The Reluctant Imperialist - Chapter 7

WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Reluctant Imperialist

Chapter 7

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From Day One (2)

In the lobby of the Sentinel Order, two people watched Maximilian as he walked away down the corridor.

“Tiana, you look awful.”

At Leon’s remark, Tiana smoothed out her expression.

“What are you talking about?”

Most Sentinel rookies came from Empire Point, the military academy, but Maximilian was below Tiana in skill, grades, and conduct.

Far below.

“I never expected anything from him anyway.”

Yet at this induction ceremony, Maximilian took the center seat, the best spot, while all Tiana could do was glare from beside him.

“They say knights are basically self-employed.”

Tiana sneered as she brushed back her red hair.

For knights, individual ability mattered most because results were visible. Even a commoner, even someone from a worthless house, could make a lot of money. At least when it came to income, it was a strict meritocracy.

“So not the Empire’s sword?”

“...”

Tiana gave a quiet snort.

Loyalty was just an old romantic fantasy. In times like these, no knight treated that kind of abstraction as real value. Status had limits. If you were born Imperial, unless you were a noble, you were never even given a chance to rise high. And even if you were a decent noble, you still could not beat a mad bloodline like Ebenholtz.

“...Being the Empire’s sword is a given. I just mean I want to live well while I’m at it.”

Still, saying thoughts like that out loud would obviously cause trouble.

Tiana’s childhood dream had been to become Knight Commander, but now it had changed to becoming comfortably wealthy. If she worked hard as a knight for ten years, that future was more than possible.

* * *

I arrived at the crime scene with Yulian. It was a mansion in the Empire’s wealthy district.

The police controlling the scene came over.

“You’re here.”

A middle-aged detective gave a formal salute. Yulian spoke.

“Please lead the way.”

“Yes. This way.”

We followed the detective into the mansion.

“It’s a little cluttered.”

The scene was a hidden chamber in the mansion basement. Unidentifiable torture tools hung on the walls, and dark, dried bloodstains marked the floor.

It was obvious what had happened here. The dead man had vile tastes.

“The body was found in this basement.”

I knew the outline of this case. The victim was one of the Empire’s many trash nobles who deserved to die.

But regardless of his crimes, murdering a noble was one of the most heinous crimes under Imperial law. Hunting down killers of nobles was also one of an Imperial knight’s top priorities.

“Take a look.”

Before I regressed, I failed to catch the culprit. Because I was trash.

...Honestly, I still didn’t know now.

Twitch.

The virus beneath my left collarbone reacted faintly. My brow tightened.

Izenheim.

“The scene was preserved properly.”

Yulian muttered as he swept his gaze around. Wearing gloves, he picked up objects around the room.

“But there’s nothing you could call a clue.”

I searched for evidence too.

Izenheim moved in tightly compartmentalized cells, and they were extremely sensitive and skilled when it came to hiding what they were.

Still, no matter how perfectly they disguised themselves, they could not erase the unique traces they left behind.

“Maximilian, did you find something?”

Yulian suddenly asked. I turned to him.

“These footprints.”

I pointed at the faint tracks on the floor.

“Judging by size, it seems to be a child.”

By shape, yes. But appearances could not be trusted. They were an alien species. We did not even know whether they lived in the same flow of time as us.

“Right.”

Yulian nodded.

“Interesting case for your first mission. Do your best, Maximilian.”

He suddenly removed his gloves and arched a brow at me.

“...By myself?”

Was it like this before regression too?

I could not remember clearly. It was too long ago, and back then, I had neither the ability nor the will to handle cases like this properly.

“Of course. Isn’t this a good chance to test your junior partner’s ability?”

Yulian left just like that. He went up the stairs in loose strides and vanished before I knew it.

“What the...”

Left alone, I looked over the basement cell again.

Then I noticed an old sketchbook in one corner. It was the one Yulian had stared at for a few seconds earlier.

