Semi-Coercive Imperialist - Chapter 98: Your Belief (1)

The front garden of the mansion.

Under the warm spring sunlight, two dogs were playing. To be precise, one was disciplining the other.

“…….”

Schatz looked back and forth between the two with a curious expression.

“…….”

She stared at them for a long while without saying anything, then finally asked me,

“……Sir Knight. What did you feed him while raising him?”

“Is that really all you’re curious about?”

“The difference in their body sizes is just too much.”

They’re around the same age, but Leo is much taller. He’s also far more composed. His fur is glossy, and his eyes have the depth of a scholar.

“Woof.”

Leo let out a bark as he gently subdued the frisky Shaun by the scruff of his neck.

An air of dignity in teaching proper manners.

“He was just born that way.”

From the start, he was gifted with exceptional talent, grew up drinking elixirs like water, and ultimately managed to digest them all.

Shaun is certainly a genius dog in his own right, but Leo is on a level comparable to a “talented human”.

“I see. Since things have turned out like this, I hope Shaun learns a lot before we go.”

Schatz squatted down on the lawn and watched the two for a long time.

“……Schatz?”

To her, I held out the envelope I had prepared. Schatz blinked and tilted her head.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. From the day you and I first met, until now.”

She opened the envelope. Inside were drafts of the policies I intended to propose to the Empire.

“You’re still under limited pardon. Someone I pulled out with the authority of a knight, a death row inmate on stay of execution.”

The contents of the draft were as follows.

1. All overseas profit remittances by corporations within the Empire shall be completely prohibited. Capital must circulate only within the Empire.

2. Corporate dividend payouts shall be limited to a specific ratio. Surplus profits above a certain scale must be devoted to purchasing Imperial bonds.

3. In cases where major economic crimes such as embezzlement, breach of trust, or tax evasion are discovered, or where the core industry is not primarily produced by Imperial Arans, immediate ‘Aranization’ shall be carried out.

Additionally, there was a single sheet of paper detailing someone’s personal information.

“…….”

Schatz’s expression hardened.

「Mason Industries」

It was the background information of the corporate chairman who was her enemy.

I whispered softly.

“He isn’t a pure Aran. He is a Merin half-blood.”

Of course, these policies were essentially exploitation in the name of enforcement anyway.

But as Johann said, propaganda is ultimately about meaning. Assigning meaning to every action and packaging it in a way that benefits me.

I transformed part of the policies prepared for war into a gift for Schatz.

“The time will come soon.”

Schatz’s hand trembled.

Fortunately, this time, it seemed to feel like a proper gift.

“……Yes.”

I must not take my people for granted. Dieter, Johann, and Schatz are all others who could betray me at any time.

The only person I can fully trust at all times, sadly, is still only Enzi.

“Thank you.”

She bowed her head. Just then, the chef specializing in dog meals brought out their food. Leo tied a napkin around Shaun’s neck, who was drooling profusely.

“Then, shall we have a sparring match?”

I smiled faintly and picked up the wooden sword.

“It’s a skill assessment.”

“Yes. Sounds good.”

Schatz confidently drew up her mana. Blue sparks crackled all over her body.

Flap.

Leo suddenly stopped eating. Both of his eyes locked onto us.

A posture of wanting to learn what needed to be learned. Truly, a dog with the drive to improve.

“Are you ready?”

“Anytime.”

I closed my eyes. Steadied my breath and refined my mana.

The mana of Ebenholtz is tranquil. Like flowing water, like shining moonlight. A pure wave of perfection, colorless and scentless, undetectable even to Yukia. That bloomed from within my body.

On the other hand, Schatz burned like a short circuit. Her mana was like a spark. A wave with electromagnetic properties… And the moment it burst.

Pazzzzt──!

It was not that my vision narrowed, but as if space itself had been deleted.

She tore through the atmosphere and charged. Reaction came before cognition. I instinctively extended my sword.

Flow of Ebenholtz.

Like wrapping a rough wave in a gentle brushstroke, I attempted to divert her ferocious trajectory.

However, the medium was the problem.

Craack──!

Before my mana could even reach and neutralize it, the ultra-high-voltage current surrounding her burned through the wooden sword.

The blade screamed and shattered. Charred sawdust and fragments scattered like sparks. I stood still, holding only the broken hilt, while Schatz had already passed far beyond me.

