The Reluctant Imperialist - Chapter 101

WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Reluctant Imperialist

Chapter 101

──────

Your Faith (4)

My enemy was Izenheim.

No, Izenheim was humanity's enemy.

Yet I still did not truly know Izenheim. Not their homeland, not their nature, not their origin, not even why they were trying to destroy this continent.

That fundamental reason was still hidden in fog.

So every time I faced them, I hesitated.

Was killing them on sight really the right choice?

Should I capture them, torture them, dissect their brains, even run human experiments if needed, and rip their secrets out by force?

"......"

A swordsman stood across from me. A captain in military uniform.

He was an enemy that made my heart react. Behind him, a small number of soldiers had rifles trained on me.

"Are you a knight of the Empire?"

He asked me in fluent Imperial. I stood still and measured his strength.

--Thump.

The virus's response was fairly heavy. Still, he was far easier than Dune Kan.

Luckily, I had some time to spare. I had already destroyed the communications outpost.

"Captain! Give the signal anytime! We'll fire!"

One of the soldiers shouted with a trembling voice.

"No. Do not fire."

The captain stopped them.

"He is not someone you can handle with guns. Do not provoke him for no reason."

He looked at me and gave a bitter smile.

"......As for me, I do not think I can buy much time."

His eyes looked like he was acting out resignation.

Then he spoke in Imperial again.

"If you truly are a knight of the Empire, then I ask this in the name of chivalry."

Language would clearly matter a great deal in the great war to come.

That only made me want to study harder.

"Please let the soldiers go. They are only following orders."

That polite bow, while gripping his sword, made me sick. It was absurd and infuriating.

I answered without lowering my blade.

"If you answer my question."

"......Please send the soldiers first."

Many of the soldiers here had baby faces.

Just twenty, or nineteen. Pure Zerpan, not Izenheim.

"......"

The captain spoke to them.

"Go."

"B-but..."

"Now!"

This was the first time I had seen an Izenheim openly pretending to be a saint.

The soldiers ran off after dropping their rifles, and I glared at him and spoke a single sentence.

"You are Izenheim."

"......If you are asking about my roots, yes. I am."

Too bold. The more I watched him, the more he seemed like a new kind of Izenheim... which was impossible.

Until now, maybe I had unconsciously forced Izenheim into a fixed mold.

They were the kind who would do anything for their cause.

"There was an Izenheim who once said this to me."

I remembered Jacob.

The first Izenheim I met after regression, and the first I killed.

He was clearly an immature specimen. Young, emotional, and above all, unable to hide what he was.

"'How dare you steal our language? I will tear your heart to pieces and eat it.'"

I mimicked the wave pattern of the language he muttered.

The captain's face instantly hardened.

"That one said your kind grows up eating hearts. Said your goal is the extinction of humanity."

"......"

"Where did you come from, and why are you trying to destroy us?"

He looked blank for a moment, then gave me a sad smile.

"I knew... there would be someone like you."

That pitiful performance disgusted me.

"But being Izenheim does not mean we all live for the same goal. Just like you."

--Maybe.

This was likely the biggest reason humanity had lost.

"We too are human, in the end, just like all of you."

Such a human expression.

Such human-like emotion.

...All of it imitation.

"I stand against my own kind. I fight for what is right."

Wearing the same kind of skin, speaking the same kind of language, they broke our boundaries and burrowed into our hearts.

"You betray your own kind?"

"Yes. Everyone has that right, against everyone in this world. Race is only race. It cannot decide my ideology, my convictions, or the future I choose. In the end, all of us came from the same roots... we are the same humans, are we not?"

The same humans.

I let out a hollow laugh and raised my sword.

"Not the same humans. At least not your kind."

Sadness spread across the captain's face.

"......You carry hatred. Blind, vivid, raw hatred toward one race..."

Sssssss--.

Ebenholtz mana rippled over my blade. He took a deep breath and raised his sword.

"If my death can give you comfort, I will accept it gladly."

I drew an invisible line in space. Mana rippled like moonlight.

Ebenholtz Second Form, Moonlight Slash.

The Izenheim swung too. His mana was blue.

It was no different from human mana.

He never showed the same impulse Jacob did.

...Maybe the existence of that Izenheim called Jacob had been the greatest stroke of luck for me, and for humanity.

Sgggrk--!

In the instant the light flashed, the captain's sword snapped, and his neck shot into the air.

Even as he died, his eyes looked as if he did not resent me.

Or as if he understood me.

"You filthy vermin."

The virus greedily devoured his mana, and I crushed his face under my boot.

Crack! Crunch!

I twisted his calm eyes, nose, and mouth out of shape.

"......Haa."

Still, that was beneath my dignity.

I calmed down, took a deep breath, and brushed back my hair.

I straightened my disordered clothes and wiped flesh and dirt from my shoulder.

No need to get worked up.

No reason to run hot.

I already knew what they were.

"They... use their own deaths."

They were the kind who used even their own deaths as stepping stones.

For one single goal, the end of the world.

