Chapter 50: Papers (2) The garden was filled with the melodies of a classical ensemble, the fountains sparkling as they danced.
"Max. I've been thinking about what you said back then."
Ezel spoke, roses blooming behind her like a painted backdrop.
"I wondered if there was a magic that could only be maintained by consuming people… specifically, 'brains.' I scoured the Magic Tower's library. I even went down to the Underground City. Max, have you ever heard of a spell called 'Brain Chimera'?"
"No."
"It's a form of chaos magic that recreates a person's body by consuming their brain."
My brow furrowed instinctively.
"The success rate is extremely low, the casting process itself is horrific, and even if it succeeds, there are massive side effects. But… look at this."
Ezel handed me a piece of paper from her pocket. It was covered in complex formulas.
"I'm not a mage."
"To put it simply—you know how the composition of mana in the brain is a bit different from the rest of the body because of the blood-brain barrier?"
Mana circulates through the body, but a certain amount of 'unexplainable,' unique mana always accumulates in the brain. It's an energy that modern magical engineering has yet to fully define—something some scholars call a fragment of the soul.
"This 'Brain Chimera' feeds on that energy. First, you strip off your own outer layer, then you consume the target's brain atop a magic circle."
"…Strip off your own skin?"
"Yes. You have to peel everything off, even the skin on your face. Then, the brain energy transfers to your body, reshaping it. But a severe side effect occurs during that process. The only way to stop it is to periodically consume fresh brains to replenish that energy."
Ezel pointed to a specific part of the paper.
"This formula here, η ∝ ΣM × L, means the rate of reduction for the rejection response is determined in proportion to the total amount of mana contained in the consumed brain. Therefore, if the initial value of the rejection response is too high, the magic can't even be established in the first place."
"So Pexy was targeted because her initial rejection value was low?"
"Exactly."
If someone was 'mimicking' Pexy's entire body, it explained how they had been able to perfectly masquerade as a noble all this time.
"Is there no way to catch them?"
"Actually, there is. According to my calculations, Pexy must perform her next 'consumption' within fifty days starting from today. The margin of error is ten percent. In other words, between forty-five and fifty-five days."
I looked at Ezel.
Meeting my gaze, she asked, "Are you ready to fight the Kandel Family?"
"…The problem isn't Kandel; it's Jun."
Jun Kandel was Pexy's backer. A very staunch, devoted backer.
I asked Ezel, "Any physical evidence against Pexy?"
"Unfortunately, it's very thin right now. Just that tire-tread-shaped magical residue I mentioned before."
"Should I put a tail on her for the next fifty days? We could catch her in the act."
"What if she commits the crime inside the Magic Tower? The tower is much larger and more secluded than it looks. Access is strictly controlled. Can you keep a tail on her inside there?"
"…Then what?"
"We have a more legal procedure than that."
Ezel pointed to my Sentinel dress uniform.
"A knight's right of detention. You're a knight, so you know it well, don't you?"
Knights possessed the authority to detain individuals suspected of being a threat to the Empire for up to thirty-five days without a warrant.
"That's only thirty-five days. What about the rest of the time?"
"I'll buy us that time."
"Can you do it? You said you were being watched."
"That's exactly why I can buy time."
Ezel was fearless. In a way, she was almost a lunatic.
As if reading my thoughts, Ezel gave a bright smile.
"Max, are you certain?"
"I am."
"Then I'll be as certain as you are."
Sipping her cocktail, Ezel skipped backward.
"Now go and enjoy the party. Make a few donations while you're at it."
Evening had fallen, and the charity event was growing crowded.
"I was planning on it."
"Oh, really? Then get going."
Ezel waved at me.
"Be careful, Ezel."
"You be careful, Sir Knight."
I let out a short laugh and walked away.
First, I focused on my virus's senses and entered the mansion. I strolled through the ballroom packed with people.
Thump—
My heart wavered. I looked toward the source. There stood a Lieutenant Colonel of the Imperial Guard.
Porn Sommer.
I memorized his face and name.
Thump—
Next was a businessman I hadn't met before. He had brilliant blonde hair and golden eyes—the perfect appearance of an Imperial, but he was an Izenheim.
I approached him as he conversed with others.
"Ah, a pleasure to meet you, Sir Maximilian."
He recognized my face first. I offered a thin smile.
