Do Your Own Revolution

#090

“Knight Order, everyone dismount-!”

As the train arrived at the station, the knights of Duke Buckenheim and Duke Nachtval disembarked one after another.

The knights moved in perfect unison, maintaining their ranks and files.

Seeing them off was a group of knights wearing purple sashes.

“They are the knights of the sixth seat of Magic Noble Houses, Count Raikard.”

Leopold, who was watching from a distance, informed me.

The Knight Order Commander saluted Carlos as he got off the train.

Among the knights lined up behind him, there was a familiar face.

“Kyle?”

A knight with a bright, cheerful smile.

It was Kyle Raikard, my Military Academy classmate.

“…Oh, Eugene!”

“Why are you here?”

“The suppression operation is being led by the Joint Knight Order. Father sent me and the knights to gain combat experience.”

His face remained as carefree as ever.

It was the typical reaction shown by most magic noble heirs.

Military service was merely a brief formality for entering the Knight Order.

He would be preparing to inherit his house while leading its knights.

“And……”

However, in the middle of speaking, Kyle opened his mouth with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“The rebels who are helping the traitors. I have a debt to settle with them.”

“Debt?”

At my question, Kyle nodded with a hardened expression.

“The Dwitch Viscounty, ruled by our branch family, was invaded by the rebels. We rushed in with our knights to suppress them but… We had to retreat after losing two knights.”

“Ah.”

I understood.

The people’s uprising instigated by the Revolutionary Army.

The main targets of that uprising were minor nobles who managed provincial cities and small agricultural lands.

‘Houses that had at most ten knights under their command and the head of house having at most a four stroke imprint… In the game, these were the places I frequently raided for mid-game experience farming.’

While I was thinking that, Kyle shook his head with a bitter expression and continued speaking.

“Viscount Dwitch was Father’s close friend. He took care of me since I was young. But I couldn’t even properly avenge him… I can’t hold my head high as the heir to the Count’s house.”

The ones I killed without much feeling in the game are now my friend’s acquaintances.

After turning my back on the Revolutionary Army, I found myself in such a peculiar situation.

Honestly, it wasn’t my business.

“Claude Elcidore.”

But that moment didn’t last long.

Clenching his fist while saying that all-too-familiar name, Kyle steeled his expression and declared his resolve.

“This time, I will find that bastard and finish him off.”

“Ah……”

Kyle spoke with a determined expression.

However, he soon changed his expression and guided Leopold and me with practiced etiquette.

It meant he couldn’t keep discussing gloomy topics in front of a friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“We’re using a hotel on the outskirts of the city as temporary quarters. The facilities are better than expected.”

“The building reminds me of our time at the Military Academy.”

“Of course. It was built by the same construction company.”

“In other words, it’s a hotel built by your family?”

When I sneered like that, Kyle grinned and walked ahead with a swagger.

Unlike the past when he was just like a child, he had become more mature.

Looking at his back as he walked, I quietly muttered.

“Can’t let you finish him off just yet.”

That bastard you’re grinding your teeth at as your sworn enemy.

He’s a chess piece I need to use.

***

“I didn’t expect that not telling Feilun about the operation would help like this. I just wanted to make him suffer because I didn’t like him.”

In the dark night.

As Zeplant snickered while sitting in the conference room chair, Delling, sitting across from him, frowned.

To show such an insolent attitude in front of the heir of Buckenheim.

Although he was seething with anger, his father sitting beside him opened his mouth without any particular restraint.

“Eugene Lorentz. What is he doing now?”

“He hasn’t left his quarters. According to occasional reports, he’s with Young Master Kyle of Count Raikard…”

“It’s rather amazing how he seems to know people wherever he goes.”

Although Zeplant sneered with a grin, there was no chance of the plan being exposed.

They had deliberately withheld information from those who were acquainted with Eugene, and the knights from other houses also didn’t know the detailed plan.

However, Carlos, upon receiving the report, showed displeasure and sighed.

“The plan is going awry from the start. Bringing the entire Special Magical Power Unit was the first condition of the plan.”

Who would have thought he would come with just one adjutant to this place teeming with political rivals.

Moreover, there was something else that Carlos didn’t like.

“And, Young Master Zeplant.”

Carlos lowered his voice as he glared at Zeplant with sharp eyes.

“What were you scheming by attacking him before the plan even began?”

“Ha, scheming, you say.”

A chill ran down his spine.

However, Zeplant, who faced it head-on, merely shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing.

“When the assassination target walks right into our mouths, didn’t you just sit there twiddling your thumbs out of fear? I stepped up because it was so frustrating.”

“Fear?”

“Think about it, Lord Carlos. If we both rushed in right now and killed him, the Special Magical Power Unit would immediately collapse without its core.”

After downing the wine glass on the table in one gulp, Zeplant raised his voice again.

“In the first place, why are we going in circles with such a simple matter? Why go through the trouble of mobilizing the Knight Order for this charade? Is there any reason to put in so much effort just to deal with one magician?”

Why not just kill him without considering the consequences?