“…….”

Silence.

The presence behind me came to a halt. Schatz slowly turned to look at me.

A thin line of blood was drawn across her neck.

A wound grazed by my sword energy in the moment the sword broke.

“If it had been a real sword, my neck probably would’ve been cut.”

It wasn’t just lip service. Her face held a genuine expression of admiration, about half of it, anyway. I let out a bitter smile.

How does this woman keep getting stronger all on her own?

Still, there’s no need to be too envious. Talent is inherently unfair.

“……Let’s go have a meal now.”

“Yes.”

“Any allergies I should know about?”

“None.”

Schatz swallowed her saliva as she followed me.

“Hss. I’m looking forward to it.”

I gave a faint smile.

The dining at my mansion had already become that famous.

***

The next day.

I went to work at the Knight Order. As usual, I was processing active mana traces when Chiron walked in, humming a tune.

“One staff member missing, huh?”

That was his version of a greeting.

“And it’s a Yaken, no less.”

With that, he sat down across from me.

I gave a short reply.

“I sent her on leave.”

“A long leave, huh. Good timing.”

Chiron interpreted my words however he pleased.

“Sir Chiron.”

“Hm?”

I pulled an envelope from the drawer and handed it to him.

“It wasn’t the original.”

Chiron raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

“It’s likely a forged document. Although it’s stamped with Veil’s seal, the mana wave is subtly different.”

It was a very sophisticated counterfeit commissioned from Lorenzo of Lorenzo Academy. Even appraisers would be amazed, but would ultimately determine it to be fake.

“Take it and have it examined thoroughly.”

“…….”

Chiron looked briefly disappointed.

“It wasn’t the fault of your informant. I also thought it was genuine at first… It’s very cleverly done.”

I added with a deliberately serious expression.

“Thanks to this, I learned that they’re targeting my staff members. It’s probably an attempt to sow discord.”

Chiron clicked his tongue and picked up the document.

“I’ll get it checked just in case. You never know.”

“Yes.”

“Good work.”

After Chiron left,

and some time passed,

Schatz entered at the appointed moment.

Her lines were predetermined.

“Sir Knight.”

I looked at her.

“The relocation of Eric Tariq’s remains has been completed.”

She said what was appropriate.

“……That’s good.”

Yukia’s wiretapping method was quite clever.

She had installed two listening devices. One was hidden very subtly, though not so well that it couldn’t be found. It was a kind of decoy. I found and disposed of that one.

However, the remaining one was the real thing.

A mass of mana hidden in the Knight Order’s walls like a circuit, with no physical form. My virus had detected it.

In other words, she was still listening in on this place.

“Was the cleanup handled properly?”

“Yes. The remains were intact. We buried him on Wind Hill in the western Empire.”

Wind Hill, with a clear view of the Western Border. For a Yaken who had wandered the roads all his life, there was no better resting place.

“Well done.”

“Yes.”

It was then.

Ding!

A new headline popped up on the Knight Order’s computer.

It was content about the Kingdom of Zerpha, beyond the western border, requesting support from the Empire.

Finally, the time had come to make use of Kai Han, whom I had planted in Berton.

***

A civil war had broken out in the Kingdom of Zerpha. A clash between the royalists trying to defend the monarchy and the republicans aiming to overthrow the old regime.

In truth, the fighting had probably begun long ago behind the scenes.

The royalists, pushed into a corner, belatedly requested support from the Empire, and the Empire accepted.

However, the royal family specifically requested knight forces─ more precisely, ‘Sentinel’. The Imperial Army Command expressed reluctance.

Sentinel is a strategic asset of the Empire. It’s not a card to be carelessly expended in a civil war of another country.

Because of this, before my regression, it was ultimately Lotus who was dispatched instead of Sentinel. But I personally visited the Deputy Commander’s office.

“I will deploy.”

“…….”

Deputy Commander Anton had a look that said he expected it. Among the upper echelons of Sentinel, my image might already be set as a war maniac.

“I can’t send you alone. No matter how skilled a knight you are, this is a situation requiring group action. I’ll inform you of the result after the meeting.”

“Yes. Understood.”

──The result of the meeting was approval.

The discussions were intense, but surprisingly, Chiron went so far as to register himself as the overall commander of the operation and insisted on it.

