Semi-Coercive Imperialist

Zerpha Royal Palace.

Gonzalo Pascal. Ricardo Sala. Paco Murillo. Theo Cano.

For their service in eliminating Republican faction operatives, the four Rangers were to receive medals directly from Crown Prince Alonso.

"Thanks to your loyalty and resourcefulness, we learned that the Republican faction had reached into the very heart of the Royal Army."

As he personally pinned a medal to Gonzalo's chest, Alonso continued.

"Even while being hunted and pursued, you protected the people of the kingdom to the very end. That is what the Royal Army truly stands for. Today, the kingdom owes you all a great debt."

"It's an honor, sir!"

The four salutes snapped into perfect unison.

After the ceremony, they gathered in a hotel room to check their reward envelopes.

"F-fifty million zents!"

Theo, the youngest, nearly squeaked. That was five or six years' worth of salary!

"Kgh!"

"With this, I can even send my little brother to study in the Empire!"

"Boss!"

"Get over here!"

They linked arms and bounced around in place.

"Hey, hey. Settle down and sit down."

Gonzalo grinned and pulled another document from beneath the reward envelope.

"There's still more..."

It was a family register. On the newly issued page, replacing the one ruined by water, was a stamped designation.

「quasi-applicable bloodline - I」

"...!"

"Whoa!"

Among foreigners, it was a bloodline that practically made them no different from imperial citizens. The very rank they had envied while talking about the truffle tycoon was now stamped beneath their own names.

"Get up!"

They linked arms again and bounced around in place.

Bang!

The door suddenly flew open.

The four hurriedly scattered.

"Gonzalo Pascal?"

A soldier bearing the imperial insignia entered alongside an interpreter. Gonzalo scratched the back of his neck and bowed.

"Yes, that's me, but..."

"Good to meet you. I'm Brigadier General Chloze of the Imperial Regular Army."

"Ah, yes!"

They all hastily saluted.

Brigadier General Chloze smiled faintly and gestured.

"At ease."

"Yes, sir!"

Chloze naturally took the seat of honor while the interpreter stood beside him. Gonzalo asked in a noticeably tense voice.

"May I ask what this is about..."

"I'll get straight to the point. A completely new special forces unit will be formed in Zerpha, in honor of the deep friendship between the Empire and the kingdom."

Gonzalo's squad took in his words, though they still had no idea why he was telling them this.

"It will belong to neither Zerpha's nor the Empire's chain of command. It will be a special operations unit that carries out the orders of That Person."

Chloze placed a document on the table.

"I'd like you to take command of it."

The atmosphere in the room changed at once. The scale of it all suddenly grew enormous.

Gonzalo stared blankly at him.

"Me... commanding a whole unit?"

"Yes."

"B-but I'm only a sergeant..."

Gonzalo stammered with a dumbfounded expression.

Chloze let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"Someone thinks highly of you. That Person wants you."

That Person.

Someone whose name even a general officer of the Empire did not dare speak freely.

Gonzalo's heartbeat raced.

"Refusal won't be accepted unless you leave the service. As of today, you're a captain. Choosing the unit's personnel will also be your responsibility."

"The personnel..."

Without realizing it, Gonzalo looked around the room.

Noticing his gaze, the colonel asked, "Would you like to choose some from here?"

For a moment, the rush of events nearly left him dazed, but Gonzalo soon pointed to his subordinates.

"I'd like these three... and perhaps one or two Yaken operatives."

"And?"

"May I select the rest gradually?"

"Haha. Of course. There's still plenty of time. You'll need command training too."

He hated studying, but if That Person truly thought highly of him...

"Yes. I'll do my best."

Gonzalo still could not forget the sensation of That Person's hand on his shoulder.

...

"Captain Bernhardt!"

The call echoed through the parade ground.

He had once served in the Imperial Regular Army 7th Armored Grenadier Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel Eaton's manipulation had nearly framed him, but Maximilian's intervention had saved him.

"Captain Adel!"

And another soldier stood beside him.

Once the two stood side by side before the platform, an officer from the Personnel Bureau read the order.

"The two individuals named above are hereby promoted to major, effective today. In the name of the Empire!"

"Loyalty!"

"Loyalty!"

Their shoulder boards changed.

From lieutenant to major, and both were still in their mid-twenties.

