The lobby of the Sentinel Knight Order. Two people were watching Maximilian walking away down the hallway. “Tiana. You look pissed.” At Leon’s remark, his fellow recruit, Tiana, calmly relaxed her expression. “What are you talking about?” Most of the new Sentinel cadets were from Empire Point, part of the Military Academy, but Maximilian was inferior to Tiana in skill, grades, and conduct. Far inferior. “I never had any expectations to begin with.” However, at this induction ceremony, Maximilian had taken the central, best position among the cadets, and all Tiana could do was glare at him from the side. “Knights are like private contractors.” Tiana brushed back her red hair and smirked. For knights, individual capability is crucial. It’s a job where results are clearly visible. Even commoners, even those from insignificant families, can make a lot of money. Income is purely performance-based. “Aren’t they supposed to be the sword of the Empire?” “.......” Tiana quietly snorted. Loyalty is just a romantic notion from the distant past. These days, no knight values such abstract ideas above all else. Because of the limitations of social status. If you’re born an Imperial citizen, unless you're a noble, you're not even given the chance to rise. And even among nobles, no one can beat the insane bloodline of Ebenholtz. “......Of course, being the sword of the Empire is a given. I'm just saying it wouldn’t hurt to live well along the way.” But saying such things aloud would obviously be a problem. Tiana’s childhood dream was to become the Knight Order Commander, but now it had changed to becoming a decent millionaire. It was a future entirely achievable if she worked hard for just ten years as a knight. *** I arrived at the scene of the incident with Julian. It was a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood of the Empire. The police controlling the scene approached us. “You’ve arrived.” A middle-aged detective gave a polite salute. Julian spoke. “Please lead the way.” “Yes. Right this way.” We followed the officer guiding us into the mansion. "It's a bit messy." The scene was a secret chamber in the basement of the mansion. On the walls hung torture devices of unknown origin, and on the floor, dried bloodstains were clearly visible. It was obvious what had happened here. The dead bastard had twisted hobbies. “The body was found in this basement.” I know the outline of this case. The victim was one of the many noble scum in the Empire who absolutely deserved to die. However, regardless of his crimes, the murder of a noble is considered one of the most heinous crimes under Imperial law. And hunting down noble murderers is one of the top priorities for Imperial knights. “Let’s take a look.” Before Regression, I had failed to catch the culprit. Because I was a worthless vermin. ......Honestly, I still don’t know. Twitch! The virus beneath my left collarbone reacted faintly. A twitch ran between my brows. Is it Ezenheim? “The scene has been well preserved.” Julian looked around and muttered. With gloved hands, he began picking up items around the room. “But there’s no clue.” I searched for evidence too. The Ezenheim race operates in tightly compartmentalized cell-like structure, and they are extremely sensitive and adept at concealing their identity. But no matter how perfectly they disguise themselves, they can’t erase the unique ‘traces’ they leave behind. “Maximilian. Did you find anything?” Julian suddenly asked. I turned my gaze to him. "These footprints." I pointed to the faint footprint on the floor. “Judging by the size, it seems to be that of a child.” It appears so in shape. But appearances can’t be trusted. They are alien beings. We don’t even know if they experience time the same way we do. “I see.” Julian nodded. “Quite the interesting case for your first mission. Do your best, Maximilian.” He suddenly removed his gloves and raised his eyebrows at me. “......You mean on my own?” Was he like this before Regression too? I could not recall the details clearly. It was too long ago, and at that time, I neither had the ability nor the will to properly handle such an incident. “Of course. It’s a good opportunity to test the assistant’s capability, isn’t it?” Julian left just like that. He casually climbed the stairs and soon disappeared from sight. “What the......” Left alone, I looked around the underground prison again. Then, in one corner, I noticed an old sketchbook. It was the one Julian had briefly stared at for a few seconds earlier. I picked it up. Every page was filled with twisted drawings. One particular section caught my attention. A painting of a park. From it, a ‘trace’ was