Truly, he is a man with an exceptional sense for reading the political climate.

And so, personnel were selected from within the Knight Order.

Team Leader Maximilian, Leon, Hannah, Royce, and Dare Tan. All were first-year or zero-year members. The Imperial Command had also requested that no forces beyond third-year veterans be deployed, and they trusted my experience in commanding at Genen.

We gathered that very day and boarded Canilan’s latest model military transport aircraft.

The zero-year rookies looked tense, while Leon’s eyes sparkled.

“Wow. This is one hell of a plane, Max?”

He looked around the inside of the transport with amazement.

“It’s mine. My personal aircraft.”

“Wow~ I’m jealous. Can you lend it to me sometime? For assault training?”

“……Alright.”

“Yes!”

That was not the face of someone heading into battle. The zero-years looked pale, but Leon was as excited as a kid on a field trip.

It was understandable.

Because this guy is a lunatic.

The three zero-years may not be reliable yet, but Leon was definitely someone I could trust.

Roooooar──.

The transport cut across the western sky and landed at the border region, Berton.

“Loyalty.”

Major… no, Lieutenant Colonel Kai Han greeted me on the runway. At some point, he had become the commander of this harsh border garrison.

“Preparations?”

“All set.”

I scanned the assembled soldiers. Even in the skin-piercingly cold wind, their eyes were sharp and full of life.

Originally, this place had been an exile ground for discarded men within the Imperial Guard, but there was no trace of defeat in them now.

This was the result of Kai Han’s capabilities and the pile of money I had sent.

“You’ve certainly taken control.”

“……Thank you. It’s all thanks to your support, Sir Knight.”

“A bonus.”

I handed him the bag I had brought.

“Loyalty.”

If it’s Kai Han, he won’t waste this money. For someone who won’t waste it, I can spare a fortune.

“Lead the way.”

“Yes, this way.”

We immediately moved to the command and control room. A map of the Berton area was spread out on the table.

“Do you have a plan in mind?”

I asked, testing Kai Han’s capabilities.

“Yes. The biggest obstacle is the entry itself into Zerpha’s territory. The republicans must’ve already caught wind of the Empire’s involvement, so they’ve probably raised their border security to the highest level.”

The royalists were holed up in the center, while the surrounding territory belonged to the republicans.

“However, high command has given a directive not to use overly aggressive tactics.”

“So?”

We were here to support the royalists, not to invade. We couldn’t do something insane like bringing tanks in and pushing through, like we did in Genen. That could lead to a full-scale war.

The Empire was not yet ready.

It needed time to reach the “weight class” necessary to wage war.

“We plan to enter by bypassing this mountain range.”

Kai Han pointed to the rugged mountain terrain.

“It will take some time to march through, but it’s optimal for a stealthy infiltration that avoids enemy surveillance.”

It was a good route. Safe and certain.

……Or at least, that’s how it “appears”.

But at the end of that route, the enemy will be waiting. A standoff between forces will inevitably occur, and the situation will be dragged out for a long time.

We need to enter Zerpha much faster.

I retraced the steps of my past self.

Back then, I was a fugitive. A bystander. Traumatized by what I had suffered at the hands of Dun Caan, I avoided the battlefield at all costs and instead hid in the safety of the rear, reading history books and battle reports.

It was quite a pathetic hobby.

Here’s the question: If such a shut-in-like daily life continues, what happens to a person?

At the very least, on the battlefield, they become the worst kind of human.

The so-called armchair strategist. A basement general.

Because I read it in a book, according to the manual, ah, you shouldn’t do that, this situation happened before too, if you look at past battle cases…….

An idiot with no actual experience, only a mouth full of theory.

I once despised people like Reutern, but in truth, I was no different from them in the past.

Ironically, however, the war history, battle cases, and profiles of enemy commanders that I had read voraciously back then became invaluable assets after my regression.

“……I’ll entrust the operation itself entirely to Lieutenant Colonel Han.”

I gave a subtle look to Han.

It was a sign to temporarily dismiss the others.

“Everyone, you must’ve flown in on short notice, please take a rest. We’ve prepared private rooms with as many amenities as possible.”

“Nice~”

Leon smiled brightly, while Hannah and the zero-years, still tense, stiffly walked out of the room.

When the other adjutants also left the conference room.

“Lieutenant Colonel Han.”

