The trial orchestrated by those scum in the Imperial Palace went awry from the very beginning. Flustered, the prosecutor merely mumbled through a summary of the Gigantes terror incident, and the judge banged the gavel, announcing that a new trial date would be scheduled later. The trial, which was supposed to extract compensation, ended haphazardly like that.
âTruly unfortunate.â
âHaha... haha...â
"Ahem. Even so, Gigantes was destroyed... Isn't it somewhat inappropriate to let personal emotions take precedence...?"
Most of the nobles from the Imperial Palace nervously glanced at me before slipping away as if fleeing.
Of course, not everyone in the Imperial Palace is like that. Itâs just that the proportion is significantly high, and those nobles who are either rational or exceptional would not have coveted the blind fortune that was the Gigantes in the first place.
At any rate, the trial ended meaninglessly, and the security personnel who had been seated as defendants approached hesitantly and bowed their heads.
"We are sorry. We are truly sorry, Sir Knight."
Together with their defense attorney, they repeatedly apologized, but I waved my hand.
"There is no reason to apologize. You were never in that position to take responsibility in the first place."â...Huh?â
The Empireâs class system is, at times, my weapon or the basis for my actions.
"What can commoners take responsibility for, and to what extent? To say that the destruction of Gigantes was because of people like you is utter nonsense."
Their complexions brightened as if relieved by my arrogance. As they tearfully embraced their families, I turned away.
There, Alphonse was standing.
âDo you really believe that? What you said at the trial just now.â
Alphonse looked doubtful. I shrugged and replied.
â...The logic may not be perfect. When youâre angry, emotional fallacies come out. But my belief that repressive control and treating people like machines doesnât directly lead to efficiency hasnât changed.â
â"How unexpected. Arenât nobles supposed to treat their subjects like livestock who need their piss and shit schedules managed?â
At Alphonseâs provocation, I let out a hollow laugh.
âYou seem a little too happy about Gigantes being destroyed. Be careful, or you might actually end up in prison.â
â......â
Alphonse stuffed his camera into his bag and left for somewhere. He really had guts.
As I walked through the courthouse lobby, I spotted a welcome face.
âEdmon!â
Colonel Edmon Bruindol. He turned to look at me and raised a hand with a stern expression. He certainly had a distinctive weightiness when it came to official duty.
âMax. I heard you suffered significant losses because of Gigantes, too.â
âWhatâs lost wonât come back, so letâs not talk about it. More importantly, whatâs your situation?â
âEverythingâs on high alert. Starting from the border zones.â
Just then, a man quietly approached Edmonâs side. Edmon gestured toward him, looking a bit uneasy.
âLet me introduce you. This is Major Goetz. Heâs with the staff.â
âLoyalty! Itâs an honor to meet you, Sir Knight!â
Goetz. A familiar name, and a familiar face. Eyes bulging as if theyâd pop out, an emaciated frame, and curly hair overly groomed making him look unbalanced.
Heâs a noble-born officer who would later rise to a high-ranking position, but he ends his life as a particularly nasty war criminal.
âIâve heard so much about you from the Eastern Border, Sir Maximilian!â
âYes.â
"Please speak comfortably to me! Hearing about your military achievements from afar, I cannot tell you how moved I was..."
Goetz spewed sentence after sentence without pause. Dressed up on the outside but hollow on the inside.
In other words, pure flattery.
Iâve dealt with this type for so long that Iâm sick of it now.
I asked Edmon,
âIs there any word from the military or the imperial family?â
âSame situation, emergency status. No matter how problematic Gigantes was, it was still responsible for a large portion of the Empireâs military supply.â
In that case, I need to prepare too.
Soon, my factory will be the one to fill the void left by Gigantes.
â...However.â
Edmon gave a faint smile and lightly placed a hand on my shoulder.
âWhat you said in court earlier was right on the mark. In this case, the people responsible are elsewhere.â
His plain compliment didnât feel bad.
âUm, excuse me... Sir Knight.â
Major Goetz, who had been watching for the right moment, cut in from the side.
âIf itâs not too presumptuous, could I get your terminal number? My insight is shallow and lacking, so Iâd like to seek your advice on various matters going forward...â
A greedy gleam in his eyes. People who are obsessed with rising through the ranks are exhausting. Especially those who are desperate to grab onto connection.
âIâll give you the number for my administrative officer. My schedule is tight, so itâs hard to take calls directly.â
âAh... yes. Understood! Even that is an honor!â
Goetz bowed deeply, trying hard to hide his disappointment.
