The rules that the military received for this Genen suppression were as follows. [Threatening with batons is permitted, but striking vital points that could endanger life or direct firing toward civilians is prohibited. Tank shelling is also limited to the most conspicuous surrounding structures, not to human lives.] The logic was simple. The Imperial Army is an excellent group with perfect control. Therefore, it must not wield force indiscriminately. Excessive violence would instead lower the dignity of the Empire. However, punishment of the protest ringleaders was consistently severe. The more urgent the situation became, the more the ‘impure elements’ had no choice but to take risks to contact one another, and such communications were caught in the dense wiretapping and surveillance net laid out by the Genen branch office. The moment coordinates were identified, investigators pounced like wolves. Their treatment would later be determined according to their status, background, and the severity of their reactionary actions. Kurrurung──! Kurrurung──! The tanks patrolled the streets of Genen both morning and night. The rumbling tracks that shook the ground became the city’s only sound. Shops and companies closed their doors, and factories stopped. All economic activity in Genen came to a halt. The city was thoroughly sealed off, cut off from the outside world, becoming isolated and helpless. Like being strangled, like being submerged in water, they were being slowly suppressed...... *** In an interrogation room where pale lighting flickered faintly. I looked at Elias across from me. “Elias.” His grandfather was a fallen noble of the Empire, his grandmother a Genen native. After that, he had lived only in Genen with his parents, a true local born and raised in Genen. A primary surveillance target of Zendo, the student council president of Genen Central University, and a talent with elite-level insight despite still being a student. He was a candidate for an ideological criminal, but he was not Ezenheim. “Do you know why you were brought in?” Elias quietly raised his gaze. I placed the note found on his person on the table. [ I have urgent information to deliver. Come to contact point 3 as soon as possible. ] “Someone betrayed you. Probably one of the people around you.” He bit his lip hard, and his eyes wavered slightly. “It’s probably the work of someone who wants to blow this situation up even further. If you’re killed in some way, you’ll become a martyr of Genen and ignite an even more vast wildfire here.” “......What is it you’re trying to say?” I looked deeply into his eyes. “I’ll ask. Do you want Genen’s independence?” “Ha. You Imperials always say things like that.” Elias let out a snort as if it were absurd. “Most Genen people aren’t interested in something as grand as independence. Everyone knows it’s impossible as long as the Empire continues to exist. In fact, many people look at the demonstrations of the independence faction with disdain. But.......” He took a brief breath. He poured out words that he had long kept in his chest, words he had prepared for a long time. “Those so-called Imperial nobles buy high-ranking positions in the Governor-General’s Office as if at an auction. Those bastards who obtain posts with money plunder Genen’s industries and commercial rights to recoup their investment and line their pockets during their terms. In other words, Genen people are always paying taxes of unknown origin.” I listened quietly. “Genen was a republic in the past, but from ancient times it has used the Imperial language as its common tongue. The roots of our cultures also touched one another. That’s why, when the Empire proposed annexation, the imperial family explicitly stated that Genen people would be treated not as a subjugated population, but as ‘friends of Aran’.” Heat entered Elias’s voice. “At the time, the Empire needed stability in the rear due to the Western War, and Genen joined the Empire, providing rear garrison forces in exchange for being promised autonomy and citizenship. That is the historical basis and contract of the annexation. That’s why the slogan ‘Keep your promise’ always appears in Genen’s protests.” He handled most majors at the level of a scholar, and indeed, he knows a great deal. It is accurate history. “However, no one treats a friend like this.” Elias glared at me. A gaze filled with his distinctive spirit. It was the look that corrupt nobles hated most. I smiled slightly and asked back. “Then, in your eyes, do I look like an enemy?” “A friend doesn’t bring hundreds of tanks with him.” “No. You’re wrong.” I quietly leaned forward and looked into Elias’s golden eyes. “Your real enemy is the one trying to provoke meaningless resistance and drag external forces into Genen.” All of a sudden, Elias’s expression stiffened. “The ones who, even while looking at this procession of tanks, are determined to turn Genen into a bloodbath.” Clearly, someone's face had come to his mind. “They are your