The Imperial Family held intense internal meetings. The nobles of the Imperial Palace demanded compensation for their “losses” resulting from the destruction of Gigantes, but all of it was thoroughly denied by Imperial decree. ─Even if complete restoration is impossible. In the deepest sanctum of the Imperial Family. Beyond the layers of red curtains, the silhouette of the Emperor seated on the throne spoke. ─Not a single inch of retreat shall be permitted in the soon-to-arrive Millennium Plan. The voice carried no emotion and was rather low, yet it carried more weight than anything else. ─Adjust it accordingly, no matter what it takes. At the sharp edge of the imperial decree, the ministers retreated, stepping backward. However, only one man remained standing in place. Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army, Sebestian. ─Sebestian. The Emperor called his name. Only then did Sebestian bow his head at a slight angle. ─It seems I shall benefit a little from your son. The Emperor seemed to recall the figures presented by Maximilian. The conditions that would partially fill the void left by Gigantes were astonishingly reasonable. They did not deplete the Imperial treasury in the slightest, and even included a promise to return part of the profit to society as relief for the people, soothing public sentiment. Sebestian calmly replied. “He may be an unreliable son, but even so, he is still an Ebenholtz.” At those words, the Emperor’s silhouette quivered faintly. A faint smile leaked from beyond the curtain. It was such a precious, fleeting smile. ─Even amidst the schemes of traitors who seek to tarnish the long-standing history of the Empire, it is thanks to loyalists like you that I can finally find reason to smile. You may withdraw. With grace, Sebestian exited the Imperial palace. A cold wind brushed against his uniform. Before he knew it, Enzi had approached. “Did the mana stone deposits in the mines he purchased really turn out to be that plentiful?” To Sebestian’s question, Enzi tilted his head as if he didn’t know. “Well, I’m not sure of the details myself.” He was feigning ignorance, fully aware. Sebestian glanced at him momentarily with displeasure. Enzi met his gaze with a gentle smile. "Should I not keep the young master's secrets?" “.......” To Sebestian, Enzi was more than a trusted aide, and to Maximilian, he was more than a butler. Without a word, Sebestian moved toward his office residence. To Enzi’s eyes, his back looked, for some reason, a bit lighter than usual. *** Canilan Independent State. Headquarters of the Akarius Mercenary Corps. “Wow.” Even this island nation had received news of Gigantes. It took up a considerable portion of the morning paper, but public attention was focused entirely elsewhere. [ + 8.19% ] Money was truly being duplicated. Money begetting money, and that money begetting more money, it was a time like that. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦 People were maxing out bank loans to throw everything into stocks, and the profits were flowing straight into high-end champagne, luxury goods, theater and film industries, dyeing the entire city a vivid crimson like a beehive, madness. “Ah~ I should’ve started just a bit earlier.” Ren smacked her lips. Regretful. If only she had jumped in two years or no, just one year earlier her assets would’ve easily doubled by now. At that moment, the Deputy Commander entered the office. “Oh, you’re here.” The Deputy Commander had a cheerful face. “Commander. Thanks to Gigantes being destroyed, the Empire and neighboring countries are all uneasy. Demand for mercenaries has skyrocketed, and the fees are just ridiculous right now.” He handed over the request forms. The amounts were much higher than even just a month ago. Ren nodded with a feeling of bliss. “Ha... I’m so glad I immigrated here.” Good things really do come all at once. She rose from her chair and looked out the window. The dazzling landscape of Canilan’s city center came into view. Indeed, the wealth and glory of this independent nation would be everlasting. If capital continued to accumulate steadily and military force increased, she could take one more step closer to the dream she had longed for so desperately. She had a dream more desperate than money. Someday, to sharpen herself further, and to never neglect self-cultivation and training─ To drive a sword into Sebestian’s heart. ....... [ +54.3% ] Chiron checked his account return rate on the terminal. The return from Canilan was much higher than even last week. He was tempted to invest more, but shook his head. [Sell All Orders] He had earned enough to buy buildings and land in the capital’s key areas. Now was the time to take profit and secure physical assets. After entering the sell order through the terminal, he looked around at the knights gathered in the garden. “Is everyone here?” “Yes, sir.” Chiron’s faction within the Sentinel. What had started with barely three people had now grown to over twenty. “The reason I called you here today is different.” For knights, time is money. So if you call them out for pointless lectures, they'll curse you inside. Chiron was a knight with enough discernment to know that. “For the next month, the knight who achieves the greatest accomplishment will receive this as a prize. A premium mana stone reservation ticket.” He revealed a ticket wrapped in luxurious packaging. Premium mana stones. The eyes of the knights slightly trembled. “Yes, exactly this.” Chiron took out his cube from inside his uniform. Whirrrr. As