Chapter 192: Changing Days (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 192: Changing Days (2)
Lately, talk of war had become increasingly common within the Sentinel Knights.
War, war, war.
Knights with a keen sense of the political climate had vaguely sensed it was only a matter of time. But now that Valkania had actually launched an invasion of a neighboring country, a complex tension filled the Order.
In truth, the war in the West hadn't been that long ago. However, most of the knights who now formed the core of the Sentinels had been children at the time, or hadn't even been born yet. The sheer weight of real combat was bound to feel foreign to them.
"...We just need to focus on our own duties."
Hannah Usar, however, put a firm stop to the murmuring of the administrative staff.
She hadn't had a moment's rest lately.
Her days were a grueling routine: hunting down and arresting violators of the Imperial Citizenship Act, tracking revolutionary groups hiding underground, and capturing foreign spies who had subtly infiltrated the Empire before handing them over to the Annex.
Right now, for the sake of the Empire and the Aran, she had no time to worry about the affairs of other nations.
Knock, knock—
Just as Hannah was about to start a new report, a visitor arrived.
A knight opened the door and stepped inside. Looking at his still-youthful face, Hannah raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Lucas. What is it?"
Lucas Limperk. His father, a judge, was said to have deep ties to Maximilian. Regardless, he was a rookie worth keeping an eye on.
"Ah, it's just that..."
Lucas looked like a wreck. His eyes were sunken as if he hadn't slept in days, and his face was gaunt.
Hannah immediately guessed the reason.
"I came to ask for some advice on analyzing Active Residual Traces."
Active Residual Traces. The first great wall new knights slammed into.
Hannah Usar rested her chin on her hand for a moment.
"Active Residual Traces... that's something you're originally supposed to figure out on your own by just throwing yourself at it. You have to go to the Magic Tower or a university and audit some related lectures to even start getting a feel for it."
Hannah herself had run back and forth between universities like a madwoman to learn about Active Residual Traces. She'd gotten maybe three or four hours of sleep a day, and even that was just catnapping in her car.
"Yes. I've already applied to audit lectures at the Sentio Magic Tower," Lucas replied, his voice dejected.
Hannah gazed at him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"Alright, go and wait for now. I have some materials I used back in the day. I'll organize them and give them to you later."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
In the grand scheme of things, Lucas and I are both in the 'Maximilian line.' And more importantly, a Sentinel is a Sentinel.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Senior Knight!"
Lucas left the office with a face as bright as if he'd been handed the world.
"...Brings back memories. For me, too."
It had only been a year, but it felt like three.
That was how intense it had been.
Hannah opened a deep drawer in her desk and pulled out a thick, bound notebook.
"..."
It was a copy of the Active Residual Trace analysis case file Maximilian had once tossed to her. In its margins were the commentary and analytical logic Hannah had painstakingly written, shedding blood, sweat, and tears to figure it all out. It was a kind of 'master manual.'
But the reason she couldn't just hand this notebook over right now was...
[ This is fucking hard, ah, shit, my head's gonna explode~~ ]
[ How the hell did he do this, the crazy monster. ]
Not only were crude exclamations like these scattered throughout the notebook...
[ That bastard Jacob, why the hell is he trying to frame me... ]
[ Jacob, that motherfucker, after I was so good to him. ]
[ Hah, life fucking sucks. I just want to quit everything and go home. ]
...but it was also filled with the raw dregs of emotion she had scrawled down when she couldn't bear the extreme stress, along with all sorts of petty complaints.
"Ahem."
It was proof of how insanely she had devoted herself to her work, blurring the boundary between her daily life and her duties. But it was hardly a record that would make her look respectable in front of a junior.
Scratch. Scratch.
She meticulously edited the notebook, erasing all her personal remarks and leaving only Maximilian's genius conclusions along with her own added logical interpretations, polishing it into a proper textbook.
[Active Residual Trace Manual for New Knights]
The finished product was a bit too good for Lucas to use alone.
It would be good to distribute this to the other rookies later.
"Administrator Dawson, could you please deliver this to Knight Lucas?"
"Yes! Right away, Knight."
After handing the master manual to the administrator, Hannah massaged her stiff neck and walked to the window. A red sunset was settling over the city like a low-lying fog.
Beyond the plate-glass window lay the Imperial capital, with crimson clouds drifting above it.
Hannah suddenly felt a vague emotion rising from deep within her chest.
Where are we, and the Empire, headed?
What kind of world awaits us?
"...It'll all change on its own, I suppose."
