had all but vanished without a trace.

Every last avenue for spreading subversive ideas, whether in secret or out in the open, had been perfectly sealed off.

“Yes. I've heard. The result of the workers achieving self-purification on their own, I'm told.”

For my part, it was a rather gratifying thing.

A purification accomplished from within, not by force from without.

The workers watched one another. Even as they traded ordinary small talk, they gauged each other's roots and ideology. Should they find anything the least bit different from themselves, anything alien, they reported it without hesitation.

Because the whole process was carried out in the strictest secrecy, no burden fell on the individual, and the reward was assured.

“Exactly! The workers themselves are striving of their own free will to protect this ground! To insult Aternum is no different from insulting our very souls!”

Thanks to all of this, the whole Southern Hermes region had now become a zone for the Empire's Aran alone.

“Now then, shall we head to the tank assembly line!”

The supervisor, his voice flushed with excitement, led me on.

“Here it is.”

Into Aternum had been transplanted, every last piece, the knowledge I had carried back from the ruined future before my Regression.

First, the standardization of models.

There is no need for a pointlessly wide variety of tank types. The line is compressed down to a single main model.

Second, parts compatibility and modularity.

The same engine. The same transmission. The same tracks. Even bolts of the same specification. Many vehicle types share identical parts.

Before my Regression the Empire's parts had differed from one vehicle type to the next, making field maintenance hell, but now such waste was gone.

Third, the concentration and dispersal of production.

In preparation for the allied forces' large-scale strategic bombing, the power sources and core facilities had been fortified deep underground in advance. The parts production lines, by contrast, had been finely divided across many districts and scattered apart. So that even if one site were bombed to oblivion, the production line as a whole would never come to a halt.

Here in Aternum, every innovation I had proposed had been firmly and surely made real.

Perhaps this was the blood-soaked legacy that the whole of humanity had left to me.

An answer key left atop their own corpses by those who had been defeated by the Ezenheim and wiped out.

By laying bare, point by point, every ill and failing of the Empire through all manner of book⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠s and journalism, they had handed me a flawless manual.

If this too could be called an inheritance, then without ever knowing it, they had served the survival of humankind.

“Good. Splendid.”

I gave the supervisor a glance.

“Ah, yes!”

Quick on the uptake, he immediately snatched up a loudspeaker.

“Attention! Attention! The Knight is about to give you all a few words of encouragement!”

The end of the workday.

I stood atop a balcony that looked down over the whole of the factory at a glance. The workers, their shift finished, gathered below all at once. There were quite a lot of them, so I waited a good five minutes or so.

“You may speak whenever you wish.”

The supervisor held out the loudspeaker, but I didn't bother to take it.

A Knight can make his voice carry well enough on his own.

“Greetings. I am Maximilian, a Knight of the Empire and the proxy for the master of this factory.”

A script Johann Georg had stayed up all night refining. The reason I bothered to call myself a mere proxy for the master is that, in the end, all of this belongs to the Emperor.

Even if I do not believe it myself, for now this is the line I must put forward.

“As of today, Aternum has fully restored Gigantes's annual production capacity.”

There is no need for me to strain the veins in my neck, no need to feign an expression by playing my feelings up. It is enough simply to reveal myself as I am, the man called Maximilian von Ebenholtz.

“I am grateful to every one of you standing here.”

The reason is simple.

It is because I am the flawless embodiment of pure Aran.

It is because I bear a face in which every quality they yearn for and idolize has been made flesh.

“I am sincerely proud of all of you who carry the purest Aran blood.”

In their eyes lifted up toward me dwells the very emotion Johann intended.

“I trust that you too understand the true intent I hold for this Aternum, and the path we must walk.”

Respect, yearning, a faith bordering on worship.

“The noble worth of a pure people. Our struggle to safeguard it.”

Meeting those fervent eyes, I told them a lie.

A deception utterly necessary, solely for the survival of humanity, to halt the ruin of civilization.

“At this very moment, we are accomplishing the greatest of all work.”

And yet the flourish 'the greatest of all' is the one part that is no lie.

“My friends. The sweat we shed will become the steel of the Empire, and the tracks we assemble will become the punishment that grinds our enemies' hearts beneath them.”

For the sake of our own lives, we will cut down, to the very last, those monsters w⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠earing human skin.

“So that savage and inferior alien bloodlines can never dare to defile our purity, this might forged by your own two hands will become the iron wall of the Empire.”

Johann's sentences work flawlessly.

“We will never take a step back. The glory of the Aran will shine eternal only upon your blood and your sweat.”

A strange gleam had entered the eyes gazing up at me.

“You will stand together with the Empire for all eternity.”

The faces of the workers, like starlight, lifted even me.

It was a resonance that made me realize, all at once, whom I had come to stand here to protect, and what I had come back here for.

“You've all worked hard again today. Now go home to your warm hearths and rest easy with your families.”

In that instant, thousands of workers let out a single great cheer all at once.

With my back to their fervor, I quietly turned away.

After that, the supervisor stepped once more to the balcony railing and raised his voice.

“Today the Knight Maximilian has graciously granted a special bonus in recognition of your labors, so be sure that every last one of you collects it at the payroll office!”

And tucked, of course, into the breast of that supervisor as he shouted sat a thick envelope of cash.

I do not spare money on my own people. Only that way can I keep larger sums from leaking away, and only that way can I hold their loyalty whole and entire.

Whoaaaaaaa───!

The reason corruption had so overrun the Empire, the reason graft had been an everyday affair, was that no one had ever placed a fitting reward into the hands that gave such devotion and effort.

──Maximilian! Maximilian! Maximilian!

Listening to the roar that filled the whole factory, I walked onward, into the hushed and empty corridor at the rear.

──Maximilian! Maximilian! Maximilian!

All you countless ones who devote yourselves to the Empire, I believe in you.

And so we are moving forward together.

For your sake, for the sake of us all, I will gladly take the world's reek of blood upon myself.

All these things I set out to do,

the duty that is mine alone, the one I must see through,

the grandest ambition I am bound to achieve.

──Maximilian! Maximilian! Maximilian!

Only, for the life of our humankind.......

~~~

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