Chapter 161: Blizzard (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: Blizzard (3)
Concentration camp.
It is a heavy, agonizing word.
In the timeline before my regression, the Empire had massacred tens of millions of people within them. They were factories where human malice was systematically engineered to exterminate entire races with peak efficiency.
It was a desolate site where ashen concrete walls stretched endlessly, and barbed wire and watchtowers stood stark against the sky... though it was not yet completed.
I had initiated the concentration camp project a bit early.
I did so because there were at least ten million Izenheim that humanity needed to eradicate.
And because there were just as many members of other races that needed to be saved.
"It is a bleak sight."
As I gazed at the construction site, someone approached me.
It was Chiron.
"Yes. Those destined to be imprisoned here have no need for beautiful scenery anyway."
He let out a small, dry laugh and nodded.
"Anton's hearing is about to begin."
...Naturally, he seemed to have no interest in the concentration camps themselves.
"We’ve acquired the letters Anton has exchanged over the years. We found plenty of phrases that leave room for subversive interpretation... no, phrases that are explicitly treasonous."
Chiron was a transparent man. Having climbed his way up by any means necessary, the position he had coveted his entire life was finally within his reach. He must be itching with anticipation.
"I see. Do not let your guard down."
Chiron nodded at my calm advice.
"Ah, right. A rather important mission has come up. You know of the Eastern 'Yumanov' Family, don't you?"
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Of course."
The Eastern Union was, quite literally, a 'union of various nations located in the eastern part of the continent.' However, the bulk of their military power actually originated from their leading nation, 'Robrus.'
It was a massive single-party dictatorship that controlled the vast lands of the East.
The Yumanov Family was, simply put, the Ebenholtz of Robrus.
"I heard the direct descendant of the Yumanovs is visiting the Empire."
The direct Yumanov lineage consisted of an only child. In other words, the 'Maximilian of the East' was coming to the heart of the Empire.
The titans of the world, whom my past, naive self could never have dreamed of facing, were now appearing one after another.
"Anyway, as a top-ranking figure from the East, it's only natural that the Sentinels attach a reliable escort and surveillance detail."
Chiron looked at me with meaningful eyes.
The Empire and the Eastern Union were currently hiding their daggers behind smiles. For now, they maintained a certain degree of diplomatic courtesy.
"I will go," I answered without hesitation.
"As expected, you're the only one for the job."
Escorting foreign VIPs... I had a feeling I would be doing a lot of this in the future.
"However, be careful. The East's movements have been inexplicably strange lately."
Chiron surprised me once again. It seemed he had caught a faint scent of 'The Great Purge' through his own intelligence network.
"There is a bizarre undercurrent."
The Chancellor of the East would soon commit an act of madness—an incomprehensible move to solidify his power. It would be an internal slaughter that crushed countless generals and elite families.
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
Before long, a blood-stained blizzard would sweep across the continent.
*
Whoooosh—
The Empire's 1st Airport.
A military transport aircraft, entirely different in design from regular planes or passenger jets, touched down on the runway. Painted conspicuously on the fuselage against a red background was the fierce beast symbol unique to Robrus.
I watched them descend and straightened my attire.
Thud!
The massive hatch hissed open, and people marched down the ramp. All of them had swords of identical specifications strapped to their waists; they were the Adversaries of the Eastern Union.
Thump—
At that moment, my heart pounded. There was an Izenheim among the Adversaries.
I had expected as much.
They scanned the area and formed an escort perimeter. Finally, a single person walked out from the transport.
Click. Clack.
An elegant stride. Ash-blonde hair and cold blue eyes. She wore a tiger-skin coat draped over her shoulders, looking up at the sky where sleet was fluttering down.
"Ah..."
The heir of the Yumanov Family—Yelena Ilinichna Yumanov.
"Are you the Knight of Ebenholtz?"
Click. She stopped five paces in front of me.
"Yes. I am Maximilian von Ebenholtz."
"Knight Maximilian. It is a pleasure to meet you."
I returned her bright smile with a polite one of my own and gestured toward the waiting vehicle.
"Shall we?"
"Hmm. Will you be riding with me, Sir Knight?"
"As you wish."
"Then let us go together."
She was fluent in the Imperial language. Her speech was even more sophisticated than that of a native citizen.
"As you know, there was a horrific bombing in Progen in the West recently. I am a bit frightened to travel alone."
Her demeanor and speech were those of a true noble. Her etiquette, gestures, stride, and expressions—everything was perfectly refined.
"I understand. Let us depart."
Yelena settled into the back seat, and I sat beside her, maintaining a polite distance. The Adversaries followed in separate vehicles.
She spoke first.
"Originally, I wanted to visit that new factory called 'Aternum,' but I was denied entry on the grounds that it is a top-tier national secret."
