WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Reluctant Imperialist

Chapter 120

──────

The Meaning of Politics (6)

──November 1. Sentinel Order conference hall.

“This painting itself is a forgery.”

November 1 was the day it was ruled a fake, but let us turn the clock back a little further.

Before Operation Path of Dreams was completed, before we crushed the cartel and obtained the ledger.

Before the Imperial Guardsmen who had taken drug money panicked, emptied their mansions, and began holding operation meetings all over the place.

I had mobilized Schatz and her subordinates and secured Goebel’s painting. I had the forgery made first, then swapped it in.

So I could kill Goebel whenever I wanted.

I had clearly told Kairon.

That I had already secured evidence that could kill Goebel.

Still, the reason even Pellier’s inscription was forged was, honestly, pure coincidence.

For secrecy and precision, I hired forgers who could not read Imperial, and ordered them to replicate everything exactly, inside and out.

They followed that order faithfully, right down to the sentence Pellier had carved into the canvas. They likely mistook it for the artist’s signature.

“......”

That was why the faint, expressionless smile I wore while looking at Adria was simply surprise.

I had not expected this.

Maybe I had overestimated my information, this unfair asymmetry created by regression.

Regardless of my intentions, Adria ran her own investigation and reached the “painting.” Her ability to infer substance from empty space far exceeded my expectations.

The only problem was that she lacked the time to review the whole picture.

...Be humble, Maximilian.

From the beginning, every one of them was better than you.

The Empire’s talents who brought down the Empire, people the weak fool I was before regression could not even dare look at...

“If the painting itself is a forgery.”

At those words, everyone turned.

It was Kents Bertem.

“Then its evidentiary value is weak. There is no way to tell who made it and planted it.”

Adria quietly lowered her head.

Her effort to protect Anton ended up shortening her own life instead. Adria’s competence had collided with my operation.

Maybe the world really did run on luck.

──November 1, 13:00

At one in the afternoon that day.

In the end, Goebel’s detention was lifted for lack of admissible evidence, and we all returned to our offices.

* * *

──Srrrrrrk.

Inside a luxury car gliding forward in silence, Goebel watched the Imperial scenery slide past the window and let out a hollow laugh.

“So it was fake.”

A strange smile spread across his face, and an emotion he could not name swelled inside him.

The view outside looked brilliant. The fading sunset looked like smeared oil paint.

Had twilight always been this beautiful?

“This was not just fake, it was a conspiracy! A frame-up!”

Brigadier General Alfred beside him was livid.

“They forged cartel handwriting to lock you up, Commander! Those Sentinel bastards dared to!”

Of course, that was unlikely. If appraisers were brought in, it would have been exposed easily.

That crafty bastard Pellier must have bribed the art auction to pull this stunt and save himself money.

Still, thanks to that bastard, I survived this time.

“We cannot let this pass! Start by tearing up that roster. This is when we should make demands!”

Maximilian’s line, “you have to hand over at least one finger,” no longer applied now.

If anything, now we had something to gain.

“Ha... what a joke.”

“Yes! A complete joke, and outrageous!”

The dead man saved me... Goebel closed his eyes, feeling an emotion he could not name.

Screeeech.

The car stopped. It was Kents Bertem’s mansion.

When Goebel stepped out, Kents, who had been waiting in the garden, came forward with both arms open.

“Goebel, my dear friend.”

“Kents, this was all thanks to you.”

The two men smiled and embraced. There was an age gap, but they were bound by power, and they treated each other without formality.

“Come in. I prepared a banquet to celebrate your safe return.”

They entered the mansion’s banquet hall together.

The table was covered with delicacies from land and sea, along with decades-old wines.

Clap clap clap clap.

They welcomed the star of the evening, Goebel, with applause, clinked glasses, and celebrated victory.

Smiles, anger, joy, irritation, relief, gratitude... every muddy emotion splashed out like spit.

“Ken. This might be a good chance to cut off Sentinel’s arms and legs for good.”

Ken drank his wine and replied casually.

“I have already prepared a formal protest letter to send them.”

Goebel, face flushed, listened to Ken’s plan.

“Once we stir up public opinion through the media, they will have no choice but to answer for daring to arrest the Imperial Guard Commander on false charges.”

What pleasant words. Goebel held a quiet smile.

“I like that very much.”

He emptied his glass and spoke as if he found it all laughable.

“And this time, I will.”

Suddenly, someone’s face rose in his mind. Goebel belatedly revisited the anger he had set aside.

