Semi-Coercive Imperialist - Chapter 92

Year 0 Sentinels, the first day of work for rookie knights.

Thud. Thud.

As Hannah walked down the corridors of Sentinel, she still felt dazed. The scenery of the Knight Order itself felt surreal, and the uniform of Sentinel wrapped around her body still felt unfamiliar.

“Follow me.”

“Yes.”

Each Year 0 knight was assigned a mentor.

For the children of high-ranking families, Royce and Dare Tan had 5th or 6th year knights as their mentors, but.

“……It is surprising though. You’re just a commoner, I didn’t think you’d actually come.”

Hannah’s mentor was Raynel McQueen, a 2nd-year knight.

“This is your office.”

Raynel opened the door with a clearly annoyed expression. It was a cramped room. A space that could hold about three or four desks, with only a computer and a cabinet. This was the office for Year 0 knights.

“Um, Sir Knight. How do I… handle the work…?”

Raynel had already disappeared.

“…….”

Hannah sat alone and turned on the computer.

──「Sentinel Mission Management System」──

Identity Verification: Hannah Usar

Year 0 Knight

────

It was a system she had learned through simulations at Empire Point.

Missions for Sentinel knights were assigned through this system, or they could take charge of them directly. Among these, the basic duty assigned to everyone was ‘Residual Mana Trace Analysis’.

One case had already been assigned to Hannah.

[ Case Number 1039-C-22: Analysis of Mana Overload Site in District 24 ]

She stared at the on-site photos displayed on the monitor. Fluorescent-colored traces of mana were scattered chaotically.

Hannah narrowed her eyes. It was a field she had received an A+ in at Empire Point, so she focused with confidence, but……

“It’s difficult.”

Was this what real fieldwork was like?

The intricately tangled threads of mana. A site where the perpetrator’s intent and accidental overload were mixed together was on a completely different level from the textbook examples.

“Ah…… um…….”

She barely squeezed out her knowledge and began moving her fingers.

──Tap tap. Tap tap.

──Tap tap. Tap tap.

As she forced herself to keep typing, midnight passed before she knew it.

“What, already?”

She quickly rose from her seat for a brief trip home.

After that, around dawn, she came back to work again, sat in the same spot, and agonized while glaring at the residual traces until her head felt like it would cramp.

“Woo…… this won’t do.”

Unable to get any sense of it at all, she went to her mentor [Raynel]’s office, but.

“Figure it out yourself, yourself. Aren’t you a knight?”

Raynel only scolded her like that.

“Then could you at least take a look at what I wrote just once-”

“Ah, shut it. Just go. We’re people for whom time is money.”

“……Yes, I understand.”

“What, does this look like a daycare center…….”

With no other choice, Hannah returned to her own office and pounded the keyboard again.

──Tap tap. Tap tap.

Before she knew it, midnight passed again.

──Tap tap. Tap tap.

And again, another midnight.

Like that, she finally completed one report in nearly four days.

“……Hmm.”

With hollow eyes, Hannah stared at the monitor.

She managed to finish it somehow, but the last section of the report, [Knight’s Opinion], scared her.

A knight’s opinion meant that one’s analysis would determine the direction of the investigation and carry legal binding power.

What if her opinion was wrong?

An innocent person could be arrested, or the real culprit might be let go.

“Haa…….”

But this was not Empire Point. There was no instructor to advise her, and no lecturer to judge whether this report was right or wrong.

The environment, her status, and the authority—all of it, changed 180 degrees and felt burdensome.

To clear her head, Hannah stepped outside.

From the lounge in the first-floor main lobby, she heard familiar voices.

“Residual mana traces are hard. They’re supposed to be hard.”

The speaker was Raynel, and the listeners were Royce and Dare Tan.

It sounded like Raynel was giving the two of them advice.

……He’s my mentor. He told me to figure it out on my own.

“Can’t you teach us a bit? We really have no clue. We’ve just been stuck on the report.”

“Hey. That’s how it is originally, in your first year. What, did you think you’d only be going out to field sites? You’re knights. You have to handle it yourselves now.”

