#044.
“Mourning the death of Colonel Mildren, who died in action during the transport operation of the vicious rebels and left behind brilliant achievents in training the Imperial Magic Corps and Imperial Army, the Magic Corps and Imperial Army will not yield to the rebels’ malicious attacks……”
Blah blah blah and so on.
After the tedious speech that rivaled a principal’s lecture ended, the second-year cadet representative standing in front of the podium lowered the flag.
“Fire-!”
Bang-! Boom boom-!
I saluted in ti with the ceremonial gunfire shot by the senior cadets.
Rest in peace, action beam style.
I had a bad feeling when he said he would personally take Claude, but I never expected him to be murdered so quickly.
‘As expected, were they monitoring from the beginning?’
They said the principal’s body was discovered about a week after Claude’s arrest.
The body was found in the forest area outside the capital, and all the bodies except for the principal’s had disappeared.
In the end, this major incident of the military academy principal’s murder remained shrouded in mystery with only circumstantial evidence pointing to the Revolutionary Army… But that’s just what the police who don’t know the Revolutionary Army’s organizational structure would say.
‘It’s obvious who did it.’
They killed all the mages escorting Claude and the principal himself, who possessed a four stroke magic imprint, and concealed the bodies.
In the process, to send a ssage to the Empire, they even mutilated the principal’s body and left it hanging in a visible location.
Considering the weakened state of the Revolutionary Army after the failed emperor assassination and two years of subjugation operations, only one person could have done this in this situation.
‘Randall Dean Clark.’
And through the fact that he rescued Claude, I could deduce what situation the Revolutionary Army was in now.
The title of ‘Maximilien’s successor’ that was given to the protagonist in the original work.
That title has been given to Claude.
‘And from the mont that was confird, Randall would have stuck by Claude’s side as a protector. Just like he did with the protagonist in the original.’
In Revolution Empire Part 1, Randall was quite a popular character among users.
A cool supporting character who would appear in monts of crisis or near-death situations with his signature line “Am I too late?”
With his handso face, shadow manipulation ability, and position as an aide almost equal to Maximilien, it was natural for him to be popular.
However, at the mont of completing the final chapter of Part 2, ‘Battle for the Imperial Capital’, he changes completely.
He strikes Eugene from behind and destroys his magic circuit, turning him into a cripple.
‘If I had tried to kill Claude there, Randall would have burst in.’
A mage with seven stroke magic imprint and nearly unique shadow attribute.
An opponent I couldn’t win against right now.
As evidence, Principal Mildren, who was almost equal to
in magical ability, was killed.
‘I won’t ask you to understand our decision, Eugene. However, this is absolutely necessary.’
I recalled the final cinematic scene of [Revolution Empire 2].
Looking down at the imprisoned protagonist, that’s what he had said.
A businessman who supported the Revolutionary Army, a negotiator who drew support from various sectors of the Empire.
After betraying the protagonist and changing masks, Randall becos the true power behind the newly created revolutionary governnt.
To annex the massive nation of Kalhyram Empire into Westraine.
‘But this ti is different.’
Maximilien died faster than he thought, and the Revolutionary Army’s plans failed more miserably than he expected.
He might be able to take control of the revolution through Claude, Maximilien’s successor… But to change the crumbling Revolutionary Army his way, he’ll need to put in quite a lot of effort.
For the next few years, the Revolutionary Army won’t be able to move carelessly.
And during those few years, I will grow into a being they cannot touch.
Yes. For that…
For that……!
“I need to do sothing about these math grades first.”
“Ugh.”
In the bustling student cafeteria.
When I handed over the test paper from before the final evaluation, Senior Feilun who saw it smirked.
“Though you’ll definitely be in the top ranks since all your practical evaluations are perfect… With math grades like this, being first in the year is impossible.”
At the senior’s words that struck like a bolt from the blue, I dropped my head weaklessly.
‘I managed the first sester tests because of advance studying, but I guess the next ones were too much after all…’
Co to think of it, this was bound to happen eventually.
After all, wasn’t I soone who got into military academy through cramming for the entrance exam, and moreover, through Mrs. Maybelle’s divine entrance consulting?
When such a person suddenly has to study alone, my worthless brain that got 466 in Korean, English, and Math started holding
back.
In other words, I’m following the sa path as those kids who got into university riding on academy scores and then crash and burn in their major exams.
‘Stop! I am the glorious Kalhyram Military Academy! Reveal your grades!’
‘466.’
‘You can’t enter this school with such a rock head!’
‘Yeah well, I got in.’
Ah, I miss you, Mrs. Maybelle.
It was rather easier back then when I could study while completely trusting in you.
‘Should I steal the exam questions? No, there’s no guarantee of success and the risk if I fail is too high. Then……’
“By the way, things seem quite urgent at the frontlines.”
Regardless of my rough thoughts and uneasy feelings, Senior Feilun, who was reading the newspaper, took a big bite of his sandwich.
“The frontlines?”
“There’s an article about Westraine’s large-scale ground forces gathering in the western plains region. There’s also news about armored train tracks being laid near the border. Anyone can see this is……”
“A sign of war.”
