The underground prison of the Knight Order, shrouded in deep darkness. I looked at the monster that used to be Pexi. “Brain energy. What quite a few mana scholars call part of the soul.......” ──Crack, crack, crack. Before I could even finish my sentence, a grotesque noise erupted from Pexi's body. Her white skin cracked like a dried rice field, and through those fissures, dark red muscle tissues and veins bulged hideously. Her once glossy hair had already slid off along with her scalp. A heat-laced stench spread like a mirage. "......This is the side effect of recklessly devouring it." I thought about the Ezenheim race. Ezenheim was a race formed in perfect shape to exterminate humanity. And thus, they also inherited the same weaknesses as humans. Pexi’s brain was already destroyed. By the vengeful spirits of the many victims she had devoured. “Pex, where’s my Pexi... That grotesque thing......” Jun panicked at the true form of Pexi, who had turned into a monster. He refused to accept that the thing before him was the person he once knew. "Actually, Viscount Kandel's words are correct to some extent. That is not the Pexi von Arzen you knew. The real Pexi had already died long ago after having her brain eaten by that thing.” Jun Kandel blankly collapsed and stared at the creature. “Look closely with your own two eyes. That thing is a subspecies." I pointed at the Ezenheim. A figure with peeled skin and bulging eyeballs, an appearance befitting its true nature. “A monster wearing the mask of a human.” “P... Professor Jun.......” Even in that hideous form, it still spoke as if it were Pexi. A figure nothing short of grotesque. Its voice grew more and more slurred. As the skin of its wrist peeled off, the handcuffs fell away. It reached through the bars and grabbed the collar of Jun’s shirt. “Pro... fessor.” Only then did Jun come to his senses. “L-let go! I said get away from me!” He flailed his limbs in near seizure, retreating backwards on all fours. “Professor... Jun.......” Even so, it kept calling his name, and eventually Jun vomited on the floor. I retrieved the camera hanging from the neck of the reporter that Jun had brought. “This is quite a sensitive matter, so I’ll be confiscating this.” The reporter swallowed and nodded. *** I guided Jun Kandel to my knight’s office. Jun Kandel stumbled into a chair. He still seemed trapped in the shock of what he had seen. “Lord Kandel.” I called him. He lifted his head. “......It’s become ambiguous to even call it Pexi anymore.” Jun Kandel listened to my words with a vacant expression. “In any case, the one who donated the Kerios Mansion to that criminal was you, Lord Kandel. Once the investigation proceeds, that fact will be revealed soon enough.” He didn’t seem to be truly hearing it. “This is quite a serious issue. Kerios is a place where only nobles of the Empire may reside, and beyond just a subspecies, that thing is a criminal.” ─Knock, knock. A knock, and an administrative officer entered. “A defense attorney from House Kandel has arrived.” I nodded. I assumed it would be an ordinary lawyer....... Click. Clack. The sound of heels against the marble floor of the Knight Order. Soon the door opened, and a person with long blue hair neatly tied stepped in. A tall woman in a perfectly fitted suit. “I am Sonnet Kandel.” She introduced herself and sat next to Jun. Jun stared at her blankly. “I assume I may attend in the capacity of my brother’s legal representative?” “Yes. Of course.” I handed Sonnet the relevant documents. “Lord Jun Kandel donated the Kerios Mansion to Pexi. He was also the one who strongly recommended her as a 5th-tier Wizard. If an investigation proceeds, that issue could escalate significantly.” Sonnet was diligently reading the documents, but there was no real need for it. “In a case like this, I won’t hold such responsibility against him.” Sonnet lifted her head. I gestured to Jun Kandel. “Lord Kandel, are you listening?” “Speak to me. My brother seems quite distressed at the moment.” “......distressed.” Jun Kandel leaned forward sharply, as if angered. “Yes. I’d much prefer to speak directly with Lord Kandel myself. Now, here is the proposal I intend to make.” I handed him the documents. “Jun Kandel was a pure victim, deceived by Pexi, and had no intention whatsoever to obstruct the investigation or shelter her. Of course, Lord Kandel did actively try to hinder my investigation and used the press to pressure the Knight Order, but I’ll overlook that.” “.......” Jun looked at me with his lips tightly sealed. “The rest of the history can be altered suitably, public opinion will filter it accordingly.” Kandel and Ebenholtz are great houses. If both sides agree on something, most will take it as truth. “This is the utmost consideration I can offer you. Just as Lord Kandel once extended consideration to me with a single porcelain vase during the Rodriguez case.” Jun swallowed. Then, glancing down for a moment, he shut his eyes tightly. Blood was stained on his collar. “That filthy thing got on me. It