Looking at Zeplant who asked such questions, Carlos grabbed his throbbing head.

‘To think we have to accept such a hothead as an ally.’

Although it was a formality for forming the Round Table, that utterly frivolous attitude was not to his liking at all.

“This is because Eugene Lorentz is not an ordinary magician.”

However, he couldn’t let his personal feelings jeopardize the relationships between houses.

Thinking thus, Carlos slowly opened his mouth.

“Eugene Lorentz and his army have become renowned as imperial heroes who destroyed the Republic. If such people die by our hands, what would the ordinary nobles think of us magic nobles?”

No matter how strong the influence of magic nobles and their Knight Orders might be, they were still a minority.

Perhaps it would have been different in the past when the balance of power tilted in their favor, but now, with the Emperor’s faction gaining strength, they had no choice but to be mindful of other nobles’ opinions.

In such circumstances, if magic nobles were to kill Eugene out of a desire to check the Special Magic Unit, the regular noble class watching the situation would immediately react negatively.

‘Although they share the common denominator of being nobles, they too harbor dissatisfaction with the coercive rule of magic nobles.’

Now, when the power of the Emperor and magic nobles was evenly balanced.

If magic nobles crossed the line by killing Eugene, they would support the rising Emperor and tip the balance of imperial power.

“That’s just the grumbling of non-awakened rabble, isn’t it? If we show our strength like we always have…”

“The situation is different from before. Moreover……”

After a brief pause, Carlos spoke with a furrowed brow.

“There are unstable elements within our own ranks as well.”

Gloucester of the East, who had completely left the Round Table and sided with the Emperor.

Korhonen, who still ignored the summons to the Round Table conference and remained seated in the Northern fortress.

If they were to become hostile to the Round Table, they could pose an even greater threat than the current Special Magic Unit.

“If we’re not careful, we might end up growing another tumor while trying to remove the Special Magical Power Unit.”

“……”

“Therefore, he must die by the hands of the rebels, not our Knight Order.”

That was the only way to kill him without giving the Emperor’s faction justification.

Upon hearing Carlos’s explanation, Zeplant made a face and waved his hand dismissively.

“Ugh, complicated politics.”

“That person is now…!”

Although Delling was grinding his teeth at the insolent attitude, Carlos raised his hand to stop him.

“Despite his demeanor, he is the heir to House Nachtval. A person of equal rank to me. This is not your place to step in.”

“…My apologies for the discourtesy.”

Carlos looked at Zeplant with narrowed eyes.

Zeplant, hailed as the genius of House Nachtval, was a six stroke imprint holder like Carlos.

He, who had just awakened to five stroke, was no match at all.

And probably the same went for that Eugene fellow.

If they were to eliminate him, regular knights wouldn’t stand a chance.

Then……

“Young Master Zeplant.”

Carlos called out to Zeplant and spoke without hesitation.

“You’ve briefly engaged in combat with Eugene… What do you think? If the two of you were to clash, could you win?”

“Ha, you ask if I could win?”

Zeplant smiled slightly at those words and answered with a confident voice.

“Of course.”

“Hmm.”

That single confident word, and the magical power flowing from his body.

For the first time, I’m taking a liking to this frivolous fellow.

Thinking this to himself, Carlos nodded and opened his mouth.

“Then, we shall proceed with the operation as planned.”

Having said that, Carlos looked at the map spread out on the table.

The Knight Order that had blockaded the city.

The remnants of Elcidore and the rebels working with them.

Everything was a stage prepared to catch one person.

All the humans standing in this space were chess pieces arranged to kill a single person.

‘If you had accepted my offer and worked for me, you wouldn’t have faced such a miserable death.’

He recalled when he first met that boy.

I let a valuable talent slip away.

Though there was regret, it couldn’t be helped.

Those who opposed the rule of magic nobles had to have their sprouts erased at any time.

Like the Emperor had been.

Like Keiren and his subordinates had been.

Informant M…

Just like Maximilien had been.

‘The possibility of overturning an era must be crushed before it bears fruit.’

Since the rule of magic nobles began, there had been numerous attempts to break that system.

However, not one of them had succeeded.

The rebels currently shaking the empire would be the same, and the resurgent Emperor’s faction would be as well.

And he would survive while crushing all those possibilities.

While enjoying the power and authority of the eternal magic nobles.

“I, Carlos Buckenheim, representative of Duke Buckenheim, command all knights gathered here.”

At Carlos’s words, numerous knights revealed themselves from various corners of the conference room.

Knights waiting for his orders while harboring fierce fighting spirit.

Carlos looked around at them with satisfied eyes and opened his mouth with a solemn voice.

“Eliminate Eugene Lorentz…!”

But at that moment.

“L-Lord Carlos!”

A knight who hurriedly opened the command post door and entered delivered shocking news.

“An armored train is approaching the station! Confirmed the twin-headed eagle crest engraved on the golden seal!”

“…What?”

A look of dismay crossed Carlos’s face upon hearing those words.

The twin-headed eagle crest.

There was only one group in the empire that could use that.

“The Imperial Guard Knight Order is entering here-!”

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