At my response, Senior Feilun nodded heavily.
The decades-long precarious ceasefire between the Empire and Westraine was about to end.
“Are you worried?”
“From next sester, I’ll be heading to the frontlines instead of school. It would be stranger not to be worried.”
Saying that, Feilun grinned and popped the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.
Learning combat theory at the Imperial Military Academy in the capital was only until second year.
Third-year cadets are assigned their specialties and receive officer training in their deployed units, most of which were in dangerous zones adjacent to monster-infested areas.
“……You’re going to the frontlines?”
But that wasn’t the part I found surprising.
Regardless of ti period or setting, no parent wants their child deployed to the front lines.
This was even more true for nobles.
As seen in the eternal truth that if you can avoid military service, you should, most noble children typically used all their connections to get assigned to the rear.
But the second son of none other than the Nachtval duchy going to the frontlines? The very front lines?
My puzzlent didn’t last long before I let out a small laugh and said to Senior Feilun.
“Senior, don’t tell
you’re planning to enter the succession competition?”
At those words, Senior Feilun’s smile deepened.
“As expected, our junior is quick-witted.”
“Huh.”
Now I was starting to understand why this person who was sick of noble privileges appeared as the magic noble faction boss.
There were two cases where a magic noble family’s child would be sent to the frontlines.
Either their standing in the family was so low they couldn’t even get assigned to the rear, or they were aiming for the successor position by achieving military rits.
In Senior Feilun’s case, it was the latter, which is why he was headed to the frontlines.
“This is unexpected. Given your usual remarks, I thought you wouldn’t want to get into the mud pit of succession competition.”
“Originally, I didn’t. But watching this school changed my thinking.”
Saying that, Senior Feilun looked out at the bustling student cafeteria.
Nobles with nobles, non-nobles with non-nobles.
This cafeteria, divided by mutual contempt and hatred, was no different from a miniature exhibition showing the current state of the Empire.
“Eugene.”
Feilun called out to
and imdiately asked.
“When war breaks out with Westraine, what decision do you think the Magic Corps will make?”
“They won’t move.”
I answered right away.
“They’ll use monster subjugation in the eastern wasteland and various regions as an excuse to avoid providing troops however they can.”
“And the real intention?”
“To reduce the Imperial Family’s political standing by wearing down the Imperial Army through war.”
Hearing my answer, Senior Feilun nodded with a sigh.
“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous? The entire country is about to be engulfed in war, yet instead of cooperating, they only wish for each other’s downfall.”
“I guess they consider each other more threatening enemies than Westraine.”
“Yes. That’s why the Empire is in this sorry state.”
It was quite surprising to hear such words from the legitimate heir of the magic nobles who had privatized the Magic Corps, but he wasn’t wrong.
Even if they crushed the Revolutionary Army’s montum and pushed through reforms, this crumbling Empire showed no signs of wanting to change easily.
What kind of country was this ga’s Empire?
It was a hopeless country where the Emperor with future-seeing abilities locked himself in his room saying “I won’t do it, you bastards.”
The country would imdiately change just because the Emperor awakened and Keiren rose to a high position?
If that were the case, my journey would have ended when I beca Keiren’s adopted son.
Why would I enter military academy at the tender age of 12 and go through all this hardship, when I could have just taken a few buildings in the capital with the money from Lupeon’s imprint and lived an easy life?
“Politics divided between the noble faction and imperial faction.”
“Nobles monopolizing mages through the Knight Order and Magic Corps, and the Imperial Army that has no choice but to depend on them.”
“The Revolutionary Army shaking up such an Empire, and Westraine trying to swallow the Empire whole.”
Senior Feilun and I took turns pointing out the Empire’s problems one by one.
And naturally, we could arrive at the sa answer.
The Empire was still a hellish country, and there were far too many enemies threatening it.
So to survive.
To avoid being used as a tool and discarded like the original protagonist…
“We need to change the Empire.”
“……”
“And I think you share the sa thoughts as .”
Hearing Feilun’s words, my eyes lit up.
Soone with the insight to accurately diagnose the Empire’s current situation and the will to change it.
Who would have thought the boss monster you et in the early stages would have such aspirations?
‘In the original work, he died in the early episodes, so he couldn’t fulfill these intentions, huh.’
It felt ironically fresh.
That it was the Revolutionary Army, who tried to change the Empire, that crushed soone talented who wanted to change the Empire.
But unlike then, the current
and Feilun were quite compatible as senior and junior.
‘If Feilun becos the family successor instead of ‘that bastard’ who is Nachtval’s heir…’
Could I potentially bring the magic nobles’ second seat to my side?
While I was thinking this, Senior Feilun held out his hand just like when we first t.
No need to hesitate anymore.
I imdiately grabbed his hand.
“If we et again at the frontlines or elsewhere.”
“I’ll have to help you. How could I refuse a request from my esteed senior?”
Adding an evolved form of flattery, a smile spread across Senior Feilun’s face.
The next candidate for Duke Nachtval.
He was my first collaborator gained at the military academy.
Author's Thoughts
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