mana infused into the cube, the air vibrated and a translucent sphere formed around his body. A new knight’s shield with versatility and stability on a completely different level from conventional aura, capable of withstanding bullets, tank shells, and even destructive magic, this was the 「Aura Sphere」. “This is the reservation ticket for that. You probably won’t get your turn through normal channels even after this year passes. Even the old men in the Imperial Palace have recognized its value, so it’s become impossible to obtain.” Those Imperial Palace geezers go crazy for anything expensive and rare. “Uh, specifically what kind of accomplishment are you referring to?” To the hasty question from the young knight Raynel, Chiron smiled kindly. “Of course, it’s the Aura Sphere. At the very least, you should be able to deploy this sphere even during descent.” According to the market evaluation Chiron briefly conducted, this premium ticket was something money alone couldn’t buy. “I want you, my people, to grow stronger. Only then will it benefit not just me, but you, and all of us.” Still, what he desired above all was their growth and the bond between them. “Understood?” ──Yes, sir! The young knights responded with faces burning with passion. *** Southern Hermes Province. After the collapse of Gigantes, the laborers from there began pouring in. I mostly selected those who had established families. Because they are less likely to betray. To me, the Revolutionary forces are just as dangerous as the Ezenheim race. To those armed with ideology, I would also be seen as nothing more than a lackey of the Empire who must be overthrown, so I must never let my guard down. “Everyone, line up and come in!” The laborers had frightened faces. They were probably expecting working conditions as bad as Gigantes, or even worse. Fearing that they would be worked even harder to fill the gap left by Gigantes. In fact, many laborers had fled. “Line up and come in!” Just as they feared, I would work them hard. I would extract extremely ruthless levels of efficiency. “Thirty people per group! Line up!” The gate of the “quarantine zone” lifted, and the laborers, with tense expressions, entered in a line. I had them spread out widely. “Jason Miller.” “Y-Yes.” “Kyle Hunt.” “Yes.” “Roman Pierce.” “Yes, that’s me.” Sniff, sniff. I heard the sound of sniffling behind me. It was the personal secretary Yukia. Thump. At the same time, my heart reacted. Taking one more step forward, I identified the Ezenheim who had hidden themselves among the ranks. “Makian Jace.” “Yes.” Check. However, I won’t kill them right away. The virus inside me can clearly distinguish the Ezenheim, but the fact that I can identify them must be thoroughly concealed. I will dispose of them discreetly, under appropriate circumstances, with the right pretext and justification, leaving no room for suspicion. "One son." “Y-Yes, that’s correct.” Amazingly, even those Ezenheim bastards had children. On paper, they were a perfect family. Is reproduction between Ezenheim possible? Or do they summon them from somewhere, or generate them through cloning? That much remains unknown. “Let them all in. Next.” The quarantine gate opened again, and a staff member brought in a new line. I matched each of their faces and names one by one. “Thomas Benn.” “Yes!” “Ricky Meon.” “Yes.” “Hans Von.” “Yes.” Thump. The virus reacted to the man named ‘Hans Von’. As I checked the list, pretending to be indifferent, Sniff sniff. The overlapping sound again. It was Yukia. She sniffed particularly loudly. I ignored it and continued checking the roster. Including Hans Von, thirteen in total. Considering the fact that we had accepted three thousand workers so far, the ratio wasn’t high, but even these thirteen tumors could ruin the entire group. ......However. Sniff sniff. I turned to Yukia, who had been sniffing since earlier. Her brow was slightly furrowed. “.......” Looking back. Now, and also earlier- definitely. Every time an Ezenheim entered, Yukia sniffed the air. My heartbeat and her sniffing always overlapped. Was it just coincidence? "Let them all inside and stand by." “Yes. Please head in!” After all the workers went in, I paused for a moment with my pen. With a rather serious look, I turned to Yukia. “Yukia. Why do you keep sniffing?” “.......” She blinked silently. “I’m asking you. Why do you keep sniffing?” In that moment, a memory flashed in my mind. What the aged Edmon once said before the regression. ‘Thanks to the help of the Yaken race, we held out fairly well in the early stages. They had power that could oppose the Dimensional Devourers.......’ What kind of power was that, the power to oppose Dimensional Devourers? The most important ability in war is identifying the enemy’s location and presence, in other words, friend-or-foe identification. Then could it be a talent that could distinguish monsters wearing human skins, yet completely different from humans? "Did you perhaps smell something from a person?" Yukia remained silent. This dog-faced girl who was supposedly poor at the Imperial language suddenly felt extremely frustrating. “I’m asking you, answer me──!” I raised my voice without realizing it. I pushed down on her shoulders, pressing her for an answer. "Just now. What did you smell?" Shrinking under my pressure, she eventually opened her mouth softly. "......The stench of rotting fish." “From the man named Hans Von?” “.......” She silently nodded her head. At that moment, an indescribable shiver ran through me. A strange