makes me sick, Sonnet.” “Yes. I’ll take care of the rest.” Jun Kandel rose unsteadily to his feet. I also stood and saw him off to the door. “Please take a good rest today. We can discuss the details after you’ve recovered.” “......Maximilian.” At the door, Jun turned to look at me. He placed his hand on his forehead as if trying to force himself to say something he clearly didn’t want to say. It seemed like he was struggling with it for a long time. “What is it.” He really was someone who knew how to get on one’s nerves until the very end. “......I offer my sincere apology for the harshness of my words and behavior.” Jun muttered those words like a sigh and extended his hand. “Yes. I understand.” I took his hand. Ebenholtz and Kandel still have no reason to point swords at each other. Our true enemy lies outside, and in a few years, war will break out. All blades must be pointed in that direction. After sending Jun off, I returned to my seat. Sonnet looked into the details of the documents and asked, “May I begin coordinating the specifics now?” “Let’s do that.” This brain-eater incident is nothing more than a minor case. However, the more people are entangled in an incident, the more I find myself in a position to extend favors. “First, the Kerios Mansion and the relationship between my brother and Pexi will probably be the main focus.” Sonnet Enciella von Kandel. The head of House Kandel, a major player in the structure of the Underground City, and a wizard with a very special talent. “It’s fine. The story can be shaped as needed.” To someone like her, I will willingly extend my favor. *** Chiron, knight of the Sentinels, had been in a very good mood lately. Circumstantial evidence had been secured proving Pexi was a brain-eater, and the Sentio Magic Tower was gravely disappointed in Anton. No doubt, the previous meeting had worked very effectively. While Anton remained seated like a cripple, Chiron had made the effort to personally act and soothe the Tower’s mood. “Sir Knight. We’ve arrived.” And today, a second meeting with the Tower Master Nikolaus had been scheduled. This time, the Tower itself had arranged it. He had a strong feeling that a good conversation would take place. [Aurea] Location: Aurea, the most difficult restaurant to reserve in the Empire. “Stand by.” “Yes, understood.” Chiron got out of the car and entered through the back door of the restaurant. A VVIP-only corridor where a waiter was already waiting at the entrance. “This way.” At the waiter’s words, Chiron straightened his outfit. Whew. After a deep breath, he opened the door to the private room. “Pleasure to-...?” There was one unexpected person present. Knight Maximilian was sitting together with Sentio’s Tower Master Nikolaus. ....... I had received a message from the Sentio Magic Tower. It was a request for a meeting from the Tower Master, wishing to discuss the matter in depth. [Aurea] A private room in one of the most exclusive, high-end restaurants in the Empire. There, the Tower Master of Sentio, Nikolaus, sat dressed in his robe. “Pleasure to see you, Knight Maximilian. Is this our first time since the Ebenholtz garden?” It seemed we had met once before. Well, a lot of people passed through the main Ebenholtz estate. “Yes. I believe so. It’s good to see you.” “Haha. Please, have a seat.” The Tower’s legal representative was seated beside him. Nikolaus glanced at his wristwatch. “Hmm, let’s save the detailed talk for a bit later. There’s still one more guest expected.” “Yes.” Tick-tick- I drank some water. Tick-tick- The sound of the ticking second hand spreading from his wrist was slightly irritating. Knock knock. Just then, the door to the private room opened with a knock. “Pleasure to see you...?” Standing outside was an unexpected guest, Chiron. “...Maximilian?” Chiron also seemed clearly flustered, as if he hadn’t been informed of my presence in advance. “Come in, Sir Chiron.” “Ah... yes.” He hesitated, then sat next to me. Nikolaus looked back and forth between Chiron and me with a smile. “Hmm~ as it happens, Sir Chiron helped mediate in this matter. He said that you, Maximilian, hold no personal grudge against the Magic Tower, correct?” No matter how I thought about it, that was not something I had said to Chiron. “.......” I quietly turned to look at Chiron. Cold sweat was forming on his forehead. Nikolaus raised an eyebrow. “If we just endure a little in this incident, it can be resolved smoothly without causing major damage to the Sentio Magic Tower...” I had a rough idea of what was going on. Chiron had tried, in his own way, to gain benefit from this situation, but unfortunately for him, Tower Master Nikolaus was a man well-versed in this sort of political maneuvering. “Sir Chiron, you did deliver that message to us, didn’t you?” Chiron forced a bitter smile. “Haha......” Before the regression, Chiron had borrowed the power of the Imperial Guard partly because his own faction was lacking, but ultimately, it was because of his background, just one step too short. His family