The Reluctant Imperialist - Chapter 89

WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Reluctant Imperialist

Chapter 89

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Party (3)

Yukia leaned against the residence window frame and looked up at the pitch-black night sky.

'I'm not certain. I can only trace his past from his words and actions.'

The cold night wind brushed her skin, and Entikkan's words echoed in her ears.

'Still, Maximilian is a noble who knows the weight of words. He has no reason to lie about something like this-'

Then Entikkan added,

'Exploration. Exploring the Empire's western frontier is required curriculum for Empire Point cadets. It's also the main source of income for guides.'

For Yukia, who had once worked as a guide with her father, that was obvious.

Now that she thought about it, that season would arrive soon. The season when cadets about to graduate from Empire Point flooded into the Empire's west.

'I can hardly believe it.'

At Yukia's reply, Entikkan let out a dry laugh.

'Same here. That's why you should check that necklace you said you saw.'

Yukia lowered her head.

Each Yaken had their own style of "carving." You could call it unique.

'The style of carving. The trace left by a blade. That mark that stays on us like a fingerprint, you'd know it, wouldn't you?'

Yukia searched her memory.

Her father's rough hands carving wood. Objects shaped with a touch that looked careless, but was precise.

"......"

She strained to remember the pattern on that faint necklace she had seen on Maximilian's chest.

For some reason, it had not looked unfamiliar.

Flap-flap.

A shadow suddenly crossed the night sky and landed on the window frame. An owl. A small letter was tied to its ankle.

Yukia opened the message.

[ ◆◆◇◆◆◇◆◇◇◆◆◇◆◆ ]

She applied the cipher chart in her head and decoded it.

The contents were concise.

It was an order from the Revolutionary Faction.

* * *

The party did not stop even late at night. If anything, it kept going.

Alcohol and conversation, dancing and singing filling the gaps, and all kinds of games mixed with desire.

I relaxed a little and let myself drift with their flow, then stepped out onto the balcony when I got tired of it.

──! ──! ───!

I looked down over the railing. What a noisy mess.

An unstructured space, people tangled together dancing to something that barely counted as music. Still, they and I were clearly separate.

Was this also status and class?

After the Empire collapsed, the new republic that rose up abolished the class system, and before long the whole continent followed. Even then, though, "invisible" status remained.

"......"

I looked over Kanillan's night view and drank.

Whiiiiiiing......

The wind from a country that would collapse soon was clear. In this country, I could not even feel a trace of Izenheim. That made it feel cleaner.

"Izenheim."

Strange. I had met countless kinds of people while traveling in and out of Kanillan, yet I had not met a single Izenheim.

Of course, I could not rule out the possibility that they were hidden deeper down, in more private circles or high political and business ranks.

"Why."

For a moment, soaked in alcohol, a hypothesis swelled up on its own.

The more I thought about it, the stranger it felt.

Why did Izenheim not show themselves in Kanillan at all?

Then why did they keep crawling into the Empire no matter what?

Even when full-scale persecution began, those bastards still insisted on digging their burrows under imperial land.

If my guess was right and the Eastern Alliance's supreme leader was Izenheim, or their puppet, it would have been much safer and easier for them to build their main base in the East instead.

"Topography......"

Suddenly, my thoughts caught on that word.

'Those underground cities they dug, remember? We thought they gathered there to survive, but it was to develop a Dimension Gate. Those devils tricked us.'

Before the regression, Edmund had said the words Dimension Gate.

A gate for summoning beings from another world.

Then was the reason their population was relatively low in Kanillan that this land was not needed for their plan?

If opening a Dimension Gate absolutely required imperial land, or some imperial "something" I did not know about......

"There you are."

Then a voice behind me cut through my thoughts.

It was Ren. Her red hair was messy, and her face was flushed.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Ah, I'm fine~"

She had been drinking hard. Her alcohol tolerance might have rivaled even Sebestian's.

"You seem in a very good mood."

Ren gave a short laugh and leaned against the railing beside me.

"Someday, right? No party lasts forever."

I kept dropping hints for her.

"Haha~"

But she looked like she had no intention of listening.

"They say the Empire is preparing for war. It's an open secret. Then Kanillan is going to earn even more~?"

The situation really did point that way. Ren believed in Kanillan's future even more because she knew it well.

If Kanillan's economy had lasted five more years like this, it might have had a chance to ride wartime demand and economically subordinate the Empire.

"......"

Silence settled.

Night wind passed between us.

I was a little worried too. What if Commander Ren was the type who cared deeply about looks, and ended up feeling some fated affection toward me-

"So. Is Sebestian doing well?" she asked.

It was just a pointless worry.

My hand holding the glass shook. At some point, the drunkenness had vanished from Ren's eyes. Her pupils had turned cold as blades, as if they were piercing straight through me.

"So you recognized me from the beginning."

"Yeah."

She swirled her drink.

