Semi-Coercive Imperialist - Chapter 151: Inflection Point
Whoooosh──!
A night in Prozen, drenched in sheets of heavy rain. Members of the「Crystal Society」, black hoods pulled low over their faces, darted nimbly through the gaps between alleyways. They swiftly plastered blank white sheets onto walls and telephone poles wherever they went.
Nothing was written on them just yet, but once time passed and the morning sun shone down, the special mana ink would react and reveal its vivid message.
[ We solemnly declare the death of Louis Marceau! ]
The Social Party committed the atrocity of bleeding the common people dry with tax hikes under the pretext of national security, and they are traitors to the nation who poured the people’s blood into fattening the pockets of incompetent bureaucrats, financiers, and comprador capitalists. Today’s flames are merely the beginning of purifying a corrupt Prozen…
The members who had finished the job slipped back to the office under cover of darkness.
The「Crystal Society」’s new headquarters. Instead of that musty underground club room, they now leased an entire floor of a proper building.
“From today on, keep your heads down as much as possible. No telling when those Social Party lackeys might come kicking down our door again.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Knock knock.
Suddenly, the sound of a knock rang out. The members flinched.
“Shh.”
Clara gripped her pistol and strode over, yanking the door wide open.
No one was outside. Instead, a box sat on the ground.
“…”
She brought it inside for now.
“Chief. Isn’t that a bomb?”
“No.”
An elegantly wrapped box. She lifted the lid.
On top were books on mana application techniques, and beneath them, a fairly large sum of Prozen Livres and Imperial Dollars, along with high-purity Mana Stones, all neatly arranged.
“C-Chief! What is all this?”
While the members gaped in shock, Clara picked up a single slip of paper.
[From now on, I will serve as the Crystal Society’s financier.]
Pfft- A smile escaped her lips. She swallowed her smile, then closed her eyes for a moment.
She took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, and straightened her upper body. Her gaze, burning with fervor, swept across the members gathered there as she shouted.
“Comrades!”
Her voice rang through every corner of the office.
“The death of Louis Marceau was a warning driven into the heart of those wretched Social Party dogs. From this day forward, we, the Crystal Society, will no longer stand idly by as this rotting Prozen, this hypocritical shell of a republic, festers! We will not sit and watch as our lives are trampled by those money-grubbing parasites!”
…Honestly, there weren’t many people inside.
Barely seven or so, but Clara did not let the modest numbers dampen her passion, and the members looked back at her with eyes full of zeal.
“With our own hands, with our own blood and sweat, we shall purify this diseased Prozen completely and burn it all to the ground in glory!”
Kwaaaaah───
A night where heavy rain battered the glass windows.
In the heart of Prozen, an armed group devoted to ‘someone’s’ convictions had taken root.
* * *
The defense budget tax increase bill in Prozen was ultimately voted down. Louis Marceau’s death by bombing had been devastating enough, but the opposition had also concentrated a fierce barrage of attacks while the Social Party was shaking.
The Social Party was made to feel the full weight of the Prozen public’s fury over the tax hikes. Relations with the eastern nation of Yursled had completely collapsed, and the construction of the “Grand Imperial Encirclement” that Louis Marceau had championed was definitively delayed.
“…I’m exhausted.”
I had returned from Prozen to the Empire.
There was no time to rest, however.
“Sir!”
The knight order’s office. The moment I sat down in my chair for the first time in a while, an aide came rushing in with urgent steps, shouting.
“A new type of Mana Stone has been discovered in Zerpha!”
“…”
It was discovered faster than I’d expected.
Why now, of all times…
I quietly closed my eyes, then opened them.
“I’ll head there right away.”
…
The Jeronika Mine in Zerpha. Though it had collapsed from Imperial artillery’s bombardment, it had since been restored with even more state-of-the-art facilities. Deep within its underground tunnels.
“Look here, Sir. It’s a peculiar Mana Stone that maintains a liquid state at room temperature.”
Engineers from Lorenzo Academy handed over a blue liquid contained in a transparent cylinder.