I picked it up. Every page was filled with twisted drawings.

One section among them caught my eye.

A painting of a park.

I found a trace in it, and

“...Found it.”

The virus inside me reacted strongly.

The distinct energy residue of Izenheim.

An Izenheim distress signal sent to another Izenheim.

“Detective-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Where is the nearest park from here?”

That thing was hiding there.

And the Yulian I remembered was probably...

* * *

Yulian reached a quiet park. He moved deep into the woods behind an old fountain and found a tiny wooden shelter. It was a hideout children had patched together however they liked.

He carefully looked inside. A small shadow was crouching there.

A child trembling in fear.

“So it was you.”

Yulian’s voice was low and gentle. The child raised their head. At most twelve, maybe thirteen.

A bloodless face, eyes full of terror.

“It’s okay. I won’t ask anything.”

His duty as a knight clashed with his pity for the child. Yulian was a knight who protected the Empire, but he also knew better than anyone how rotten and corrupt noble society was. This world had far too many nobles as vile as maggots.

“Come out.”

He slowly held out his hand.

“It’s alright.”

The child hesitated for a moment, then took Yulian’s hand. At that thin, fragile touch, Yulian clenched his teeth.

The child slowly walked out.

“Now...”

That was when it happened.

Rustle.

Footsteps came from the other side. Yulian reflexively hid the child behind his back.

“...”

A man suddenly appeared from the forest shadows. Blue moonlight cast an eerie glow over his face, darkened by the night.

Yulian said his name.

“Maximilian.”

Maximilian Albrecht Ebenholtz.

The man called “Max” looked between Yulian and the child, then nodded.

“Yes, Knight Yulian. You may call me Max.”

Yulian did not show it, but his mind was taut. Was he followed? No, impossible. He had kept strict watch in all directions. A green rookie knight like that could not fool his senses.

There was only one conclusion.

I underestimated him too much.

Max said nothing. Detached, cold. His pupils, clear as ice, watched the child. Heat ran up Yulian’s spine.

But that silence lasted only a moment.

A soft smile spread across Max’s lips.

“The victim was a fucking bastard. Old Man Essent. Around here, his infamy was pretty well known.”

“...You investigated already?”

“The police told me.”

Max stepped toward the child.

“A human piece of trash who did things too foul to even speak aloud. Even if this case hadn’t happened today, I probably would’ve wanted to kill him myself someday.”

Still wearing that gentle smile, Max bent down to the child’s eye level.

“Did you kill him?”

He asked the child. Dried blood covered the child’s whole body. If someone analyzed the traces of mana, identifying the real culprit would not be hard.

“Tell us honestly. We can help you.”

Then the child looked up at Max. It was that kind of gaze, innocence and fragility together, the kind that made you want to protect them.

“...Yes. That person...”

The child’s voice trembled and trailed off.

“You don’t have to say any more.”

Instead, Max brought his mouth to the child’s ear. He whispered a few short words. But the child did not react. Only the lips moved faintly.

Sshhk!

The air split. The rising blade drew a straight line across the child’s neck. Yulian’s body went rigid. Without realizing it, his hand settled on the hilt at his waist. That instant felt like endless ages.

Should he draw and block it?

It was already too late. Hesitation had made him slow.

The child collapsed without even a dying cry, and red blood bloomed from the small body. A surge of blood spread into a thin stream.

“Knight Yulian.”

Max returned to that same indifferent expression.

“Under Imperial law, killing a noble is subject to summary judgment regardless of reason. Even if that noble was the worst son of a bitch alive.”

Yulian twitched slightly. He wiped the child’s blood off his own cheek with a rough hand.

“...That’s right.”

He tried to stay calm, but part of his voice shook. He forced down the emotions rising inside him.

“Couldn’t we have arrested and interrogated them?”

He asked instead. Max looked down at the child’s corpse, took out a cloth, and wiped the dirty blade.

“The evidence remains on a corpse anyway. More than that...”