Such extraordinary promotions were likely due to a rumor spreading through the military that That Person held them dear.

"Remain loyal to the Empire, and do not disgrace those shoulder boards!"

Not long ago, an event had shaken the Imperial Regular Army to its core.

It was an anecdote told like a half-legend among soldiers across nearly the entire continent. Yet because it had truly happened, it was all the more brutal and terrifying: the massacre of soldiers at the eastern frontier that day.

The complete corruption of Brigadier General Juken and Lieutenant Colonel Eaton. Then the execution and burial of hundreds of collaborators who had aided them or taken their money.

「Disposal at the Roer Fields」

Eaton and Bernhardt had been among the greatest beneficiaries of that day.

"Hmm, so you're the two of them?"

Immediately after the promotion ceremony, the two were led to a general officer's office.

"Loyalty!"

"Loyalty!"

"Good to meet you."

The man smiled faintly and gestured. The two majors lowered their arms.

"I'm Lieutenant General Maut."

He was another very famous name. Maut, the corps commander promoted to lieutenant general in the latest regular reshuffle.

He was known as a living witness to the Gennen Suppression Incident, but he was even more famous for his connection to That Person.

"I hear the discipline in the east was restored thanks to you two."

Bernhardt swallowed hard.

"...I-it wasn't just us. Major Joachim and Lieutenant Colonel Goetz..."

"They're now lieutenant colonel and colonel, respectively."

"Ah."

Their ranks had risen as well. They had received the treatment they deserved.

"Anyway."

Maut looked at the two and continued.

"That Person is watching you both."

Bern and Adel straightened their backs.

"Outstanding ability. Character that doesn't yield to corruption or pressure. Talent to build and lead a strong military... Those are That Person's words about you."

The words struck deep into both their hearts.

Lieutenant General Maut handed them an elegantly sealed invitation envelope.

"Imperial Regimental Dinner. You know it, don't you?"

Their eyes widened.

It was the gathering held around the turn of every year for the core figures of the Regular Army. A table reserved for the chosen few, general officers, staff officers, and those who designed the future of the Imperial Army.

"I'd like to invite you both."

Bern and Adel's hearts began pounding wildly.

To sit at that table was already a rank in itself...

Bernhardt suddenly thought of his father in the west. His father had once been a soldier. How proud would he be when he heard this news?

Adel thought of his family back home. Before long, he would have enough money to bring them to the imperial capital...

"But remember this."

Maut's voice grew heavy.

"One day, you will go to war. Understand the duty placed upon those shoulder boards, and internalize the values of the Empire."

"Of course!"

"Loyalty!"

They saluted. Their fingertips, pressed to their brows as they struggled to contain their surging emotions, trembled slightly.

...In this way, preparations to move forward were steadily taking shape throughout the Empire.

* * *

A Hailand Black agent named Jane Blake. Her code name was Black Nine.

Upon arriving in the Empire, she first headed to the initial contact point.

A traditional market in the 17th Central District of the Empire. A sandwich stall in one corner of it.

"One smoked herring sandwich on rye. No mustard. Double the pickled onions."

"...We only get herring on Tuesdays."

"Then use last Tuesday's."

Blake placed a thick bundle of imperial dollars on the counter. A moment later, she received a paper bag containing the sandwich.

On a bench in an alley behind the market, she ate the sandwich and unfolded the item tucked inside the paper bag over her lap.

「Family Register」

Name: Ann Keller

Birthplace: Brents Region, Western Hailand

Occupation: Trade broker, textiles and sundries

──────

Born in western Hailand. Imperial mixed heritage. Quasi-applicable bloodline. Her cover was that she had brought along the family register held by her imperial mother.

This was enough. Pretending to be Aran would carry too much risk.

If someone did not have golden eyes and blond hair, that alone made them suspicious. In truth, forty percent of imperial citizens had blond hair and golden eyes, and more than half had golden eyes at the very least.

Wearing contact lenses or a wig was not an option either. The moment she was discovered, she would be executed.

Better to pose as someone one status tier lower. Perfect documents. A forgettable presence.

Blake folded the family register and tucked it inside her coat, then rose.

Her target was Illich.

Illich had stolen an entire anonymous Kanilan account containing the Hailand Intelligence Bureau's weapons budget, then suddenly entered the Empire.