So I needed a hard heart.

Killing intent that did not shake. Hatred that did not waver.

"Whew......"

I took out a high-purity mana stone from my inner pocket.

I tossed it lightly, then slashed down at the tunnel entrance.

Kwoaaaaaah!

A silver flash amplified by the mana stone smashed into the ceiling arch. A thunderous roar echoed, and bedrock collapsed.

The fully collapsed tunnel became part of the mountain range again.

“Leon. Bridge destruction complete.”

“Dare Tan. Bridge destroyed.”

“Hanna. Bridge destruction complete!”

“Royce. Operation success.”

One by one, the briefings came in announcing mission completion.

"......This is Maximilian. We now move to Zerpa's capital."

* * *

We destroyed enemy facilities, induced confusion, and slipped through gaps in their rigid encirclement to enter the royalist capital.

And so we reached the heart of Zerpa's monarchy, 「Elenium Royal Palace」.

"Knights of the Empire."

The three Year 0s, Leon, and I showed our IDs at the palace's main gate.

The guards thoroughly verified Sentinel's mana crest, then bowed.

"Yes. We have been waiting. Please come in."

Led by a butler, we went inside.

Unlike the splendid exterior, a gloomy air hung thick inside. Passing attendants looked grim, and nobles kept glancing at us with guarded eyes.

It smelled of defeat.

"For now, please stay here."

The butler pointed at a long corridor lined with guest rooms.

"His Highness the Crown Prince will arrive shortly. Until then, it would be best if you rested from your journey."

"Yes. We will."

I spoke to the other knights.

"Everyone, unpack and rest a bit."

The Year 0s looked terrible. Heavy dark circles, sunken eyes. Then again, I had not slept for sixty hours either.

"Y-yes......"

"Understood......"

They answered weakly and went into their rooms.

I opened the door to my assigned room as well.

A VIP room prepared for guests. Luxury carpet, a soft bed, and a well-kept potted plant by the window.

"Not bad."

I took off my coat and hung it over a chair. The moment I dropped onto the bed, heavy fatigue pressed down on my shoulders.

"......Max. Got a minute?"

Leon came into my room then.

"Yeah. Why."

"I have something to say."

"What is it."

He dragged a chair over backward and sat on it.

"Um... about the Imperial army. Honestly, besides us, they do not look willing to really join this civil war."

Scratching the back of his neck, he kept talking.

"The mood was like that from the start. Even before we came here."

There was a reason the Empire had hesitated to dispatch Sentinel.

Their real objective had never been rushing to save Zerpa's royalists.

"No. Reinforcements will move soon."

It did not matter.

No matter what the Empire wanted, I would steer this civil war toward a royalist victory.

"Huh? Really? Reinforcements are Durkon, right? That is a pretty rough legion."

Durkon, about ten thousand strong, was fairly famous in the Empire. Capable, but half meathead.

Before regression, they had dragged their feet for years while requisitioning Zerpa's local resources.

"Yeah. Durkon will advance. Definitely."

"How are you so sure?"

I pulled a towel from the shelf and smirked.

"I wrote a few letters."

My handwritten letters left with Lieutenant Colonel Kai Han.

By now, those lines would have returned to the Empire and started poking the military where it hurt.

"Orders are not what move people, Leon."

I took off my shirt.

"Relationships are."

Leon looked at me with a strange expression, then shrugged.

"Sure, whatever. You know dispatched knights do not stay more than a month anyway, right?"

"I know, idiot. Get out, I need to wash."

"Yep."

Leon left, and I went into the bathroom.

First I checked for possible wiretaps or eavesdropping.

Shaaah......

I turned on the hot water and submerged my whole body.

Warm water soaked away the fatigue piled up in me.

* * *

--Inside Zerpa territory, local command headquarters.

Major General Schweitzer, commander of the 「Durkon Legion」 sent as imperial reinforcements, had forcibly requisitioned the penthouse of a luxury downtown hotel and was leading an operations meeting.

"First, calculate how many of the new magic bombs we need to erase a village of this size from the map."

He pointed at the map and gave orders to his officers. It was an area full of peaceful homes.

"Run efficiency tests for wide-area incineration magic in parallel."

Durkon Legion's purpose was never immediate combat.

The royalist cowards were obviously going to drag things out in scattered defense anyway, so there was no reason to waste precious imperial resources. Better to test new weapons and military methods for future wars.

In fact, Major General Schweitzer had received exactly those orders from high people in the Imperial Palace.

"Also. Verify how far we can push mages' weak minds before they break."

Mages were walking tactical weapons, one by one. But to use them in battle, they needed media like magic circles and mana stones, and above all, their fragile minds and bodies had to be managed if you wanted proper performance.

"Y-yes. Understood!"

The staff answered in unison.

"Later, we will erase civilian zones cooperating with the republican faction."

When civilians collapsed, a nation collapsed. That was Imperial Guard Chief of Staff Wolfgang's doctrine.