“Maximilian. I am thinking of summoning that arrogant knight to the Imperial Guard.”

Ken’s eyes widened at those words. The other Imperial Guardsmen reacted the same way.

But they quickly applauded and called it the right decision, then grinned as they muttered abuse about Maximilian.

Of course. It was nothing but enjoyable.

* * *

──November 2, 15:00

The next day, a meeting was held at the Order’s round table. I attended as a key operative in Operation Path of Dreams.

Vice Commander Anton chaired it personally, and the room felt heavy.

“Adria.”

Kairon snarled with open hostility. I had not told him every detail yet.

You had to fool your allies first to fool your enemies. In fact, Kairon was giving a performance beyond acting.

“...Look at what you did. Your petty ambition stained the greater cause.”

Adria said nothing. She was likely taking the stance that even with ten mouths, she had no excuse.

Still, it had been too big a mistake. A knight’s greatest risk, detention authority, had failed, and it gave the Imperial Guard grounds to counterattack.

“It is not something you can fix by taking off your uniform.”

Kairon ground his teeth.

“Kents Bertem and the Imperial Guard have already formally requested a reduction of Sentinel authority. The Imperial Guard has united over this.”

Reducing the Order’s authority. Or adding another watcher to watch the Order.

Even more absurd, House Kandel, the other pillar of the Imperial Guard, and Grossman were both showing signs of agreement.

That could never be allowed to happen.

“Is suicide your hobby?”

Kairon glared at Adria as he asked.

“......”

Adria gave no answer.

Kairon flicked a pen from the desk.

Tap.

Then he picked up the pen of the person next to him and threw that too.

Tap.

He found another one somewhere and threw it.

Tap.

The knights in the conference room tracked the moving pens with their eyes.

“Is suicide your hobby?”

Tap.

Where did all these pens keep coming from?

Tap.

It looked like a prank children would play, but the anger was real. When people got too angry, they became this childish.

Tap.

He threw another pen.

All at once, I remembered a magazine novel I had secretly read as a child.

Adria and Kairon. If their timing had lined up, could they have become close?

“Is suicide your hobby?”

Even then, there was no answer.

“I am asking you!”

Kairon slammed the desk and shouted. He had every reason to be furious. It was like tossing ashes into a finished meal.

Adria finally spoke in a low voice.

“As a senior knight, I will take full responsibility.”

“What responsibility, and how can you-”

“Quiet.”

Anton cut him off in a low voice.

“It already happened. Cleanup comes first.”

Then Anton’s gaze shifted to me.

“Maximilian. Goebel just requested a conversation with you. He says he wants to speak directly at Imperial Guard Headquarters.”

A conversation. In practice, a summons.

He seemed to want to call me in and humiliate me, but this was what I had been waiting for.

“Yes. Understood. I will leave right now.”

I answered calmly and stood. My willingness seemed to surprise the other knights.

“Before you go.”

Kairon stopped me.

“What do you think, Maximilian, about this incident?”

I stayed silent for a moment, then looked between Adria and Kairon as I answered.

“I do not think it is anyone’s fault.”

It was a gesture telling them to stop. Internal division only benefited the enemy.

“Then I will be off.”

I gave a short nod and left the meeting room.

Now it was time to meet Goebel.

* * *

Imperial Guard 1st Corps Headquarters.

I walked its long corridor willingly. The looks the guardsmen gave me varied. Some saluted reluctantly. Some ignored me and passed by. Some glanced at me with barely hidden smirks, as if rumors had already spread.

“Ah. Knight Maximilian.”

I had just stopped in front of Goebel’s office and was about to knock when an adjutant stopped me.

The adjutant was a major.

A mere major blocked me, but that was fine.

“Sure.”

I chose to wait.

I sat in a chair in the corridor and quietly killed time.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

The clocks hanging in headquarters grated on me.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

I could hear them even with my eyes closed.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Regular for everyone, but for me, not regular at all.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Not time, just gears pretending to be time.

Tick-tock.

By the time sixty more minutes had passed beyond the appointment time.

Creeeak.

Only then did the door open.

“Just a moment.”

But the adjutant did not let me in right away. He went in first to ask Goebel what he wanted.

Another ten minutes passed.

An hour and ten minutes was wasted for nothing.

“You may come in, Knight Maximilian.”

I entered under the adjutant’s guidance. Goebel greeted me with blatant arrogance.

“Mm. Sit.”