"Yes. It is unfortunate. Entry is strictly forbidden to anyone who is not a pure-blooded Aranian of the Empire," I answered, looking out the window.
Yelena also gazed outside.
"I see. The Empire is certainly thorough in that regard. Instead of fighting, perhaps we ought to learn from one another."
"You are absolutely right."
They were empty words neither of us meant, but given our positions, it was the only way to speak. Every single word was diplomacy.
"Then, is the reason for your visit to the Empire simply for tourism?"
"Haha. Yes, it is." She turned to look at me, her eyes smiling. "I truly have no other motive. I simply came to enjoy the Empire's magnificent culture."
"I see. Of course."
After that, the conversation died down. The vehicle soon entered the center of the capital, thanks to the roads being cleared in advance.
"First, a meal has been prepared."
We stopped in front of the highest-class restaurant, 「Lilac Vita」. As we stepped out together, I introduced the building across the way.
"This is the finest restaurant the Empire has to offer."
"I know of it. Lilac Vita. So this is the place. Its reputation has already reached the East."
We quietly entered through the back door. We were led to a private room resembling a crystal cave, cleared out specifically for this meeting. In the sparkling space sat a wide table with only two chairs.
"Meals for your escorts have been prepared in another room."
The Adversaries hesitated for a moment, but Yelena waved her hand, signaling it was fine.
"As you command."
The Adversaries' response was unique. Once we were alone and seated, the courses were served one after another. Starting with the amuse-bouche, her eyes widened at the very first bite.
"There truly are so many delicious things in the Empire!"
She elegantly raised her wine glass. I did the same. Clink.
After a sip, she suddenly spoke.
"I heard that Knight Maximilian was the one who advocated for the 「Imperial Citizenship Act」."
...At some point, I had become the face of that legislation. If the Empire were ever defeated, I would likely be branded the worst of war criminals. The situation was far better than before my regression, and I had even created loopholes for survival within the bill, but my name was now synonymous with it.
"Because of that, I expected someone with a much more ghastly appearance, but you aren't like that at all."
Even as she spoke, the dishes continued to arrive. I silently picked up my knife.
"You do not have the face of a man who would discriminate against races so harshly."
I sliced a piece of meat marbled with truffles, ate it, and looked back at Yelena. To her, who was watching me with intrigue, I offered a measured response.
"It cannot be helped. For this is not discrimination, but difference."
"Hmm. Difference, you say. I have heard the Empire categorizes them as Sub-species."
"The East is likely the same."
The East, the West—all of them held an inherent disgust for 'them.' They simply didn't display it as openly or act upon it as systematically as the Empire did.
Yelena did not deny it.
"Among the Sub-species, the Izenheim in particular are completely untrustworthy parasites. Robrus should be careful as well. If an Izenheim holds a key position, society could collapse."
"...Hmm."
She briefly set down her fork.
"Izenheim... The Chancellor has actually been suffering from a headache over that lately. Some tricksters spread a rumor that the Chancellor himself is an Izenheim."
She was deliberately revealing the East's most sensitive secret. Was she probing me? Probably.
I masked my expression and replied, "I hope that is not the truth."
However, at that moment—
Click.
A resonance echoed in my mind, as if a puzzle piece had just snapped into place.
What if the General Secretary of Robrus and the Chancellor of the Eastern Union, 'Varmil Maxtoon,' was truly an Izenheim?
The history from before my regression was fast approaching—The Great Purge. Why did the Chancellor of the Eastern Union so unreasonably behead countless generals and powerful families, collapsing his own chain of command? Why did he execute a bloody purge even at the cost of eroding his nation's power?
History books from my past life dismissed it as dictatorial logic—'to consolidate power to oppose the Empire'—but what if?
What if the fact that the Chancellor was an Izenheim was slowly leaking out, and the situation reached a point where it could only be resolved through a Great Purge?
"—Do not worry. It probably isn't true. But even if it were, nothing would really change."
Yelena said this with a smile. I smiled back in kind.
"No. If it is true, a great deal will change."
In a nation centered around the Sleds, the fact that their absolute leader was an Izenheim would be a fatal flaw capable of toppling the entire regime.
Yelena's expression stiffened slightly.
"...Do not cross the line, Sir Knight. This, too, is diplomacy."
"Then let us leave it as unofficial history."
I did not push further.
"Hmm, yes. Let us do that."
Yelena relaxed her smile and focused on her meal. I quietly watched her.
"Oh?"
Yelena took a bite of the steak. Suddenly, her face melted into the innocent expression of a young girl.
"Wow! This is delicious!"
She exclaimed in genuine admiration, her eyes sparkling. I gave a faint smile.
"Yes. Please, eat at your leisure."
She loved gourmet food. Her elegance was perfect, and she never lost her dignity. She didn't go out of her way to make enemies, and her convictions seemed firm.