"And your name is?"
"I am Johann, Vice President of Golden Gate Trade."
Johann of Golden Gate.
I committed it to memory.
"I hope you have a pleasant evening."
I scouted the area, adding names to my hit list.
Exactly five names were recorded.
"Now then—we shall begin the auction of cherished items."
Meanwhile, the auction, a staple of charity events, began.
"The first item is the 'Tears of a Dawn' necklace, donated by the Countess von Hausen. All proceeds will be delivered to the Orphan Support Foundation."
The Countess stepped onto the podium to describe the item, while those who called themselves the leaders of society sat at their tables, smiling elegantly as they participated in the bidding.
I picked up a numbered paddle as well.
"Alright. Number 58, three hundred thousand dollars! Ah, and immediately, Number 83 bids three hundred and fifty thousand!"
In that manner, the necklace was sold for five hundred thousand dollars.
"Next is an ancient artifact horn donated by the mage Lendri! The proceeds will be donated as scholarships for the Novus Magic Tower…"
The horn donated by the magic professor sold for four hundred thousand dollars.
"Now, for our next guest! The Superintendent of Empire Point, Lieutenant General Litruman!"
Next was Lieutenant General Litruman.
I had heard in advance that he would be participating in this charity auction. As the Superintendent of Empire Point, he was one of the reasons I had come all this way.
"The item is the command sword the Lieutenant General used personally during the Western War. All proceeds from this sale will be used to support disabled veterans. Lieutenant General, please come up and introduce it."
Litruman climbed onto the stage with a stiff expression, looking unaccustomed to such settings.
"Yes. This command sword is one I used during the Battle of Rostallon Heights on the Western Front…"
The Superintendent droned on with anecdotes about his sword. However, most people seemed uninterested and didn't bother participating in the bidding.
A few soldiers raised their paddles out of respect for Litruman's dignity, but the price was significantly lower than the previous auctions.
"Alright, ten thousand dollars. Any more? Lieutenant General Litruman's command sword! Ah~ fifteen thousand dollars!"
The Empire's nobles, successful businessmen, the bourgeoisie, mages, and even knights looked down on the military. Quite a few outright disliked them. One of the main reasons the central tax rate had increased was defense spending, and the image of the Imperial Guard—a pillar of the military—wasn't exactly great, then or now.
"Fifteen thousand dollars. No more?!"
This was the current state of the military.
Perhaps this subtle disdain and neglect were among the reasons the Imperial military would later explode with such violence.
"Lieutenant General Litruman's command sword. No one higher than fifteen thousand? If not—"
As Litruman's face began to flush red, I quietly raised my hand.
"Ah, the Sentinel Knight!"
The auctioneer pointed toward me.
I readily called out the amount.
"Two million dollars."
In that instant, every eye in the room fixed on me. On the stage, Litruman's eyes grew as wide as cannonballs.
"Two… two million Imperial dollars. Is that correct?"
The auctioneer asked back with a stunned face.
I nodded leisurely.
"Two million."
"Yes, yes! That is correct! Two million dollars, two million dollars! If there are no further bids, it is sold!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The auctioneer struck the gavel immediately, and I raised my champagne glass toward Lieutenant General Litruman on the stage.
"For the disabled veterans who sacrificed for the Empire."
Litruman's lips twitched for a moment before he responded with the brightest smile he could muster.
"For them!"
Applause erupted along with his shout. It was all directed at me.
This is how it works: if you have money, you are treated well. If you have honor, you are respected.
A person who has both can be the protagonist of any room.
"Please come up and receive your item."
I stepped onto the stage and received the command sword directly from Lieutenant General Litruman.
"A sword that carries the hardships of the Western War. I shall preserve it with the utmost respect."
I laced my words with reverence. This level of social maneuvering was easy now, and Litruman replied with a look of immense joy.
"Thank you. Sir Maximilian's contribution will heal the bodies and minds of our disabled veterans."
Of course, I didn't believe a word of that bullshit. Litruman wasn't an honest soldier. He'd likely pocket half of it, distribute the rest as pocket money to his subordinates, and only the spare change would reach the veterans.
It didn't matter.
I had come to see him because I had a favor to ask, anyway.
*
Back at the Sentinel Knights' office after the charity event.
I stared silently at a single sheet of paper on my desk.