"I thought about whether to kill you or not. You don't know this, but I hold a deep grudge against Sebestian."

"If that had happened, I would have fought too."

"Against me? Come on, you're still far off."

Ren looked at me. It was not quite mockery. Oddly enough, it felt warm.

"The commander who pacified Gennen. Maximilian, knight of Ebenholtz. But there are no tanks here, kid."

"......"

That title grated on me. Counting everything, I was much older than her.

"I heard Commander Ren is still in her twenties too. Maybe you're older than you look, if you already have a kid like me."

Ren's eyes narrowed. Her pupils tightened into vertical slits. They looked like a cat's right before a hunt.

But she quickly relaxed.

"......A grudge must not miss its target. And it must not spread everywhere."

She sighed and looked up at the sky.

"I'll keep your identity hidden. I don't feel like announcing it anyway, and if my enemy's son wants to shove money into a trash can, I won't stop him."

Her revenge was limited to Sebestian alone.

"That's a relief."

"Still...... no, forget it."

Ren shook her head.

"Let's have a drink. To Kanillan's glory."

Ren looked at me and raised her glass. I raised mine too.

"If that were possible."

Clink.

Glass struck glass, and liquor sloshed.

Ren threw back strong liquor with a relaxed smile. Watching her, I thought of the future.

Before my regression, Ren, commander of Akarius, had challenged Sebestian and died after losing.

Sebestian was that kind of man.

Far more than you estimate, Ren, and far more than this continent imagines-

A monster.

I ran several meetings at once by video from the Kanillan penthouse.

This technology called "video conference" was fascinating.

In Kanillan, through silver screens packed with mana engineering, you could look someone in the face and speak to people hundreds of kilometers away.

“Can you hear us?”

Eight split screens were displayed on the silver screen. Inside them were twelve executives from Kanillan securities firms and banks that had contracts with me.

"......I can hear you."

Their expressions were unpleasant from the start. Every one of them looked arrogant and greedy, with eyes that saw me as an easy mark.

“Yes, Mr. Ebert. First, look at market conditions. Volatility has exceeded the threshold.”

The man on the first screen, chewing a cigar, spoke first.

“Under our company policy, we have no choice but to raise your entrusted margin ratio and fees one more time. Your position is too risky right now.”

“That's right. Same at Merilchi. If you don't provide additional collateral, we'll have no choice but to begin forced liquidation procedures.”

“Yes. This is Lekiano. We also request a recalculation of borrowing fees. It's unavoidable for risk management, so please understand.”

“If that's too much, you can still pull out now. As for procedures for breach of contract, we can be naive about-”

They talked however they wanted. Compared to them, Russell was practically a gentleman. At least he treated me like a VVIP customer for the money I spent.

"Shh."

Without changing my expression, I put a hand near my mouth.

"I'll pay all of it."

They hesitated.

"I understand volatility. Since Kanillan is posting strong gains every day, I can accept the increased risk of the products I hold. So I'll deposit that much accordingly."

I signaled Dieter beside me.

“Kuhahaha! As expected, very generous!”

“Oh wow, thank you. Looks like we worried for nothing.”

“Then we'll end the call now. Wishing you great profits!”

One of them, a bald guy who looked especially like a badger, hurried to end transmission.

"Wait."

I raised a hand.

"By any chance."

I slowly scanned all twelve faces on the screens.

"Is there anyone who thinks differently, that trust in contracts matters, and that changing terms unilaterally just because market conditions changed goes against business ethics, and wants to proceed under the original contract terms?"

Silence fell for a moment.

In effect, I would make money through their ruin. I would soon climb over their corpses, so this was their final chance.

Kanillan was only part of my plan, and I was not someone who enjoyed money games for their own sake.

“Uh...... no thanks. Good day.”

“Good luck, bye bye~”

“This is a battlefield. Winning is trust. Hahaha.”

“Actually the contract itself is policy, and policy changes with volatility, y'know. Take care.”

Most of them sneered, and the badger-looking one snorted.

Then it happened.

“......Haa.”

A man in the corner sighed and raised his hand. He was the president of [Old Haven], one of Kanillan's native banks.

Its scale was relatively small, just as its screen sat tucked into a corner of this conference.

“We will just charge according to the original contract. No need to squeeze a client for no reason.”

The other executives looked at him like he was insane.

“Oh wow, how kind, President Haven. You trying to run your bank into the ground?”

“Leave him. That's why he's old. Hahaha.”

“Such a noble man, really.”

Plenty of mocking voices, but I gave a faint smile and nodded.

"Understood. Old Haven Bank. I'll remember it. The fees you set will start being deposited today."

“Oh, thank-”

I signaled Dieter.

Pop. The screen shut off immediately.

"Dieter. Can't we use this kind of tech in the Empire?"

"It's usable, but not across a broad range. In compact Kanillan it can be used safely, but in the Empire there is a high risk of mana-wave interception."

"That's unfortunate."