When the cylinder’s lid was sealed and the temperature lowered, it solidified. When opened again, it liquefied.
“Has the composition analysis been completed?”
“Yes. This liquid Mana Stone has properties vastly different from conventional solid Mana Stones.”
The engineer pointed to the report, his voice brimming with excitement.
“Specifically?”
“The mana promotes natural growth. If we refine this raw liquid, dilute it in water at a set ratio, and spray it onto soil, the mana will bond with microorganisms in the earth and increase the land’s fertility.”
In the coming war, the value of food would be as critical as weapons, and this Room-Temperature Liquid Mana Stone would greatly boost the Empire’s food production.
“Keep researching. Think about efficient transport methods too. Oh, and bonuses will be issued to you and your team.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you!”
I walked out of the tunnel, satisfied.
“Sir Maximilian!”
Beneath the dazzling sunlight, Crown Prince Alonso greeted me with a radiant smile.
“Your Highness.”
He seemed to have been eating and living well lately; his face had a healthy glow. His hair was immaculate and his accessories gleamed, but he indulged in no extravagance beyond that.
Alonso was a man who knew moderation.
“How has Zerpha been recently?”
“Very peaceful and pleasant. But is something going on at the mine? Even from outside, I could sense some unusual energy.”
Alonso peered curiously toward the entrance of the Jeronika Mine as he asked.
“Yes. A new type of Mana Stone has been discovered that maintains a liquid state at room temperature.”
“…Oh?”
Alonso’s face took on an expression of astonishment, though he clearly didn’t quite grasp what it meant.
“In addition, through deep subterranean exploration, we’ve also discovered numerous new Mana Stone veins that had previously gone undetected.”
Not only Room-Temperature Liquid Mana Stones, but sizable solid Mana Stone deposits had also been surveyed.
This was thanks to the prospecting techniques honed from scouring every inch of the southern Hermes Province.
“As per the treaty, the revenue from the new veins will be split precisely 60 to 40. And as for this liquid Mana Stone, the Ebenholtz side would like to purchase the entire supply exclusively.”
I handed over a contract I had prepared in advance.
“…!”
The Crown Prince’s eyes widened as he took the document. Even with only the 40% share belonging to the Zerpha royal household, the figure written there was enough to stun even a prince.
“It’s a fairly reasonable amount, considering the friendship between the Empire and Zerpha.”
Of course, compared to this stone’s true potential, the price was a calculated bargain. But by current market rates, before war had broken out, it was reasonable enough.
The true worth of Room-Temperature Liquid Mana Stones would only reveal itself in wartime.
“…”
Alonso then gazed at me without a word. He peered deeply into my eyes, then broke into a meaningful smile.
“Sir Maximilian.”
“Yes.”
“I cannot accept this contract.”
With those unexpected words, he pushed the paper back toward me.
“Which part─”
“From our royal household’s 40% share, I wish to allocate 5% to you personally.”
“…Pardon?”
I found myself asking before I could stop.
Alonso waved his hand firmly.
“Come now. Consider it a token of gratitude to the man who saved my life and made Zerpha prosper. I absolutely will not accept a refusal of this offer.”
“…”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
A thought crossed my mind, unbidden.
Alonso is undeniably a good man.
That much is certain.
His only problem is the weakness and incompetence of caring for others more than his own house.
“…If that is Your Highness’s wish.”
5%. It wasn’t too much, but I’d make good use of it whenever the need arose someday.
“I gratefully accept your generosity.”
“Good. Sir Maximilian.”
Alonso placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You and I are as good as blood brothers now.”
“…”
The eyes looking at me were clear. His smile was bright.
Could someone with emotions this unblemished truly exist in times like these?
Then again, he had been an impossible man, which was precisely why he was executed before my Regression.
“…Yes.”
But if the war ends, and every threat of destruction has passed.
Could we then live well together, with pure hearts then?
“Then, Your Highness. Let us make the official announcement to the world.”
“Of what?”