"Lilac Vita... its reputation isn't for nothing!"
However, the lifespan of the woman smiling in front of me was short. The Yumanov Family would soon be exterminated by the Chancellor. Not just the direct line, but the branch families as well—every single one of them would be purged.
"By any chance, Sir Knight, is there an itinerary after this?"
"Of course."
The newly reconstructed 「Imperial Royal Opera House」. I would take her there.
"Yes. I shall look forward to it."
Slice. Slice.
With that, Yelena focused on her food. I moved my knife as well, lost in thought.
The Great Purge was a major event that would weaken the East's military. In other words, it benefited the Empire. There was no reason for me to stop it, and I didn't have the strength to do so even if I wanted to.
If I told the woman in front of me right now, 'You will be purged by the Chancellor,' she wouldn't believe me, and it would cause an immediate diplomatic rupture.
"It's so delicious. I wonder why such gastronomy hasn't developed in Robrus..."
The Great Purge permanently altered the Eastern Union. While their military strength wavered, the opposition against the Chancellor vanished, allowing the Union to unite far more solidly against the Empire.
Therefore, there might be value in keeping alive at least one person who could directly strike at the Chancellor's 'legitimacy.'
That much, I might be able to accomplish.
*
Late night in the capital.
Having returned to her hotel suite, Yelena thought about the man she had met today.
Fzzt. Sizzle.
In the drifting cigarette smoke, Maximilian’s face appeared in her mind.
He was a handsome man. At the same time, he was a terrible racist. His usual demeanor was gentle, but whenever Sub-species were mentioned, he grew infinitely cold. He was an extremely dangerous man who classified all the Sleds of the East as an 'Alien Bloodline'—someone a Sled shouldn't dare associate with.
Most likely, in his heart, Yelena was nothing more than an object to be disposed of.
"...It has definitely changed."
She leaned against the balcony and looked down at the city. The current state of the Empire bothered her as much as Maximilian did. Compared to the intelligence collected by the Eastern Union's secret police in the past, the current Empire had undergone a sea change.
The very eyes and footsteps of the citizens were different. A blind loyalty and an inexplicable vitality enveloped the entire city.
"Izenheim..."
The word Maximilian had let slip during the meal hovered on her lips. Rumors that Chancellor Varmil was an Izenheim, or perhaps a Merin, were slowly leaking from the deepest echelons of the Eastern leadership.
However, to Yelena, whether the Chancellor was a Merin or not didn't really matter. The Chancellor was a leader with the caliber to stand against the Empire—
Knock knock.
A sudden knock. Yelena tilted her head. She had rented out the entire floor. She crushed out her cigarette and opened the door.
"...Eh? Knight Maximilian?"
Standing before her was Maximilian. Golden eyes and bright blond hair.
"Yes. It is Maximilian." He gave a wry smile and glanced to the side. "I intended to have someone deliver this to you, but I figured it might arouse suspicion."
Around him, the Adversaries stood with fierce, glaring eyes. Yelena nodded.
"Ah. I see. What brings you here?"
"It is a gift I failed to give you earlier."
Maximilian handed her an ornate box. A gift? Blinking as she received it, Yelena suddenly took on a mischievous expression.
"Boo—!"
She threw open the lid toward Maximilian.
"...?"
Maximilian blankly tilted his head. Yelena let out a laugh.
"...What are you doing?"
"It could have been a bomb. It was a joke."
"...Right. I will be going now."
Maximilian responded dryly and turned around. Yelena awkwardly scratched her head before going back inside to examine the box. A crude piece of parchment and a note lay inside.
She picked up the note first.
*
I thoroughly enjoyed our meeting today.
This parchment is a very special item that allows us to communicate regardless of distance.
It seems we are in quite similar situations, so I am giving this to you in hopes it might be of help someday.
*
What in the world was this?
Staring at it intently, she picked up a fountain pen and playfully scribbled in the margin of the parchment.
[If I do this, can you read my writing?]
In less than a few seconds, blue writing appeared.
[Of course. However, this parchment has an extremely wide range capable of spanning the continent, and it emits no mana waves, so there is no risk of the contents leaking. In exchange, it is a single-use consumable. Its production cost is also incredibly expensive.]
It was a roundabout way of telling her not to waste it on useless sentences.
"Even though he wrote a much longer message himself."
Yelena rested her chin on her hand and gazed at the parchment. There was no reason for her, a powerful figure of the Eastern Union, to keep a secret channel open with an Imperial Knight, but his words—that they were in 'similar situations'—resonated with her.
"It's also not polite to reject a gesture of goodwill."
Above all, Yelena was curious about what was inside Maximilian's mind. An imperialist obsessed with the illusory elitism of the 'Aranian' race.
If he clearly despised her for being a Sled, why had he given her such a gift?