“Come on, senior~ Just look at it once, please~”

Royce acted cute in a way unlike him.

“Heh, you punk. But analyzing residual mana isn’t exactly my specialty either…….”

Hannah brewed some coffee at the shelf. The three glanced at her, but pretended not to see and continued their conversation among themselves.

“Usually people attend university on the side while working as a knight, running both tracks simultaneously? Professors even open knight-only classes and stuff. Want me to get a recommendation letter from a professor?”

“Ah~ I really hate studying though.”

“But it’s mandatory, you idiot. Otherwise…….”

Raynel lowered his voice and whispered.

“Hire a professional analyst and have them ghostwrite it.”

Hearing that, Royce and Dare Tan clapped their hands.

“Ah~ so that works.”

“But you have to pick a good one for that too. You still need to know the basics of residual mana yourselves. Field analysis is pretty much mandatory.”

“Hmm~ Ah, then by any chance, who’s the best within the knight order?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“We’ll go find them~”

This time, Dare Tan acted cute.

From Hannah’s point of view, it was ridiculous. The guys who used to do nothing but put on airs at Empire Point.

“You are a funny bunch. The best person, huh…… Ah. There is one guy who’s practically treated like an expert these days.”

Raynel crossed his arms with a smirk.

“Maximilian.”

The way he said the name, it was like he was showing off—‘I’m close with this guy~’.

“……Knight Maximilian?”

“Yeah. Even on the police side, he’s famous for residual mana analyses these days. The number of cases that guy has handled in a year is probably more than what ten average knights combined do.”

Dare Tan and Royce looked impressed. Raynel, seemingly annoyed for no reason, deliberately added a remark.

“Well, there are also rumors that since he’s loaded, he hires professional analysts by the unit.”

Hannah, holding her coffee cup, began moving.

“Anyway, if you’re confident, why don’t you go look for him.”

“……No way.”

“He’s scary, seriously scary. We’ve experienced it before…….”

Royce and Dare Tan shuddered.

“…….”

As she left the lounge, Hannah suddenly felt a surge of stubborn defiance.

At the corridor leading to her office, she sharply changed direction.

She scanned the department placement map posted on the wall.

Maximilian’s office, 3rd floor.

She strode up the stairs and knocked on the door.

Knock knock-

─Come in.

Beyond the door, a spacious area was revealed. An interior far more refined than her own storage-like room. An administrative officer sitting at the counter greeted her.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m Hannah Usar. A Year 0 rookie, and I wanted to get some work-related advice from Knight Maximilian……”

“Ah, yes. One moment, please.”

The officer checked the schedule and then nodded.

“I’ve scheduled you for a meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m.”

“……Thank you.”

“However, there is one thing you need to be careful about.”

The officer pointed at her wrist.

“When you meet the knight, you must remove your wristwatch.”

“Ah, this is my grandfather’s keepsake-”

“There are no exceptions.”

The officer shook his head very sternly.

“The knight greatly dislikes watches.”

“Ah… okay.”

It was practically the only valuable item passed down in her commoner family.

Hannah fiddled with the watch and gave a bitter smile.

…….

Back in her office, Hannah reviewed the report all night long.

Just in case, even if by some one-in-a-million chance Maximilian might actually read it.

She analyzed, wrote, erased, and analyzed again repeatedly.

Before she knew it, the appointed time, 10 a.m., had arrived.

[Maximilian]

Hannah, intimidated just by the name, knocked on Maximilian’s office door.

─Come in.

A dry voice in the accent of a noble.

Hannah cautiously stepped inside. A blond man standing by the window slowly turned around.

“Hannah Ursa.”

It’s Usar—

She swallowed the words that almost burst out.

“What is it?”

“It’s just that…… I’m not confident in the residual mana report I wrote for the first time, so I came to seek some advice.”

“Don’t you have a mentor?”

“Well, that…….”

Hannah’s lips parted slightly. At that, Maximilian silently held out his hand.

“Ah, yes.”

She handed over the report she had spent all night on.

Maximilian took it, flipping through one, two, three, four pages…

He skimmed through the document very quickly. There was no change in his expression.

After a moment, he tossed the report aside.