Recently, Illich's location had been identified.

「Roderbach Casino」

There were not many places in the Empire that welcomed foreigners, but this recently opened establishment was different. The Empire tightly controlled foreign currency, yet casinos were free from those restrictions. Perhaps they saw them as places to draw in foreign currency.

Blake had already reached the casino entrance.

"Stop there."

Guards in neatly tailored suits blocked her path.

"May we search you?"

"Search wherever you like."

She smiled faintly and spread her hands. The guards patted down various parts of her body before opening the door.

"This way, please."

A waiter immediately approached to escort her. His manner was quite formal.

"Security is tight."

The guide smiled at Blake's remark.

"It has to be. Important guests gather here."

Step. Step.

They walked along a wide, lengthy corridor.

The security personnel stationed along the way each glanced at her once.

"Here it is."

The guide pointed ahead.

[Verification and Currency Exchange]

"As a form of entrance fee, there is a minimum exchange amount. You will also need to undergo a simple identity verification procedure."

Blake casually began, "I've heard family register forgery has been frequent lately."

"Haha. Yes. But you needn't worry here. Recently..."

He lowered his voice.

"Sir Maximilian personally sent someone to us."

Blake's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

Maximilian.

The heir of Ebenholtz, and the vast curtain surrounding the Empire.

Even for a Black agent who controlled her body and mind to their limits, that name carried considerable weight.

"He is an exceptionally skilled appraiser."

The guide led her before the appraiser.

The man looked ordinary. Blond hair, golden eyes, protruding lips, and sun-darkened skin.

He spoke.

"Please present your family register or identification."

Blake tensed without showing it.

The people positioned along the walls of the hall. It felt as though every pair of eyes was watching her.

"Here."

The man accepted Blake's family register and opened it wide.

Without using any equipment, he simply inspected it with his naked eye.

Rustle.

With every page he turned, Blake's heartbeat slipped subtly out of rhythm.

Rustle.

"..."

Blake slowly raised a hand as though adjusting her tie. The tie pin itself was a weapon.

"Hmm. Confirmed."

...Her concern had been unfounded.

The appraiser signed something, then forcefully stamped the casino seal onto the family register.

"You've passed, Ms. Ann Keller. How much would you like to exchange?"

Blake closed and opened her eyes, relaxing the tension in her fingertips.

"Do you accept Hailand currency as well? According to what's written there..."

"Of course. Ann Keller, Hailand trade broker of imperial mixed heritage."

"...Thank you."

She placed the bag she had prepared on the counter.

"Three million zyles."

It would exchange for two million imperial dollars. It was a substantial sum, but not enough to draw suspicion in a place full of VIPs.

"Yes."

After counting the bills, an employee returned a suitcase filled with chips. Blake picked it up.

"You're quite the high roller."

"It's nothing much."

As she walked toward the casino floor, the guide gave one final warning behind her.

"Just one thing. The use of mana is strictly prohibited inside. Sensing stones that detect abnormal mana activity have been embedded throughout the premises."

To begin with, nearly every casino on the continent barred entry to anyone who had developed their mana beyond a certain level.

It was meant to prevent the unpleasant incidents mana could cause.

"Of course."

Blake stepped inside.

Light from chandeliers poured down like a waterfall. The friction of spinning roulette wheels and the clatter of chips mingled with cigarette smoke.

Cries of dismay and celebration in different languages passed over every green table. Chips forged from the currencies of nations across the continent collided in this borderless space.

Somewhere in here was Hailand's target, Illich.

* * *

[Roderbach Penthouse, Gewald's Office]

Gewald of House Pfalz. A man from a prestigious central noble family who had secured the right to operate the newly opened Roderbach after diligently lobbying the Imperial Guard.

"...Who the hell is this?"

He scowled deeply as he examined a document.

"She's been around since last week."

Someone who had suddenly appeared last week and was sweeping up the casino's money.

The name was Ann Keller.

Blackjack, baccarat, even roulette. She played every game.

"That filthy little bastard... What kind of scam is this?"

Gewald lit a cigar as he spoke.

"Upgrade her room to a suite first."

"Yes, sir."

A winner with a lot of money could not be allowed to leave the hotel casino.

"If it looks like she'll run, bury her like we've always done. She's a cheater anyway."