Edmon raised his eyebrows.
âWell then. You seem busy, so go on.â
âYeah. Take care.â
I turned away from Edmon.
Suddenly, I found myself wondering about his true feelings regarding Gigantes.
Edmon was likely a comrade of the Revolutionary forces.
One of the core leaders, even deeper than Thomas Wagner.
â.......â
Edmon Bruindol. A man who grew up like a brother alongside me since childhood, in the main castle of Ebenholtz.
Must he someday become my enemy?
Must I someday cut him down with my own hands?
Is that the only way?
For now, no one can say.
***
Kuuungâ!
In the Knight Order's administrative office. A heavy stack of papers landed on my desk. They were documents brought in by Dieter.
"There are this many documents?"
âYes. These papers explain the advantages of our factory and prove that we can cover much of the gap left by Gigantes.â
Dieter calmly continued his explanation.
âThereâs a plot of land we previously purchased in Southern Hermes, and weâve also imported state-of-the-art precision machinery from the Canilan Independent State for the mana stone refining business. These facilities were originally designed to process unstable mana stones, so their durability and precision exceed military standards. With slight adjustments to the process, we can immediately start producing shells, firearm components, and even tanks.â
The justification was perfect. In preparation for this incident, we had even pre-purchased numerous raw material mines, including iron ore.
"Do I need to go to the palace right now?"
âYes. The timing seems just right.â
I left the office with Dieter.
We went down to the parking lot and got into the car that was waiting. In the passenger seat, the Yaken race Yukia bowed her head. Aware of how Yakens were treated, she had covered her facial features with sunglasses and a suit.
âArenât you going to introduce yourself?â
At my words, Yukia replied briefly.
â...Personal secretary Yukia.â
âAh, Sir Knight. Iâve been conducting job training, but it seems her short responses wonât change, probably because sheâs not fluent in Imperial language.â
The administrative officer added awkwardly.
âItâs fine. Letâs go.â
Sheâs probably doing it on purpose.
âYes.â
On the road from the Knight Order to the Imperial Palace.
Suddenly, a massive shadow passed over the window.
Kuguguguguguââ!
It was a transport aircraft taking offwith a thunderous roar. In the distance at the landing zone, knights waiting for their turn were gathered, checking their equipment.
Soon, aerial assault will not only be a basic skill for knights but a required core ability for the upcoming war.
Leaving that scene behind, we arrived at the main gate of the Imperial Palace.
âWait here.â
I got out of the car. Guided by the secretaries of the palace, I headed to the main conference room. It was the place where an emergency meeting was being held to fill the void left by Gigantes.
Beneath a splendid chandelier, high-ranking officials from the military and the Ministry of Finance, nobles from the Imperial Palace, and a suitable number of corporate representatives were already gathered.
âElron Industries will secure a production line for new artillery shells as quickly as possible. Please entrust it to us.â
âThis is Kaision Heavy Industries. We can deliver combat-ready tank parts immediately.â
"We, Emelton, will take responsibility for the steel supply. It may not compare to Gigantes, but..."
Amid a stream of self-promotions from various companies and families, my turn finally came.
âI am Maximilian Ebenholtz.â
People who had looked bored and even yawned suddenly straightened their postures.
This is the weight carried by the name Ebenholtz.
"I have a factory in the southern Hermes Province region."
I laid the proposal out before them. The latest equipment imported from Canilan, a stable supply chain of raw materials, and immediate production capability.
âThis factory will be equipped with Canilanâs latest automated facilities. Since the machines were originally designed for mana stone refining, their durability and precision exceed military standards...â
The nobles of the Imperial Palace noticeably nodded in agreement.
âThough smaller in scale compared to Gigantes, the factory will be far more efficient. What required 100 workers in Gigantes, we can achieve with just 10. I guarantee that level of efficiency.â
It was probably because they felt at least some degree of guilt over the losses I suffered from the Gigantes investment.
â-However, Sir Maximilian.â
Still, not everyone here was easy to deal with.
Oscar Steiner, the official in charge of operations at the Ministry of Finance, adjusted his glasses and sharply pointed out.
âYou say the facility was built for mana stone refining, but doesnât that mean you require tax support for the conversion?â
I have no intention of begging the palace bastards for subsidies. If I ask for funding, theyâll use it as an excuse to interfere with shares and everything else, that much is obvious.