was a nouveau riche noble house that had risen in just two generations. Essentially, upstarts. Thus, traditional noble families subtly looked down on him. Tower Master Nikolaus was the epitome of old nobility. From the moment Chiron came to him seeking mediation, Nikolaus never had any intention of respecting him. He was probably even offended. At the audacity of someone trying to use him so lightly. “Hmm? Why such a reaction?” I was very familiar with this kind of trash politics. Politics not aimed at achieving gains, but at stripping someone of dignity and taking pleasure in seeing them crushed, a farce more than politics. “Could it be that your stance differs from what Sir Chiron told us?” Nikolaus asked, as if genuinely surprised. Chiron avoided my gaze, bit his lip, and silence filled the room. Tick- tick- The silence was irritating. More precisely, the ticking sound from the watches on Nikolaus and Chiron’s wrists was irritating. “Sigh......” I let out a breath. A thin smile twisted at the edge of the Tower Master’s mouth. However. “If your opinion differs from Chiron’s-” “No. It is the same as mine.” The moment I said those words, Nikolaus’s expression stiffened, and Chiron flinched as he turned to look at me. He was clearly trying not to look surprised. “I am grateful to Sir Chiron. At a time when I could not act carelessly myself...” I met Chiron’s gaze briefly, then continued. “He personally visited you, Tower Master, and opened the way for dialogue on my behalf.” With my mouth, I offered him a ‘favor’. But in my mind, I was thinking. I’m twenty-one years old. When the war breaks out, I’ll be in my late twenties at the latest. No matter what I do, I won’t be able to become Knight Commander at such a young age. But the Sentinel Knight Order must belong to me. Anton is unfit to be commander. He is too gentle, too soft to survive in this hellish world. “Thanks to Sir Chiron.” In other words, I need a puppet. I’ll have to observe further, but Chiron might not be a bad option. At the very least, being my puppet would serve him better than being the puppet of the Imperial Guard, like before the regression. “To think I’d be meeting the Tower Master in a place like this. I’m grateful.” “Hahahaha!” Chiron couldn’t hold back his laughter in the end. “Max, why so formal? I just did what I had to do, that’s all.” “......Haha.” Nikolaus also forced a smile. In any case, it was a good outcome. I had no intention of turning the Sentio Magic Tower into an enemy either. “Tower Master. Pexi's identity is currently in our custody, but to secure definitive evidence, we need the Tower’s assistance.” That creature was still imprisoned in the underground prison of the Knight Order, in that grotesque form. “Of course, we could request help from another Tower like Novus, but I’d rather not. This is a case that requires verification from the Empire’s top Magic Tower.” Nikolaus glanced over at the legal representative. Receiving a look from them, he smiled and nodded. “Very well. I’ll provide full access to the Tower’s facilities and mages. I never imagined such a horrific creature would exist within our own ranks.” “Also, we’re almost done reaching an agreement with Lord Jun Kandel.” “Oh? Is that so? Already?” “Yes. You may hear the details directly from the professor. There will be no harm to the Sentio Magic Tower.” At that moment, Chiron suddenly rose from his seat. “Ah, one moment. Please wait just a bit.” He stepped out briefly and returned carrying an exceptionally fine bottle of liquor. [Snow Perique 50] A famed spirit said to be brewed by mixing mana into water melted from the eternal snow of the northern mountain range. Rare enough to surprise even the Tower Master himself. “Oho~ My, Sir Chiron, bringing such a precious drink.......” “Haha, I had it saved for a day like this.” Chiron seemed to be in very good spirits. ─Pop. He uncorked the Snow Perique and poured the pure white spirit into the glasses of the Tower Master, myself, and even the legal representative. “It’s meant to be drunk on a day like today. What’s the use of just looking at it on a shelf?” “Bold words. Truly knightly, very knightly.......” “.......” I quietly watched them, smiling and chatting away about this and that. Politics is about not making enemies easily. It is about offering strategic favor. It is also about flexibly accepting and using the consequences of one’s actions, things even I cannot foresee. In a world on the brink of collapse, being forced to play politics might seem frustrating. But it is precisely because of such times that politics is necessary. Politics no, only politics can gather the Empire’s blades into one point. In that regard, I am at a great advantage. Compared to Chiron’s many superficial efforts, running around in all directions, a single word I speak or a single gesture I make carries tens, hundreds of times more weight....... “Come, shall we toast, Max?” Suddenly, Chiron raised his glass toward me. “Yes.” I raised mine as well. Clink. The glasses shook with a clear sound.