He drew deeply on his cigar.

"Get her into a poker game too. Her winnings, the money she brought with her, every other asset..."

He exhaled with the next words.

"Strip her of all of it."

"Yes, sir. I'll prepare it at once."

If they buried someone too easily, the profit would be small compared to the cost of cleaning up afterward.

But she appeared to have plenty of money. It would be better business to raise the stakes and scrape her clean to the roots.

"Hey. Is everything ready?"

He looked behind him.

A man standing as if buried in darkness. Someone who had come from elsewhere.

An overseas Izenheim businessman who regularly paid kickbacks to Gewald had recommended him. Gewald had personally taken him into the casino's employ.

The man had quickly earned his trust through his gambling skill and deft hands.

"It is."

"Good. Tone it down a little. You look like someone who uses mana when you stand like that."

"..."

As the man drew in his shoulders, he became rather ordinary.

"Yeah. Good. Keep that posture. Prepare the game room."

Gewald put the cigar back between his lips and smiled.

...

He watched Blake from the casino floor.

At blackjack and baccarat, she counted cards. At roulette, she played at only one of the many tables. She had spotted a point where the wheel's axis was bent ever so slightly.

Even at the occasional poker game, no one could stand against her.

A player who was robbing the casino blind.

Blake gathered chips like that.

It was remarkable. Even if her motion-tracking eyesight was superhuman, could that level of observation truly be an inherited talent?

Then he approached Blake.

"You're very good."

Blake, who had been watching the roulette table, turned to him for a moment.

A waiter in a white shirt and red vest, carrying a tray of champagne.

"Now that you've won so much, shouldn't you head home?"

Blake looked at him for a moment, then silently picked up a glass of champagne from the tray.

"...Thank you."

She slipped a chip into the waiter's front pocket.

"Thank you."

The waiter smiled and turned away, but then he collided with someone's shoulder and staggered.

The champagne glasses on the tray did not tip over. The tray stayed balanced as his body tilted.

Blake sensed a faint incongruity, but then her attention was seized by a rather large man standing in front of her.

"Hello."

"The reason I came over is that it seems you have been enjoying the games at our casino very much..."

"Ah. Yes, I have."

Blake adjusted her suit and answered with ease.

"Thanks to you, I think I'll be rich when I return to Hailand. The Empire is making me rich. Long live the Empire."

"...That's fortunate. In that case, I have a proposal. Our casino has a VVIP poker floor."

A faint smile spread across Blake's lips.

"A VVIP poker floor?"

"Yes. It is an event where only exceptionally skilled players compete before our superiors. If you join their game, we will provide one million imperial dollars' worth of chips free of charge."

"...Hmm? One million?"

"That's right."

At last, the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Illich was certainly somewhere in this building. If Illich had not appeared even after she had practically lived on the casino floor for days, the target had to be higher up.

Blake pretended to consider it for a moment.

"There's no reason to refuse."

"Excellent."

The large man asked with a satisfied expression.

"Your exact name, please?"

"Ann."

Blake swallowed a sip of the champagne the waiter had given her.

"Ann Keller."

"Yes. This way, Ms. Ann Keller."

Step. Step.

A line of figures filed away somewhere.

Step. Step.

Someone watched the Black agent's retreating back for quite a long time.

"VVIP poker floor. This should be interesting."

Maximilian, who had disguised himself as the waiter, smiled faintly as he toyed with the chip in his front pocket.

"..."

After checking his surroundings, he quietly headed to the restroom.

He changed into neat clothes, turned his hair white, added wrinkles and age spots to his skin, donned an old-fashioned beard, and picked up a cane.

Then he stood before the VVIP corridor Blake had just entered.

"Hey, old man. Stop there."

To the guards blocking his way, he handed over a document that looked like a letter.

"What's this?"

"Read it."

"What the..."

Their expressions changed greatly as they read it.

There was nothing much written there.

It was an old-fashioned Ebenholtz document, bearing Maximilian's own handwriting and signature, asking them to show consideration because this person was important to him.

In a voice imitating an elderly man, Maximilian asked, "...I just want to have a look around. May I go in?"

"Ah, yes! Yes, of course! Please go right in!"

They hurriedly cleared the way.

Tap. Tap.

Leaning on his cane, Maximilian slowly climbed the stairs.

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