enemy.” “.......” He shook his head as if trying desperately to deny it. “The idea that only with bloodbath can we finally sit at the negotiation table isn’t entirely wrong. Because our opponent is you, you specifically." Elias’s voice trembled. He was feeling fear as he faced me. Forcing himself to endure his wavering heart, he confronted me. I let out a small chuckle. “You’ve drawn me in, so your resistance has already succeeded. Thanks to that, I learned of the incompetence of the trash in the Governor-General’s Office. This incident will become a good justification.” "......Justification?" “Yes. A justification changes its outcome depending on who interprets it and how.” Justification. The most important yet arbitrary value in this Empire. I watched Elias with the posture of a noble. “Some may use this riot as an excuse to strengthen the authority of the Governor-General’s Office and tighten their grip on Genen even further, while others may do the opposite—emphasize the incompetence of the Governor-General’s Office and use it to tear them down.” In the end, everything follows the will of the strong. “From your perspective, what kind of person do you think I am?” My reflection appeared in Elias's golden pupils. “Do I really look like someone who would merely accommodate the convenience of those Governor-General’s Office bastards?” Ebenholtz. A family far greater and nobler than something like Genen's Governor-General's Office. I spoke calmly—as if laying out my daily routine. "I will cut off their heads. There's no need to explain their crimes one by one. In an era where incompetence itself is a crime, their incompetence caused this situation." Elias swallowed silently. “And into the vacuum of the Governor-General’s Office left by their disappearance, I will also be deeply involved. As the commander who suppressed this riot.” To the corrupt nobles of the Empire, Genen is practically a honeypot. Everything Elias just said was correct. “And yet, who would dare try to bribe Ebenholtz? What kind of bribe would ever work on Ebenholtz?” It was laughable. No one can even attempt to offer a bribe to Ebenholtz. When the Genen Governor-General’s Office is newly reorganized, I will establish standards of my own alone. “Elias.” I met Elias’s gaze and formed a faint smile. “I am Maximilian of Ebenholtz.” A true noble, qualitatively distinct from every fake you have seen until now. “If you trust me, Genen will be filled with better people.” However, Elias still could not let go of his doubt. That was only natural. Too much trash had committed far too many acts. “Now return to where you came from.” Still, I am willing to wait. I have more than enough patience for that. “By now, the ones who betrayed you are probably inciting a fight to the death, claiming you were kidnapped or tortured to death. Praying more fervently than anyone that your corpse will be found in the most horrific state.” Thud. I took out an artifact box and placed it on the table. “If you return alive, they’ll be quite flustered. They’ll grow extremely impatient. If you even speak about me there, they’ll try to turn you into a real corpse. I guarantee it.” Inside were a silver necklace and a terminal. “The necklace is an artifact containing a defensive Aura, and the terminal is equipped with a signal transmission device. Just press the button, and my people will come to you.” “.......” I'm certain. The Ezenheim on that side will try to kill Elias by any means necessary. “The choice is yours. If the people around you truly are the righteous comrades you want to believe in, then there will be no need to use this.” I stood up from my seat. I stretched out my arm and helped Elias to his feet as well. “But── listen carefully. Elias Walter, son of Ernst Walter.” Walter is an Imperial surname. Therefore, I placed my hand on his shoulder. I looked closely into his face. “You have Imperial noble blood mixed within you.” Though he was from a fallen noble line, he too was a person who bore the traces of the Empire. “An enemy of the Empire can never become a friend of Genen.” With my own hands, I straightened his disheveled clothes, fixed his collar, and whispered softly. “I believe that you, of all people, know what path truly serves Genen......” *** Elias got out of the car. Step─. As he stepped onto the pavement, Zendo spoke to him. “We’ll stay nearby. If anything dangerous happens, signal us. Don’t forget.” “.......” As Elias staggered forward, his eyes suddenly caught sight of the line of tanks blocking the university’s main gate. He stared up at them blankly, then lowered his gaze with difficulty. Instead of the main gate, he entered the university grounds through a small hole that had been prepared in advance, and approached the entrance of the central building. "Who's there!" Students standing guard raised swords and guns and aimed them at him. Their eyes were filled with killing intent, but as soon as they recognized Elias’s face, they recoiled in shock. “P-President?!” “You were