“Of the steadfast solidarity and brilliant prosperity shared by the Empire and the Zerpha monarchy.”
The Republican Faction believed in the Empire’s exploitation of Zerpha like a religion. They ground their teeth, cursing Crown Prince Alonso as the Empire’s puppet, a worthless fool, the greatest traitor who sold his country.
“Let us deal a psychological blow to the Republicans and encourage defection.”
But their desperate convictions would be drowned out by the song called ‘the will of the people’.
Far from collapsing, Zerpha had been brilliantly reborn. To be precise, only the territories governed by the Royalist Faction had done so.
The Jeronika Mine, rebuilt with cutting-edge facilities. New high-value industries had been established, from Terone truffles to premium beef cattle, and large-scale distribution and logistics had flourished in their wake.
New banks and enterprises had sprung up in Zerpha’s capital as well, all Dieter’s handiwork, and going forward the expansion of road networks and tunnel construction linking the Empire to Zerpha would create countless jobs.
On top of all that.
“Oh, and Your Highness. The identity of the true culprit who killed Chief Caddy while he was protecting you has finally been confirmed.”
In that instant, Alonso’s calm face was painted over with rage.
“Who was it.”
His voice dropped, thick and low.
So Caddy had meant that much to Alonso.
“The name is Ophra Schön. An Ezenheim.”
“…An Ezenheim, you say?”
“Yes.”
I nodded with a deliberately grave expression.
“Those Subspecies are always a fundamental threat to peace on the continent. They blend into our midst with ordinary faces, sow distrust, and ultimately drag everything to ruin.”
“…I see.”
Crown Prince Alonso grinded his teeth, but said nothing more.
He was soft-hearted by nature, too gentle to blindly despise any race.
But that was merely the extent of it.
If the people around him kept reporting, kept making him feel, kept relaying the atrocities of the Ezenheim…
Someday, he would come to share a cause similar to mine.
“Your Highness.”
To be soft-hearted means to be a blank canvas, and a blank canvas is always susceptible to being dyed by a shade of black like me.
“Shall we schedule the press conference now?”
…
The press conference venue, set up in the grand banquet hall of the Zerpha Royal Palace.
Unlike before, the place was alive with vigor and vitality. Not only the Empire’s major media outlets but correspondents from western and eastern nations had been packed in, filling every seat.
“…Do you actually find this amusing?”
Seated crookedly right beside me was Alphonse, the journalist from the Jemion Daily. The most unyielding and critical voice in all of Imperial media.
“Plundering a powerless small nation and lining your pockets with their blood, I mean.”
He fiddled irritably with his reporter’s notebook and glared at me.
“Don’t go waving that pen around recklessly. Open both your eyes and actually watch. Or do a proper on-the-ground investigation.”
“…You’ve turned into a complete thug.”
Just as Alphonse clicked his tongue in displeasure─
Rummmble──
The royal doors swung open with a grand clamor, and Crown Prince Alonso, rightful heir of Zerpha, appeared with a commanding presence. A volley of camera flashes simultaneously lit up his face.
“…Ahem.”
Having strode forth with confidence, Alonso cleared his throat before the microphone.
“Dear citizens of Zerpha, and distinguished guests from every nation who have graced us with your presence today. I stand before you to announce a resolution that shall firmly secure Zerpha’s eternal prosperity and security.”
Pens raced across notepads.
“Zerpha has reached an agreement with the Empire on the joint development of newly discovered veins at the Jeronika Mine, founded upon deep mutual trust.”
The journalists from outside the Empire did not look pleased in the slightest. The Zerphans among them, who fancied themselves intellectuals, looked ready to snap their pens in half.
Probably because, naturally.
They expected exploitation.
“First, an Imperial enterprise designated by Zerpha will bear the full cost of the Jeronika Mine’s reconstruction and investment in state-of-the-art mining equipment.”
Twisted sneers formed at the corners of journalists’ mouths. Forced loans were the Empire’s time-honored method of plunder, after all.
However.