âI will cover everything with my personal assets. If I lack funds, Iâll even use my mana stone mine as collateral to move forward.â
The room stirred. Oscar, rather surprised, asked again.
âThen what do you want in return?â
âAll I ask for is manpower and consistent contracts.â
âManpower?â
âYes. Please select skilled workers from Gigantes and assign them to my factory.â
No matter how advanced Canilanâs automation technology may be, heavy industry like military manufacturing still ultimately relies on people.
Well-practiced skills, know-how, intuition.
Gigantes may have collapsed, but the artisans who had worked with steel there for decades survived. I needed them, and the palace also needed a way to deal with the sudden mass of unemployed people.
âThat much would be enough compensation for the losses I suffered from Gigantes.â
I scanned over the faces of the nobles seated around the palace.
âThis is your chance to avoid blame or scrutiny for the Gigantes incident. We often waste our anger in the wrong places or divert our focus.â
A direct criticism of how people are turning against each other, when the true object of our outrage should be the rebel group that destroyed Gigantes.
âI believe what Iâm proposing is the most ideal solution under the current circumstances.â
â...Yes, I understand. However-â
Oscar still looked doubtful.
âThere must be full transparency regarding cost structures and profit margins.â
âDiscuss it with my staff. Weâll supply at very reasonable unit costs.â
Military industry is only going to expand further over time. Taking modest profit is enough. One percent of a 100 billion business is still a billion. Even just 1% is an enormous sum.
On top of that, weakening the palaceâs base of power while strengthening the Empireâs military force, that alone satisfies me.
âReasonable pricing. Can we trust that?â
To Oscarâs question, I smiled.
âYes. Of course. I swear it on my name.â
***
Imperial Ministry of Finance conference room.
In the silence, only the scratching of pens and the rustling of turning pages echoed dryly. The bureaucrats, led by Minister of Finance Oscar, were dissecting the documents submitted by Dieter Schmidt.
â...Hmm.â
Eventually, Oscar furrowed his brows.
To be honest, he was suspicious of Maximilianâs intentions.
The destruction of Gigantes could have been seen as an opportunity from the perspective of a great noble house. If he were the type who lusted after tax money, it wouldâve actually been more easier.
But the terms presented by his administrator were excessively reasonable.
No, they were advantageous to the Empire.
âSecretary Dieter Schmidt.â
Oscar spoke to Dieter Schmidt, who was attending the meeting.
âThe documents alone are not enough. Iâll make my decision after personally inspecting the factory with my own eyes.â
Dieter nodded.
âYes. Of course. Youâre welcome anytime.â
â.......â
Oscar fell silent for a moment. He quietly observed Dieter, then finally opened his mouth.
âEven so, military expenditures are paid with the blood taxes of our citizens. Therefore, we must ensure that a portion of the profits you gain...â
Just as he was about to probe them further by demanding additional concessions.
âWe are prepared to reinvest over 30% of our net profits into the civilian sector.â
Dieter beat him to it.
Thirty percent. It was a massive figure. Oscar and the other bureaucrats wore expressions of disbelief.
âWhatâs the reason?â
Oscar finally removed his glasses and set them down. He stared at Dieter with sharp eyes.
âYou seem to be just as much a numbers man as I am, so letâs speak plainly. This isnât the kind of calculation a businessman would make.â
âMilitary manufacturing is a business of enormous scale. So if the operation continues steadily, it will eventually yield significant profits for us as well.â
âOf course. One can endure present losses for future gains, if thereâs a need to.â
The Empire had to fill the void left by Gigantes.
That meant desperation.
It meant they could fully become the ones in control.
âBut right now, thereâs no need for that. So then, why?â
Dieter organized his pen and answered lightly.
âIt is the presidentâs will.â
âYou mean Sir Maximilianâs will?â
âYes.â
He added calmly.
"Because he is a loyal subject of the Empire."
â...A loyal servant.â
Loyal servant. A word rarely heard in the stagnant halls of the palace, one more likely to be found embalmed in textbooks.
Oscar blinked blankly, then let out a hollow laugh.
âIt seems you were momentarily confused because youâve seen too many fakes until now, sir.â
Dieter swept his gaze across the entire Ministry of Finance.
âHe serves only the Empire.â
â.......â
ââTick. Tick.
Oscar and the bureaucrats were left speechless, and in that silence, the ticking of the clock echoed louder than anythin.
Dieter, as if nothing had happened, turned his attention back to the documents.
ââTick. Tick.
Through the steady beat of the second hand,
their conversation was delivered to somewhere unseen.