ecstasy as if every hair stood on end. It was pure kinship, a joy rising from the bottom of my chest. “Ha.” I still don’t know whether this ability exists in all Yaken, or if it’s a talent unique to Yukia. But at the very least, there exists someone in this world besides me who can detect those bastards. Even if she can’t ‘explain’ them like I can, she can instinctively identify the enemy of mankind. That is a fact. “......I see.” I curled my lips into a smile and brushed Yukia’s shoulders. Straightening her clothes, I turned to the staff and said, “Bring in the next group of workers.” Unfortunately, someone like that turned out to be part of the Revolutionary forces. No matter what it takes, I must make her one of my own. *** “Nice to meet you all. I am Chief Supervisor Aisen. Welcome to the factory ‘Aternum’, which will become the new heart of Hermes.” Three thousand laborers, with tense, stiff faces and gaunt appearances, gathered in the lobby of the factory. “Sir Maximilian will personally explain the future work regulations and compensation policies.” With the introduction, Maximilian stepped up to the second-floor balcony. Three thousand laborers who had flowed in from Gigantes to this place or among them, the Revolutionary forces and Ezenheim in disguise, all raised their heads at once and looked up at him. “The outline of your work is as follows.” Maximilian’s voice resounded throughout the entire factory. “The standard schedule is a five-day workweek. Daily working hours are eleven, including one hour for lunch and a separate break time.” Five days a week. Eleven hours a day. The laborers’ eyes wavered. Some even started counting the numbers with their coarse fingers, trying to make sense of what they had just heard. “In addition, you are entitled to twelve paid leave days per year.” At those words, they blinked in a daze. For those who had worked like slaves from before sunrise until sunset, six to seven days a week their entire lives, these were words close to an alien language. “If you fall ill, you should take sick leave and focus entirely on recovery.” This policy was based on a theory Maximilian had read before the regression titled 「Labor, Recovery, and the Correlation with Efficiency」, which argued that it greatly increased national productivity. Humans are not machines. They have emotions and physical limits. Rather, the less rest they have, the more their efficiency drops, and once a laborer breaks down, they don’t come back. It’s important that skilled workers can work for a long time in good health. That way, you reduce waste from having to recruit and train new workers. That is why proper rest and rewards can, over time, drastically increase productivity. “During working hours, you must focus solely on your tasks. During holidays, you must focus entirely on the health and recovery of yourself and your family. Foolish behavior will not be tolerated.” Immediately after, Maximilian’s expression suddenly turned cold. “However, as you all know, Gigantes was destroyed by an unidentified rebel organization.” His golden eyes swept coldly over the assembly. “Therefore, if any collaboration with rebel organizations or seditious behavior or activity is detected here at Aternum... under Imperial special law, you will face immediate execution, and those who report such activity will be rewarded.” The air inside the factory froze instantly. “Rest during work is necessary, yes. But any intention to disrupt the factory’s order and discipline will not be tolerated. To protect your own rights, you must reject and drive out the subversive elements yourselves.” This was to weed out the Ezenheim that might be hiding among the workers. The Ezenheim Maximilian had already marked on his roster would be dealt with gradually under “immediate execution”. “That is all. Begin job training now.” As Maximilian stepped back, the supervisors and instructors in charge of technical training came down to the floor. “First, we’ll begin with machinery operation training. The equipment was brought in from Canilan, so it will be very different from what you’re used to.” The training began. The instructors demonstrated first, then it was the laborers’ turn. Whiiing! In the midst of high tension, one laborer made a mistake. Due to improper handling, the machine gave off a warning sound. Flinch. The laborer hunched his shoulders and tightly shut his eyes. If this were Gigantes, a club or whip would have flown at him by now. “...It’s all right.” But no beating came. Instead, the supervisor pulled the laborer by the arm. “This machine is sensitive, so you can’t handle it with force. Like this, gently guide it by following the flow of mana. Then it cuts smoothly.” He explained the operation again. It was from the training manual Maximilian had provided in advance. There’s no such thing as someone who gets better by being hit. But that doesn’t mean there’s any need to be overly kind. All that’s needed is instruction focused solely on the task. “You have been selected as skilled workers. Later, you will also need to train the incoming new workers, so please master it as quickly as possible.” “Ah... yes.” The worker blankly looked back and forth between the supervisor’s face and the cutting-edge equipment. Other workers wore similar expressions. Only then did they realize. This is not Gigantes. This place is far more... Humane. "Please be informed. There will be a ten-minute break in thirty minutes." ──Yes, sir! Before long, a faint sign of life returned to the hardened faces of the workers.