“Yes.”

Now, I intended to propose an alternative plan to him.

One based on the experience I had before regression, a strategy that couldn’t help but be correct.

“I recommend this route.”

I pointed to a narrow, deep “gorge” that cut between the mountains.

“It’s the shortest path to Zerpha. We need to enter the capital swiftly and link up with the royalists.”

“Sir Knight, that terrain is far too ideal for an ambush.”

Kai Han firmly rejected my proposal.

“In fact, we’ve received intel that enemy ambush units are already deployed in that gorge.”

“Of course.”

He’s not wrong.

Even if it weren’t Kai Han, nearly every commander would avoid using this gorge.

Perhaps someone like Reutern would have charged in mindlessly, though.

“However, if you respect the opponent, the story changes. The enemy’s commander is a general named Richter.”

I tapped the red dot on the map, representing the republican forces.

“Top graduate of the Western Military Academy. A strategist who hasn’t lost a single border conflict in the past twenty years. An exceptionally capable man. He’s someone who expertly utilizes his enemy’s psychology on the battlefield.”

Knowing the future is an incredible asset.

It’s not just about knowing the outcome of events, it means having insight into the enemy commander’s personality, habits, and tactical preferences.

“He would’ve factored in the very possibility that we received intel about the ambush. Which means he expects the Imperial Guard to trust that intel and bypass through the mountains… so he’s likely redirected his main force to intercept us there. That’s what I believe.”

Thus, if we go out of our way to detour over the treacherous mountains, we’ll only run into another front line.

It’s practically a predetermined future.

“In that case, I’ll re-verify the accuracy of the ambush intel.”

“No. Then we’ll miss our window. If they find our movements suspicious, they’ll change their plans.”

I looked directly at Kai Han with unwavering eyes.

“We break through the gorge, fully aware of the ‘ambush intel’, against the enemy’s expectations.”

“…….”

Kai Han met my gaze steadily.

I spoke with a faint smile.

“I know. In the end, you’re the commander.”

I wanted Lieutenant Colonel Han to build his own merit. Only then would he grow as a pillar of the Imperial Guard.

And I wanted him to have the capability to match that position.

“The decision is yours.”

“…….”

Kai Han stared at the map, visibly agonizing. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

“……May I take a little more time?”

“Of course.”

There was no way he could make the decision easily. That was much better. Had he blindly trusted my ‘foresight’ without his own conviction, it would’ve been even more disappointing.

Leaving Kai Han in the meeting room, I stepped out.

Afterward, I was shown to the best room, following the aide’s guidance.

How long had I been sitting there reading a book?

──Knock knock.

Just as dawn was almost over and morning was about to come, a knock sounded.

I opened the door.

It was Lieutenant Colonel Kai Han.

As he stepped inside, he spoke.

“Sir Knight. We’ll conduct a feint maneuver by moving part of the troops into the mountains to tie down the enemy’s main force, then have the main unit rapidly march through the gorge.”

It was his way of saying he would follow my plan.

A hollow laugh slipped out.

“What changed your mind?”

“Seven years ago.”

Lieutenant Colonel Kai Han held out a document.

“Seven years ago, during a border conflict with the Kingdom of Calio, General Richter employed a similar strategy.”

“…….”

I took it and read.

Just as he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Han had gone and found the justification for this operation.

“If he used it seven years ago, he could very well use it again now.”

I nodded.

In fact, before my regression, the Empire had also supported this civil war, only to end up losing. While the royalist faction had been pathetically incompetent, the republican side had an abundance of remarkable heroes.

Brilliant strategists, valiant generals, revolutionaries who rallied the people.

They were talents ahead of their time, seeking to overthrow a corrupt monarchy.

“I won’t reveal this intent to the soldiers.”

However, that was inevitable.

“However, due to its geographical characteristics, the gorge can significantly delay our advance even with a small force. There is a high probability that General Richter has also placed quite troublesome long-range shooters in the gorge as a contingency.”

They are admirable and worthy of respect, but in the wars to come, they will become enemies far too great for the Empire.

“Therefore, I request that you knights move along both sides of the gorge’s slopes and eliminate the obstacles.”

I will try to persuade them.

But if that proves impossible.

For the sake of a better future.

For the survival of humanity.

“Leave it to me.”

I will, with my own hands, sever their heads.