I rubbed my fingers and gestured to Dieter.

"You said we needed one more bank to acquire, right?"

"Yes. Kronen is a specialized bank, so we need a bank that can operate in the public and private retail markets. Old Haven Bank should be enough."

"Good."

As the price for not being greedy, they would survive.

"Strip the rest to the bone. Especially that badger-looking bastard...... you know what I mean, right?"

"Yes. Understood."

Dieter packed his bag.

"Then let us depart now."

"Ah. What about the Ransom short? You said we can borrow and sell shares that don't even exist here."

"All position entries are complete."

I held up Kanillan's latest terminal. My asset status was displayed on a flat crystal screen.

"Kanillan really has everything."

"Yes. Thanks to its geographic conditions."

Adjusting his glasses, Dieter explained,

"Kanillan is surrounded by sea, so atmospheric mana density is significantly higher than in the Empire, and the particles are finer. That makes miniaturizing precise mana circuits like these much easier. Since the territory is small, resources required for security can be reduced as well."

All communication across the continent, including this terminal, was based on mana.

I did not know the details, but it basically meant transmitting mana waves and receiving them.

That made different methods inevitable by country. Mana changed properties depending on location.

"I see. Let's head to the party venue now."

......

Kanillan Archipelago, Panulan Island.

The whole island had turned into one giant party venue. Airships flew across the sky spraying colored smoke, and flags stamped with the [Ransom Corporation] logo waved on every street.

[ The Largest Tech Summit on Earth: Land Protocol ]

Crowds poured in. Investors, engineers, reporters, and many imperial nobles and Imperial Guard officers too.

Not a single Izenheim was among them.

After I dropped my luggage at a top-tier hotel, I sat in the VVIP section of an open demonstration hall facing the sea.

"Oh wow~ you made it."

Before I knew it, Russell appeared and offered me his hand.

"Great to see you, Mr. Ebert. Should I pay you that 100 dollars first?"

We had a 100-dollar bet on whether this technology demonstration would succeed.

"When the result comes out."

"Ah~ yes, let's do that. I'll get going then. I have a lot of friends here. I'll see you at dinner time later!"

Russell ran around busily managing clients. Ren was among them. When our eyes met, she twitched her brows.

Boom───!

Right then, a loud resonance rolled across the stage. A spotlight hit it.

With grand music, the event was about to begin.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the largest tech summit on earth!”

The host holding the microphone spoke through a mana loudspeaker, his voice ringing across the entire island.

Then a man in a turtleneck walked to center stage. The CEO of Ransom Corporation, Sabin.

“Thank you all for traveling such a long way. In particular, my gratitude to the distinguished guests who came from the far-off Empire.”

He gestured toward the VVIP seats where imperial nobles were gathered.

“Of course, in national power the great Empire is far ahead of us...... but when it comes to seeing the future, perhaps we in Kanillan are a little brighter. Please don't take that too badly. We are all here to make money together, aren't we?”

A provocative line full of confidence.

The audience cheered, and the imperial nobles laughed as if they were relaxed.

“Now, everyone. We gathered here today to rewrite history.”

The CEO's expression turned serious again.

He pointed to the silver screen behind him.

-Community Land Protocol.

Complex magic circles and mana-engineering blueprints flashed across it in dazzling succession.

Blue mana lines spread wide.

“Before that, let me ask one question. This Panulan Island you are standing on right now, do you think this land originally existed?”

The venue went quiet. He grinned and snapped his fingers.

Snap.

A map appeared on the silver screen.

-This is a map from five years ago.

Nothing but blue sea. The island had not existed in the first place. Open ocean without even reefs. People started murmuring.

-And now.

The screen switched to "present." It showed a photo of Panulan Island rising above the sea.

“That's right. You are standing right now on "manufactured land" that our Ransom Corporation secretly launched five years ago.”

Woooooah!

Gasps exploded from the audience as if they had been waiting for it.

“But we do not stop here.”

The CEO spread both arms.

“Today. Right here. In front of your eyes. A wider, broader, brand-new land that did not exist before will rise from the sea.”

Everyone stood up and looked around.

Fssssssssssst──.

The technology activated. Thousands, tens of thousands of mana circuits lit up from the seabed and intertwined like a net. Seawater frothed as if boiling, and mana in the air swirled, drawing geometric magic circles on the surface.

──Boom!

A heavy vibration came up through the ground under our feet.

It was a pulse shaking the entire island.

"Oh......! Oh!"

"It's rising! It's really rising!"

From beneath the split sea surface, the contours of blue-glowing land rose up. Smooth artificial ground, finely compressed and processed with mana.

Kurururururur-

Pouring seawater down like waterfalls, it rose in solemn grandeur and revealed itself above the surface......

"So?"

Ren had come over beside me at some point. Smiling, she looked toward the newly created land on the far side of the island.

"Do you still think Kanillan is going to collapse?"

“At that moment.”