He flicked a hand toward the seat in front of him. I sat down. He seemed to think our relationship had reversed, and wore a showy expression of regret.

“...What a pity.”

A faint smile hung at the edge of his lips.

“Duke Bertem is very angry right now. As for me, I am trying to understand your youthful hot blood.”

He crossed his legs in front of me. It looked like he had been waiting for this.

“Well, my terms are simple. Cancel the Knight Court disposition for the entire Imperial Guard. And issue an official apology statement.”

I stared at him.

“Ah, there is no need to use your name. That mad knight Adria did it, so a Sentinel apology statement will be enough.”

Goebel bit down on his cigar and spread both hands.

“What do you think? Sounds perfectly reasonable.”

Without saying a word, I sank deeper into my chair, straightened my rumpled uniform, and crossed my legs.

“......”

Goebel’s face stiffened at my attitude.

I muttered as if letting out a sigh.

“You still do not understand.”

“...The one who does not understand is you.”

Click, hiss. Goebel lit his cigar.

“Do you not realize how serious this situation is? We are talking about stripping knights of detention authority.”

Smoke thickened, and his voice slowly rose.

“They call knights the Empire’s watchdogs, but who exactly watches those watchdogs? Even in the palace, they are discussing creating outside audit authority over the Sentinel Order.”

He rattled off one bill after another. These were the worst laws, prepared long ago, to be proposed if the Imperial Guard rose to dominance.

“Then go stop them right now.”

“...What?”

Goebel’s brow twisted. He glared at me for a moment, then laughed hollowly and removed his monocle.

“Maximilian Ebenholtz.”

Goebel dared to say my name plainly.

“So you were just a young man with no sense and no manners. Just because you are Sebestian’s son-”

This man had finally shown open anger. It was what I wanted, what I had effectively drawn out.

“Commander Goebel of the Imperial Guard. The one with no manners is you.”

“......”

Goebel squeezed his eyes shut. He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. At least he was not the kind of man to get swept away by emotion.

“Haa...”

He sighed and shook his head.

“...I hope you accept these terms. In our Empire’s system, the balance of power still has to be maintained. In other words, ‘that place’ must not collapse this quickly.”

He threw back words similar to what I had said in the interrogation room, and I clicked my tongue at how pathetic he sounded.

“You truly do not understand.”

I took out a sheet of paper and handed it over.

“...What is this now?”

Goebel was about to toss it away in irritation when I said:

“It is the location where the genuine painting you received from Pellier is stored.”

In that instant, his hand stopped.

I settled myself and spoke evenly.

“Let me ask you. Do you really think Pellier would present you with a fake? He even planted evidence in case you betrayed him, and you still think he gifted you a forgery?”

Goebel’s eyes shook violently.

“If you thought that, Commander, then you relaxed too much and your reasoning failed for a moment.”

I fell silent. Goebel stared at me blankly.

The side that spoke first would be the side at a disadvantage.

“...What do you mean by that?”

Of course, it was Goebel.

“I made it.”

“What...?”

His pupils widened in shock, and I continued in a bitter tone.

“The forgery. I made it and hung it there.”

Goebel looked down at the paper.

Location: Kronen Schatzinsel. Artwork storage inventory.

“If you want, I will go to Kanillan and show you the original myself. Ah, do you know what signature is on the original? It is a blood letter mixed with Pellier’s own blood and mana. Impossible to forge, and overwhelmingly definitive as legal evidence.”

The wrinkles on Goebel’s face opened. His expression asked one thing.

Why?

“It was a sign of respect, and payment in a deal. Because I expected a knight like Adria to appear.”

The truth was, I did not know for sure.

“I planned to tell you everything once the case was over. But Adria found it much earlier than expected.”

Even so, it did not matter. Politics, broadly speaking, was not much different from assembling a puzzle.

If a situation unfolded, I would simply adjust my position to fit the shape already broken.

“But Goebel, you truly are...”

I let out a dry laugh.

“Disappointing.”

“......”

Goebel still said nothing. For a moment, he looked almost aphasic.

Tick.

I looked at the desk clock.

“One hour and forty minutes. No, counting the 140-minute round trip too, four hours total. Commander of the Imperial Guard, you wasted four of my hours.”

I stood slowly, looked down at him, and added coldly.

“If you want to compensate me, you should move quickly.”

Goebel stared at me blankly. He just stayed there.

“What are you doing?”

I spoke again to him, still frozen in place.

“You need to move.”

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