detected. “......Found it.” The virus inside me reacted violently. The residual energy unique to the Ezenheim race. It was a distress signal sent by one Ezenheim to another. “Detective.” “Yes?” “Where is the nearest park from here?” The creature is hiding there. And the person I remember as Julian is probably...... *** Julian arrived at a secluded park. He moved deep into the forest behind an old fountain and discovered a small shelter made of wood. It was a hideout children had patched together on their own. He carefully peered inside. A small figure was crouched down. “.......” A child trembling in fear. “So, it’s you.” Julian’s voice was low and gentle. The child lifted his head. He looked no older than twelve, maybe thirteen at most. A pale face, eyes filled with terror. “It’s alright. I won’t ask you anything.” His duty as a knight and his compassion for the child were in conflict. Julian was a knight who defended the Empire, but he knew better than anyone how corrupt and rotten the noble society was. There were far too many maggot-like nobles in this world. “Come here.” He slowly extended his hand. “It’s alright.” The child hesitated for a moment, then finally grasped Julian’s hand with his small one. Feeling the fragile touch, Julian clenched his teeth. The child slowly stepped out. “Now......” It was then. ──Rustle. A sound of footsteps came from afar. Julian instinctively hid the child behind his back. “.......” From the shadow of the woods, a man suddenly appeared. His face, shrouded in darkness, was faintly illuminated by the eerie blue moonlight. Julian spoke his name. “Maximilian.” Maximilian Albrecht Ebenholtz. The man known as ‘Max’ glanced alternately between Julian and the child, then nodded. “Yes, Sir Julian. You may simply call me Max if you prefer.” Julian showed no expression, but his mind was racing. Was he being tailed? No, that was impossible. His perimeter vigilance had been perfect. That fledgling knight didn’t have the skills to deceive his senses. There was only one conclusion. I underestimated him far too much. “.......” Max said nothing. Indifferent and cold. His transparent, ice-like pupils were fixed on the child. Julian felt heat crawl up his spine. But that silence lasted only for a moment. A soft smile spread across Max’s lips. “The victim was a real piece of shit. Old Essent. His infamy was quite well known around here.” “......You’ve already looked into it?” “The police told me.” Max approached the child. “A worthless human scum who committed unspeakable acts. Even if this incident hadn’t happened today, I probably would have wanted to kill him myself someday.” Still smiling gently, Max bent down to meet the child’s eye level. “Was it you who killed him?” He asked the child. The child’s entire body was covered in dried blood. It wouldn’t be hard to identify the real culprit if one analyzed the traces of mana. “Tell us the truth. We can help you.” Then the child looked up at Max. Eyes filled with both innocence and fragility, the kind that stirred a sense of protection. “......Yes. That person.......” The child’s voice trembled and stopped. “You don’t need to say any more.” Max instead brought his lips close to the child's ear and whispered something softly. But the child gave no response. Only his lips trembled faintly. The next moment── Max's hand moved like lightning. Whoosh─! The air split. The rising blade traced a straight line across the child's neck. Julian's body stiffened. Unconsciously, his hand went to the hilt at his waist. That instant felt like an eternity. Should he draw his sword to block it? It was already too late. His hesitation made him too slow. The child collapsed without even a final scream, and red blood gushed from the small body. A surge of blood from the frail frame formed a pale stream. “Sir Julian.” Max returned to that same indifferent expression. “Under Imperial law, noble's murder is subject to immediate execution, regardless of reason. Even if the noble was a total bastard.” Julian's lips twitched slightly. He roughly wiped the child's blood from his cheek. “......Right.” He tried to maintain composure, but a note in his voice trembled. He forcefully suppressed the swirling emotions rising within him. “Couldn't we have arrested him and interrogated him?” Julian asked instead. Max looked down at the child's corpse and pulled out a cloth. He wiped the blood from his dirtied blade. “The evidence remains in the corpse anyway. More importantly......” Max's response was calm. “Who knows if creatures like this might grow up to become monsters no one can handle.” “.......” Julian smiled gently and thought. This bastard, he's a fucking psycho.