Honestly, even thinking about it felt like a waste of time.
Hannah returned to her desk and opened a new set of files.
* * *
The information operation to shatter the Valkanian alliance proceeded obliquely and cautiously. There was no need for me to personally brandish my sword in such a delicate incitement. For that, I had the best expert in the field: Johann Georg Goetze.
First, I scraped together every detail of the past actions of Valkania's de facto leader, Prime Minister Argento. I sifted through Valkania's internal political literature, press reports, and even unofficial high-society gossip, compiling every statement he had made throughout his political career.
──[ Prime Minister Argento's Remarks Regarding the Empire ]──
* * *
"Now, we just need to twist the wording and revise it."
Johann tapped the tip of his pen against a paragraph from one of Prime Minister Argento's past speeches, which had been published in a Valkanian state-run newspaper.
"This word here. It's a metaphorical expression unique to the Valkanian language, carrying a very polysemous nuance. Since its sentence structure is different from the Empire's common tongue to begin with, we can add a bit of 'creative mistranslation' during the translation process."
Johann's pen nib scratched across the newspaper article.
[Original: We must be wary of compromises like those of the old dynasties that settled for comfort under the Empire's shadow.]
[Revision: I despise the submission of the vile royals who live like parasites under the Empire's darkness.]
"We change the tone of the translation to be more aggressive, like this."
I gave a small nod.
"And release this directly to the press?"
"No."
Johann adjusted his glasses, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Newspapers and mass media are useful for incitement, but they lack weight. The suspicious and conservative bureaucrats and nobles of the Imperial Palace tend to rely more on print that carries authority and credibility."
Simply put, the officials and nobles of the Imperial Palace trusted the words of someone who seemed more impressive than a mere journalist.
I understood Johann's intent.
"Academia."
"Yes, precisely."
Johann nodded.
"We just need to make a request to the dean of the Imperial Central University. It will be perfect if we insert these statements by citing them in what appears to be an academic paper published about three or four years ago."
In other words, we would lean on the 'authority of academia.'
"A suitable title for the paper would be something like [An Analysis of the Valkanian Prime Minister's Political Rhetoric and Its Hostile Implications]."
Johann's design was flawless. It was a scheme to weaponize ideology and the printed word to definitively sabotage the alliance.
"Now that the justification is complete, we need an actual expert to lend authority to this paper. Shall we create a fake military critic?"
I waved off his suggestion.
"...No."
There was no need to create a fake. The shoddy organization and limitations of Valkania were existing facts, not something that needed to be fabricated.
"I'll find an authority myself."
…
This was an unnamed research institute located on the third floor of a shabby commercial building in Central District 30.
"Ah, yes. That's me."
The foundations of Imperial academia were quite broad and diverse. As such, experts who obsessively dug into the politics, society, and military of any foreign country could be found in some corner or another.
"I've been to Valkania over a dozen times for research purposes."
I had sought out the man known in this field as the Valkania expert.
His name was Ruben. He was an elite who had graduated from the Imperial Central University with honors, but due to the misfortune of choosing the wrong major, he was an ill-fated scholar wasting his talent here in District 30, managing a meager staff of three or four employees.
"I see."
Professor Ruben glanced at my uniform and scratched the back of his neck.
"...A few reporters have come seeking my opinion whenever the situation in Valkania became unstable, but I never expected a Sentinel Knight to come all the way to this humble place."
"They've launched a war of aggression, have they not?"
"Haha... Yes. Well. It was bound to happen."
Like a true expert, it seemed he had already anticipated this war.
I first asked about the Valkanian military's logistics system and force level.
"...Their military strength is extremely crude for a country of its size. Of course, it's enough to crush a tribal nation like Mekerel, which they've just invaded."
Professor Ruben continued with a bitter smile.
"It may sound absurd, but they still assemble their tanks by having artisans hand-carve the core components. As a result, some tanks are breathtaking masterpieces."
Indeed, they gave each of their tanks a unique name. There was one tank, the 'Pantra,' that held a record of winning a one-on-ten battle.
"However, other tanks have their engines give out even during training... It's that sort of situation. Since there's no standardization, the structure makes mass production and maintenance of military supplies impossible."
The comical state of the Valkanian military was infamous even before my regression.
"Furthermore, the extravagance of the officer corps has reached an extreme, and class conflict with the soldiers is so severe it's on the verge of a riot."
It was one of the most absurd anecdotes in Valkanian military history.
When a report came in that soldiers operating in a desert region were severely dehydrated, the rear command supplied them with several hundred boxes of red wine.