“It’s all wrong.”

Her heart sank.

“Sorry?”

It didn’t even seem like he had properly read it.

“Rewrite it. The report itself is too cluttered, filled with unnecessary speculation. The analysis of the traces can’t even be said to be following a pattern. It will only cause confusion in the investigation.”

“…….”

Hannah stared blankly at her report.

To be honest, she felt wronged. Even angry.

He hadn’t even read it properly, just skimmed it for a few seconds…… No.

No, that’s not it.

She shouldn’t have expected anything in the first place.

In Sentinel, she was alone. Maximilian probably thought, like all the other nobles, that she, a commoner—or because of Jacob—shouldn’t be here in Sentinel.

“……Yes. I understand. Excuse me.”

Just as she was about to turn away, swallowing her disappointment.

“Wait.”

Maximilian opened a drawer and pulled out several neatly organized documents, placing them on the table.

[Case Number 1038-A-01: Analysis of Mana Traces from Destruction Magic: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1038-A-05: Analysis of Condensed Patterns Derived from Sword Blades: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1038-B-12: Reconstruction of Multi-Mana Collision Site: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1039-C-09: Backtracking of Irregular Mana: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1038-A-03: Analysis of High-Density Mana Stone Explosion Debris: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1038-B-15: Differentiation Between Biological and Artificial Mana: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1039-C-21: Time Lag Calculation of Residual Mana Traces: Maximilian]

[Case Number 1039-S-01: Mana Detection in Special Homicide Case: Maximilian]

“From bottom to top in order of difficulty. Read and study them.”

“Eh?”

Hannah’s eyes widened.

Residual mana analysis documents are, in fact, a knight’s private asset. It shouldn’t be something to casually show, especially not to a rookie.

“……Is it really okay for you to give these to me?”

There was no change in Maximilian’s expression. In a tone devoid of any emotion, he simply said this.

“If you came looking for me, that must mean you wanted to learn that much.”

“Uh…….”

“It means I liked your attitude of putting in the effort.”

“Th-thank you…….”

Maximilian waved his hand dismissively.

Still dazed, Hannah bowed her head and returned to her office, her arms full of documents.

“…….”

She opened the first file.

“Let’s see how good he really is.”

Honestly, she thought it wouldn’t be that different from her own. At the very least, the method of analyzing residual mana should be similar. The difference would only be in how it was organized.

─Such thoughts were shattered the moment she read the first sentence.

──[Case Number 1038-A-01: Analysis of Mana Traces from Destruction Magic: Maximilian]──

■ Type of Activated Traces

. Red spectrum. Radial scattering marks centered on the ignition point.

. High mana viscosity and long residual duration.

■ Pattern Analysis

. Unlike typical explosive magic, the mana density at the center is lower than at the periphery.

. This suggests not an explosion caused by mana condensing at a single point and bursting, but a binding-type ignition in which mana constricts inward from the outside.

■ Type of Magic Used Based on the Above

. 「Flame Cage」, or a modified form of that magic.

■ Reconstruction of the Crime Scene

. The perpetrator did not set the fire with the intent to kill the victim……

It is judged that the perpetrator first deployed magic to block the escape route, but during that process, the victim suffocated due to the heat pressure generated……

Therefore, it is highly likely that the perpetrator’s intent to kill was accidental, and it is recommended to first investigate grudge-based relationships such as romantic entanglements or financial disputes.

────

“Wow…….”

It was clean. The logic of the mana was precise and thorough. Most importantly, the method of analyzing the residual mana displayed an unexpected level of ‘excellence’.

Maximilian didn’t observe the mana traces as a flat plane.

He set the countless traces as points, then, using density and direction, inferred the chronological order of their appearance, reconstructing the scene as though rewinding time.

Comparing her own case with this report, Hannah spent another sleepless night studying what was a perfect teaching material.

***

……It will be a temporary adjustment.

It must be a Ransom-only issue.

Canilan, where numerous cutting-edge corporations stand tall, will surely bounce back again.

Contrary to such hopes from the market, those inside the securities firms already sensed doom.

“……What about now?”