“Throughout this entire process, there will not be a single dollar of loans or debts for Zerpha to repay. Furthermore, the Mana Stones mined from the existing veins will belong entirely to Zerpha.”
The mocking pens went still.
“In exchange, the revenue generated from the newly surveyed veins will be distributed fairly between the Empire and Zerpha at a ratio of 40 to 60. All core technologies and infrastructure invested will be fully transferred to Zerpha’s ownership after a 20-year grace period.”
Crown Prince Alonso read aloud every detail of the accord, enunciating clearly. With each sentence he spoke, the hall grew quieter.
Not only the Zerpha journalists, but those from the west, the east, and even the Imperial press blinked in disbelief, doubting their own ears.
“So, what do you think?”
I asked Alphonse in a low voice.
“Exploitation is the old way. The Empire wants coexistence now.”
He pushed his glasses up as if he couldn’t believe it, stammering.
“…What’s the angle here? There must be a secret side deal, right?”
“I’ll show you, and only you, the original contract after this press conference.”
Alphonse was recognized not only in the Empire but abroad as well─a reputation earned from his coverage of the Genen Incident. If he verified the authenticity with his own eyes and wrote the story, the entire continent would have no choice but to believe in the sincerity of this treaty.
“This accord is not merely about securing stable access to Mana Stone resources. It is a cornerstone for deepening and strengthening the military and economic solidarity between Zerpha and the Empire.”
Click. Click.
Flashes went off belatedly. The Crown Prince faced the cameras with a smile. His appearance was striking.
This, too, was a talent he possessed, just as I had in my life before the Regression. He was a man who resembled me in many ways.
“From now on, the people of Zerpha shall be freed from hunger, while as for the traitors on the other side!”
Alonso raised his voice for a moment.
“It shall be proven just how colossal a delusion their petty rebellion has been! Those who deceived the good people of Zerpha, who incited civil strife with false agitation and made families spill each other’s blood, shall never! Never escape the stern judgment of history─!”
To explain, this script was also Johann’s work.
“Those hypocrites who dressed up their own lust for power as revolution, who reduced Zerpha’s mountains and rivers to ashes and wrung the lifeblood from its people! Zerpha shall now break free from their destructive delusions and march into a true era of reconstruction and prosperity!”
Ahem! Alonso cleared his throat and straightened his attire.
That was when I clapped.
──Clap. Clap. Clap.
Starting from that, a standing ovation erupted from the aides and Zerpha royal press filling the conference hall.
Clap clap clap clap clap──
There, I leaned over and whispered to Alphonse.
“The monarchy that stands with the Empire will flourish…”
My gaze drifted past the window, to the far side where the Republicans would be watching.
“And the Republicans, who’ve lost not only their cause but every practical advantage… What more can those ragged dregs do, digging dirt in the mountains? Just incompetent losers with nothing between their ears but the pipe dream of a republic.”
Alphonse turned to look at me. His face was still dazed.
I formed a faint smile.
“As an insider, let me give you one remark worth including in your article about this treaty.”
An insider’s words. An invaluable source. By professional instinct, he raised his notebook and pen.
“Crown Prince Alonso’s devoted and relentless negotiation on behalf of the Zerpha people, whom he truly loves, proved decisive. While the traitors spilled their brothers’ blood crying out hollow ideals, the Crown Prince stood alone before the colossus that is the Empire and ground down his own pride to the bone to secure bread for his subjects.”
In this way, the Crown Prince would become Zerpha’s great negotiator. Support for the pro-Empire monarchy would skyrocket. And the Republicans would have nowhere left to stand.
“Moved by the Crown Prince’s noble character, his sincerity, and his boldness in never once yielding… the Empire at last discovered the path of mutual prosperity.”
“…”
Journalist Alphonse slowly raised his eyes and looked at Crown Prince Alonso, who was smiling brightly like a hero atop the podium.
“That should be enough.”
Tap. I rested my hand on Alphonse’s shoulder.
The tip of his pen trembled faintly on the paper.