Through civilian massacre, they would verify the utility of fear tactics, and the Empire's prestige--

"Major General! A messenger has arrived."

A communications officer ran in then.

Schweitzer frowned.

"......Messenger?"

"Yes. A messenger from the Berton force. They say it is a cooperation request regarding their march plan......"

"Dismiss him."

"Yes sir!"

Schweitzer waved his hand.

Berton. He did not even know who they were.

After sending the communications officer away, Schweitzer was about to resume the meeting.

"Major General! Communication!"

The communications officer appeared again, looking even more urgent.

"Communication?"

"Yes! Emergency communication through the military line!"

A military mana circuit line installed in the hotel basement, connected to imperial command in the central-west region.

Schweitzer ran a hand through his hair and headed down.

“Ah. Major General Schweitzer, can you hear me? This is--”

"I hear you."

“Ah. It is Major General Maut.”

"Maut? What is it?"

“Long time no see.”

It was an old classmate, Major General Maut of the military. The one active in the Gennen suppression force.

“Nothing much. I just wanted to ask when you plan to march.”

"......What?"

Schweitzer laughed in disbelief at the random question.

“Your march, your march. Looks like you have rested enough on site, so how long are you planning to sit still?”

"......I do not know what you are talking about. This is my jurisdiction, and I already received orders from above."

“The royalist faction is isolated. The Berton force is risking their lives carrying out operations already. Is it right for the main force to sit around? Did you come here sightseeing?”

"What? Did you not hear me? I received orders!"

“For your--”

Click.

Schweitzer cut the line off irritably. Had this bastard taken the wrong medicine.

"That lunatic is suddenly giving me lessons......"

Cursing, he went back upstairs to the meeting room.

But then.

Less than five minutes later, the communications officer came running again.

"S-sir. Another call came in."

"If it is Maut, tell him to shut up and get lost."

"It is not Major General Maut."

"Damn it. Then who is it?!"

“It is Lieutenant General Litruman.”

At the voice over the device, Schweitzer answered politely.

"......Ah, yes. Senior, no, Lieutenant General."

It was Litruman, headmaster of Empire Point and an elder in the military.

“I heard you set up local command in Zerpa. Quite some time has passed, so what is your march schedule?”

"Uh... I apologize, but we have no immediate plan to march. At present, we--"

“What?!”

A roar exploded through the receiver.

“Do you want to die?! You went all the way there and still have no march plan?!”

"N-no, sir. It is just that we had orders I cannot disclose. About new weapons and new tactics--"

“Then test them on the battlefield, you half-bald bastard! Move out right now!”

"......"

Schweitzer rubbed his empty crown and bit his lip.

Litruman was headmaster of Empire Point. A major political post, maybe, but still someone far removed from actual battlefields.

So why all of a sudden--

“If you keep sitting there doing nothing, huh?! I will kill you myself. Understood?!”

"Lieutenant General Litruman. I apologize, but I had orders from above."

This time Litruman hung up first.

"......Ha."

Schweitzer put down the receiver blankly.

Did these old men all take something wrong as a group.

"This is fucking insane......"

His thinning hair already had him irritated to death.

He felt like venting properly. One village would not be enough. Blowing away two villages wholesale might make him feel better.

"Everyone, sit back down!"

Schweitzer returned to the meeting room and was about to resume the briefing.

Then again.

"S-sir!"

"What now?!"

The communications officer ran in with a tearful face.

“Major General Schweitzer. This is Lieutenant General Walter.”

Schweitzer groaned and pressed his brow.

Lieutenant General Walter, a real military power broker, almost guaranteed promotion to full general.

“Long time no see. Good to hear your voice.”

"......Yes, Lieutenant General. Good to hear yours. Is this about that again?"

“That again? What are you talking about?”

"You are calling about marching, are you not?"

“Hmm.”

Walter sounded like he might say something else.

"Ah, maybe--"

“Exactly. Why are you still not moving over there?”

What the hell.

"......We are currently carrying out secret orders--"

“Then think of this as a public order. Move immediately.”

Maut. Litruman. Now Walter too.

Imperial generals were pressing him as if they had coordinated it. At this rate, even a full general might contact him next.

"But--"

“A force that goes to support is a reinforcement. An army that stays buried in place is a garrison.”

Cold sweat ran down Schweitzer's back.

“I will not say it twice.”

"Ha......"

He could not understand why.

He truly could not, but relying only on palace backing was no longer enough with this level of military pressure.

To be honest, new-weapon testing could be done on a battlefield too.

Civilian targets would let them measure psychological damage to the enemy as well, but he could not turn the entire military against himself for that.

"......Understood. Where should we go."

“Align with Berton.”

Click.

The line went dead.

Schweitzer dropped into a chair.

"What the hell is this... and what is Berton anyway."

Then he suddenly remembered what the communications officer had said earlier.

“The messenger from Berton is waiting.”

"......Messenger."

He jumped up and ran down to the hotel lobby. A single soldier stood there, covered in dust.

"Loyalty!"

"From Berton?"