——[Emergency Detention Order]——
Subject: Pexy von Arjen (5th-Circle Mage, Sentio Magic Tower)
Details: By the special authority vested in a Knight, the aforementioned individual is ordered into detention for a maximum of 35 days effective today.
Executing Officer: Maximilian von Ebenholtz, Sentinel Knights
*
This paper carried the greatest risk among all the powers I held as a knight.
If I executed this, how would Jun Kandel react?
He was an emotional and unpredictable man, so it was better not to try and predict him at all.
The problem was Jun's younger brother.
The true master of the Kandel Family. He wasn't yet, but he was the man who would become so in the future.
"He's no pushover."
I had no physical evidence against Pexy right now. However, if this single sheet of paper prevented her from consuming a brain, the evidence would create itself. Her very existence, once the magic unraveled, would serve as proof.
I clicked my tongue and stood up.
I was about to head down to the basement training room for a workout when—
"Max!"
Someone called my name. It was Leon and Tiana. They were carrying large helmets and some kind of suits.
"When are you sending up the transport plane again?"
The airborne class had its first flight last week, and these two had already bought their own gear with their own money.
It seemed they had already developed a taste for it.
"Tomorrow night. It's a night jump. Be at the point by 23:00."
"Got it. 23:00."
"Tomorrow at 23:00…"
Tiana and Leon tapped the schedule into their devices and headed back to their own offices.
*
Thud—! Boom—!
Construction was in full swing at Empire Point with the start of the semester approaching.
Commandant Dane had received a thick stack of papers from Maximilian's adjutant today. The adjutant had come in person due to concerns about external leaks; it was the first draft of a new manual.
"..."
Dane let out a deep sigh.
The three-hundred-year tradition of Empire Point was not something that could be changed easily. This was especially true for military doctrine. It was nearly impossible for an individual's opinion to be reflected in the golden rules built upon countless wars and sacrifices.
"Knight airborne, of all things…"
Knights performing airborne operations. It might be fine for those of common birth. But could they really teach airborne tactics to the arrogant nobles who valued tradition, honor, and poise above all else? Would they even be willing to learn?
That was Dane's concern.
Boom—!
Right now, Empire Point was replacing its old facilities using Maximilian's donations.
Even so, this was not an institution that could be swayed by a single individual.
Maximilian had politely asked him to 'stay in his position until retirement,' but if that was meant to use him, the premise was wrong from the start.
Vroom, vroom, vroom—!
Just then, a massive roar drifted in from outside the window.
"What in the—!"
Dane rushed outside. A large transport plane was landing right in the middle of the parade ground.
"What is the meaning of this…"
School officials came running in a panic. Dane rested his hand on the sword at his waist.
From the transport plane that had landed safely, Superintendent Litruman emerged.
"Brigadier General Dane."
"Salute. Superintendent, what is going on?"
"Take this."
Litruman handed over a sheet of paper with a solemn face. It was an official document.
——[Official Authorization from Imperial Military Command]——
Subject: Formal Adoption of the New Manual 'Strategic Utilization of Knights via Aerial Assault' and Introduction of Training Programs.
The aforementioned manual authored by Knight Maximilian is hereby formally adopted as the next-generation tactical doctrine of the Imperial Military. It is ordered that related training programs be organized within the Empire Point Elite Course as soon as possible.
*
"..."
It was an order containing the agreement between Litruman and the military brass to adopt and teach the new tactics.
Dane felt a strange mixture of confusion and futility.
The ancient traditions of Empire Point, which he had thought impossible to change and had given up on ever altering, were being dismantled so easily by this young knight of Ebenholtz.
"You take good care of this transport plane. It's an official asset of Empire Point from now on."
Dane stared at Litruman without a word. As if understanding his bewilderment, Litruman laughed heartily.
"Haha. It means this transport was donated. They said they'd even support the maintenance costs for ten years."
Litruman proudly patted the hunk of iron. Dane looked back and forth between the transport plane and Litruman in a daze.
"Knight Maximilian is providing support for the future of the Empire. He's even establishing a foundation for disabled veterans this time, so you should make sure to express your gratitude at some point…"
Thanks to that, Dane was able to understand the cause of all these phenomena.
The weight of the same words changes depending on the speaker.
The power of the same money changes depending on how it is spent.
Maximilian had, at some point, become a man who understood those principles better than anyone.
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