At the top floor of a skyscraper in Canilan’s capital. Dason, Executive Director of Rekiano Securities, asked with bloodshot eyes.

“They are refusing to meet entirely.”

The secretary lowered his head.

“We even offered up to five times the face value, including penalty fees and settlement money…….”

“Fu#k, that Asshole bastard.”

Dason grabbed at what little hair he had left.

This was not a problem unique to Rekiano. Major securities firms and banks in Canilan, including Merilch, were all in the same situation.

Astronomical losses in derivatives caused by the Ransom-triggered shock. On top of that, the insurance payouts they had to cover for the Crazy bastards who had bet on the downturn.

“……The others are the same, right?”

“Yes. Merilch also tried to make contact, but failed.”

The ones who scooped up the insurance weren’t only Ebert and the Empire nobles. Hyenas who had luckily timed it right. Bastards praying for the country’s downfall.

“……Hold.”

“Y-yes?”

“Hold out!”

He glared at the secretary with bloodshot eyes.

“Call the banks, the credit rating agencies, the insurance companies, the corporations, all of them. Tell them that if we go under, their money turns into toilet paper too. Either way, we all die together!”

“B-but the market’s trust has already-”

“Look!”

Dason roughly turned the monitor. On the screen were Ebert’s estimated profit curve and the corresponding costs.

“You know how this bastard bought that insurance? With money made from Canilan stocks. He did this shit with money he earned in Canilan.”

He pointed at the current evaluated assets with his finger.

“Looks like a lot, right? But 40% of it’s already gone to fees. How do you think he covered the additional margin? He borrowed from banks. That means he’s paying interest. He’s bleeding cash right now.”

The speed at which the market was collapsing, and the speed at which this imperial bastard’s money was being worn away.

It was a chicken game.

“He doesn’t have time either. How much money can a bastard like him possibly have?”

Bang! Bang! He pounded the desk and shouted.

“So hold out! No matter what it takes!”

It was a game of passing the bomb.

Whether it’s individuals, the government, or some stupid foreign capital. Until they could dump this rotting pile of bad debt onto someone.

They just had to hold out until then.

“Control the media too. Never lower the valuation prices of the companies. Then those bastards will come begging first…….”

Dason muttered as if hypnotizing himself.

“Definitely. Definitely…….”

──Tick. Tick.

The time bomb called Canilan was still ticking.

***

─……That’s how things are moving.

Dieter’s report from beyond the terminal was calm.

Everything was what I had ‘seen’ in the future, and within the scope of Dieter’s ‘calculations’.

“It’s fine. There’s no need to touch it.”

In any case, I have funds anyway, and before spring even passes, a chain of bankruptcies will begin in Canilan. Countless securities firms and insurance companies will collapse.

At that time, I will realize astronomical profits and scoop up valuable companies at bargain prices.

─Yes. We will proceed according to plan.

“Good.”

I ended the call.

The next schedule is,

“……Sir Knight.”

At that moment, one staff member entered with a dark expression. He was the employee in charge of driving.

“Right now, my father…….”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. His lips trembled as he spat out fragments of words, but in any case, it seemed to mean that his father was very ill.

Sometimes, unexpected things like this happen.

“It’s fine. Take however many days you need.”

I took money out of my wallet and handed it to him.

There isn’t much a superior can do at times like this. Just give money. And the more money, the better.

“……Thank you! I’ll be back in three… no, two days!”

“No need. Take three days off.”

“Thank you…… hic.”

He bowed deeply on his own. With tears in his eyes, he swore eternal loyalty.

“Has Yukia learned how to drive?”

“Yes. Honestly, it hurts my pride to say this…… but she’s much better than I am.”

“Really? Then that’s good.”

An unforeseen situation, Yukia and me.

A situation where only the two of us remain for the upcoming schedule.

“Then from the next schedule onward, Yukia will take over.”

……The timing of the staff member’s father getting injured is truly impeccable.

Whether it’s the Revolutionary forces or the Ezenheim.

For some reason, it feels like they’re aiming precisely for this moment.

***

Thanks to the user “Immortal_Dragon_God” for the chapters provided!