alive!” It was a reaction as if they had seen a ghost. Probably because rumors had spread that I had been kidnapped and killed. “Where are the other executives?” “They’re in the main building conference room right now. We, we thought the president had been taken and killed......” Elias entered the main building and climbed the stairs. Outside the conference room door, heated voices spilled out loudly. -It’s definitely the Secret Police Bureau, those Imperial bastards! -If the president doesn’t come back....... -......We still can’t confirm the location, fuck! Elias gently pushed open the door to the room. Creeeak. In an instant, all voices cut off. Dozens of eyes fixed on Elias at once. Surprise, joy, or confusion. Among those standing there with their mouths agape, Elias sensed a few who showed particularly discordant reactions. Bender, Loren...... and Kasim. “President!” “P-President! You were alive!” Everyone rushed toward Elias. What happened, why did you suddenly disappear—amid the flood of questions, Elias patted their shoulders. In his ears, Maximilian’s voice echoed coldly. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞 ‘The ones who, even while looking at this procession of tanks, are determined to turn Genen into a bloodbath. They are your enemy.’ Elias shook his head to drive away the stray thoughts. “......Everyone.” Taking a deep breath, he declared clearly. "Prepare to disband now." A heavy silence settled over the conference room. “What?” “We can’t shed any more blood. Stop the assembly and clear out of the campus.” Elias looked at the student council executives. They all seemed to have much to say, but he did not allow it. “By the authority of the student council president.” This wasn't because he trusted Maximilian. Rather, it was because he trusted them who were beside him. To save them. “Please disband the assembly. If we don’t leave, more people will die tonight.” They were together. They united for Genen's solidarity, for a better tomorrow. That's why he hoped. Please let their intentions still be pure, so that they could be together longer and plan for the distant future...... “Trust me and follow me.” ....... Night grew deep. While the students prepared to leave, Elias sat in the student council room, where candlelight flickered, covering his face with his hands. “Haa.......” Knock knock. A knock overlapped with his sigh. As if he had been waiting for it, Elias stood up and opened the door. Kasim was standing on the other side. “Elias.” Kasim stepped inside and closed the door. “No, seriously, who on earth did you go meet?” Elias looked at him intently. For some reason, his tone was tinged with impatience. His eyes wavered anxiously. “I didn’t meet anyone.” "What? Then, you just suddenly disappeared and appeared?" “Yeah.” Elias gave a bitter smile. “I hid for a bit to see what kind of thoughts you’d have without me.” Kasim blinked, then let out a hollow laugh. "Ha. Are you joking now? Tell me honestly." From him, Elias saw an overlap with the Kasim of long ago, when they were children. “Kasim. How many years has it been since we’ve known each other?” "......About 13 years." “That’s a really long time.” 13 years. A long time. Now, the years he had known Kasim were longer than the years he had lived without knowing him. Perhaps they were no different from brothers to each other. "I'll only tell you." Hoping that Kasim’s heart felt the same, Elias lowered his voice. "I received a promise. That they'll hold the current Governor-General's Office responsible for this demonstration and overturn them all." In an instant, Kasim stiffened. “From whom?” “......From Sir Maximilian.” “.......” Kasim’s gaze went cold. The tip of his nose trembled slightly, then the corners of his mouth twisted. “So you met Maximilian.” “Yes.” “......I see.” Kasim slipped his hand inside his coat. Elias made an effort not to erase his smile. Because he did not want to doubt him—his comrade and his friend. “So you believed the words of that monster.” Suddenly, a fragment of sneer bloomed at the corner of Kasim’s lips. “Disgusting.” “......What?” Shk. He drew a pistol and aimed it at Elias's heart. “Elias.” It was a clerical firearm. The kind often used by Secret Police Bureau agents...... probably a trick to disguise the perpetrator. “You should have died there.” —— A mana bullet fired through the suppressor struck his heart. Elias collapsed with a groan, curling his body like a shrimp. “You traitorous bastard.” Kasim looked down at Elias with cold eyes, then approached the window. “Come in.” As he gestured with his chin toward the inside, and just as his ‘comrades’ who had been waiting outside were about to rush in— ──Beep. Elias pressed the button on the terminal. ~~~ TL Note: Sorry for the delay, and see you guys on Monday. If you don't know, the current release rate is 5 chapters a week from Monday to Friday (following the original raws), as there are only 4 chapters left to translate after this, which I am keeping as a buffer.