"Excellent."
"It's not an excellent country, in fact."
"No. I meant you, Professor Ruben."
I smiled at Professor Ruben.
"Now, it's time to gather that knowledge and publish it as a book."
"...Excuse me?"
Professor Ruben looked slightly taken aback.
"Ah, well, Knight. As you can see from this place..."
He looked around the cramped interior of his institute with a bitter expression.
There were only three employees. One was sweeping the floor, another was organizing receipts, and the last was typing on an old typewriter.
A cleaner, an accountant, and a secretary.
"With our institute's financial situation, we can barely make payroll for these three, let alone publish anything. We don't have the capacity to release a book—"
"So you are a precious and diligent Imperial Aranian who, despite being a poor scholar, is managing to feed three of his fellow Aranian people."
"...Pardon?"
"Your academic achievements, insight, and authority on Valkania are also truly excellent."
"...I am?"
I nodded and placed a suitcase full of cash on the desk.
"The full amount needed for publication and research."
Thump! The heavy sound echoed through the lab. Dust motes swirled up into the air before settling back down.
"I will sponsor you."
…
The 'texts' that would sabotage the future military alliance were now ready.
There was the paper on the Valkanian Prime Minister that Johann had fabricated, and the critical review that Professor Ruben would write, pointing out the incompetence and limitations of the Valkanian military.
The next problem was the timing of presenting this information to the Emperor.
I had no authority to interfere in the Emperor's political or diplomatic judgments. Nor should I.
Policy suggestions could be made in an official setting like the Council of State, but a clandestine operation like this—one meant to steer the 'direction' of a war—required a completely different approach.
Therefore, I decided to utilize the most perfect megaphone available.
"Max! What's going on?"
Reutern II.
His face alight with excitement, he waved as he entered the VIP room.
"A pleasure to see you, Duke Reutern. I heard you've been quite busy with public and private affairs lately..."
"Ah, well, you know, right? Valkania invaded Mekerel. The atmosphere in the palace is all stirred up because of it. The Minister of State is drawing up a response plan right now. They say it'll take a couple of days... You know how it is, right? Those westerners are already starting to condemn Valkania."
He started spilling internal secrets the moment he sat down.
"I see. What are your thoughts on Valkania, Duke Reutern?"
This was a man who dreamed of being a commander and pontificated on the art of war at every opportunity. He was the biggest blabbermouth in the Imperial Palace, desperate to 'show off' his knowledge in front of others.
"Hmm? I'm still sorting out my position. I've been doing some in-depth research on the situation over there lately."
"That's very impressive."
I gladly fed his vanity.
"Impressive? It's nothing. But there isn't much material available, you know?"
It wasn't that there was no material; he had probably just ordered his secretary or guards, "Hey, bring me some info on Valkania," and called it a day.
"I have some papers and military books related to Valkania."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. Have you heard of a Professor Ruben?"
"No. Who's that?"
"He's an authority on Valkania. I believe he's been researching Valkania for thirty years—"
"Oh, really?!"
Reutern II's eyes sparkled. The way he stared at me, wide-eyed, was a clear plea for me to hand them over at once.
"I'll have them delivered to your residence tomorrow."
"Huh? Tomorrow? Can't you give them to me today? I was planning on going home and studying right after dinner. I've been staying up every night studying lately, you know?"
He was suddenly feigning the image of a scholar thirsting for knowledge.
"The world is so vast, there's no time to rest!"
It seemed he was genuinely excited by the war itself.
"Of course. I'll have them loaded into your car when you leave after our meal."
"Thanks! As expected of you, Max. You've got good sense."
Just then, the food was served, and Reutern II picked up his knife with a satisfied look.
"The menu's completely changed... I've been so busy I haven't been able to come, but it's gotten even more delicious. I should come back with that professor, Ruben or whatever his name is, next time. Introduce me."
"Yes, of course."
I watched his face and smiled faintly.
I didn't know exactly how Reutern would act from here.
Perhaps he would stay up all night reading the papers, or perhaps he would order his secretaries to create summaries.
Then, after a cursory read, he would probably go around spewing spittle at other nobles and officials, pretending the high-level intelligence was the result of his own research and analysis.
Either way, it was beneficial for the Empire.
Therefore, Reutern II was also an imperialist, plain and simple.
"A glass? Shall we?"
I leisurely raised my wine glass.
"Ah, splendid!"
Reutern hummed a tune as he clinked his glass against mine.
Clink.
The clear sound rang out softly.