Do Your Own Revolution

#101

“Good. They arrived just in time.”

During the period of Claude’s secret meeting with the Emperor.

Randall, who was preparing Revolutionary Army’s next plan, smiled slightly as he looked at the supplies that had arrived from the Republic.

“Weapons, ammunition, and twelve vials of the ‘Black Rose’ toxin. Confirmed receipt.”

What Randall picked up was a glass flask containing a blood-red liquid.

During the Great War, it was a weapon of mass destruction that the Republic had created in desperation after repeated defeats, the ‘Black Rose.’

“Please handle it with utmost care, Director. If even a tiny crack forms in that flask…”

“Everyone within a 100-meter radius would die. I know.”

Randall shrugged his shoulders as he said this.

Seeing the red liquid swirling in Randall’s grip, the Republic agent disguised as a transport worker bared his teeth slightly.

“To think you’d request such weapons from our homeland… Director Randall, you must be quite impatient.”

“……”

At the provocative tone, Randall’s expression hardened as he glared at the man.

The man’s characteristic sharp gaze visible between his hat was fixed on Randall.

Though his face wore a smile, behind it lay an emptiness devoid of even a fragment of emotion.

With hollow eyes, the First Agent in charge of ‘transport’ opened his mouth toward Randall.

“It’s been two years since you bragged about killing the Emperor.”

“……”

“Yet in those two years, neither you nor the Revolutionary Army have produced results worthy of His Excellency’s interest.”

With those words, the corners of the smiling man’s mouth dropped slightly.

A minute change that ordinary people wouldn’t notice.

But Randall could tell clearly.

This man was now revealing his killing intent.

“The trap using Count Elcidore’s remnants failed. You failed to obstruct the Emperor’s reforms, and in these past two years, you’ve failed to stop the expansion of the Special Magical Power Unit.”

“Unexpected situations arose. There were corresponding achievements…”

“The monster mutation experiment data? Was scientific experimentation what His Excellency ordered you to do? Hmm?”

Such an overbearing attitude, as if addressing his own subordinate.

A sardonic smile played around Randall’s lips.

The ones from the homeland were always like this.

Parasites who act as if they were the Secretary General himself just because they received orders from him.

“The situation within the Republic isn’t good due to the armistice treaty. In times like these, for the Republic’s best agent to have no clear achievements, what do you plan to do?”

“……”

He felt what little patience remained running out.

Come to think of it, from the homeland’s perspective, losing one or two informants like this wouldn’t be much of a loss.

They could just claim they died on the way back.

“Complete your mission as soon as possible. If you fail this time too, the next courier won’t be me but Number Two…”

Slash-!

Before he could finish speaking, the man’s head fell off.

A black shadow from Randall’s imprint had severed his neck.

“…!”

“Listening to you go on and on, your arrogance reaches the heavens.”

The man’s head gaped in apparent shock.

Looking down at this sight, a cold sneer appeared on Randall’s face.

“I’m the one who reformed the Republic from His Excellency’s inner circle. A mere messenger dares to make such pathetic threats?”

“How, I couldn’t even see…”

“Relay this to His Excellency Vladimir.”

Though his head was separated from his neck, no blood flowed.

The man’s body gradually turned black, centered on the wound.

Seeing this, Randall frowned.

To die without even knowing what technique was used against him, without even sensing the magical power.

Even an apprentice knight from any magic noble family wouldn’t be this dull.

“Tell him the plan is proceeding without a hitch, and good news will follow soon. And.”

Finally, addressing the completely blackened head, Randall continued in a cold tone.

“…Next time you select agents, it would be better to properly verify their abilities.”

“Ah, aah…”

Crumble-!

Split in two with an eerie sound, the man finally turned to black ashes and disappeared without a trace.

The cargo room became quiet, as if Randall had been alone from the start.

“Haa.”

He released a deep sigh mixed with rising irritation.

To let his emotions show over a mere messenger’s nonsense, fatigue must be piling up.

Returning to his usual expression, Randall spoke to the air.

“Proceed with the plan as scheduled.”

At those words, nine shadows that had been standing behind him prostrated themselves.

What hadn’t even shown an outline until just now suddenly revealed their forms.

The six-stroke magic imprint glowing on their right arms.

These were his long-term pieces he had been grooming as the next generation of heroes, considering Claude’s betrayal.

“I’ll move if necessary, but don’t let your guard down. Especially regarding Eugene Lorentz. That one always creates variables. Be particularly careful.”

Understanding Randall’s words, two shadows slowly bowed their heads before concealing themselves again.

‘Not much longer.’

The time to grasp the Empire after stepping over the Emperor’s corpse was drawing near.

And when that time comes…

“This childish game called the Revolutionary Army will also come to an end.”

Randall smiled with satisfaction as he shuffled through the documents on his desk.

About a month remained until the operation began.

The preparations for the Emperor’s assassination were steadily progressing beneath the surface.

***

“Welcome.”

At a small tavern located in a corner of the Imperial capital.

I sat down at the counter and let out a dry sigh.

“What did I just witness?”

After meeting with Claude, the Emperor returned to the palace and relayed the details of the plan.

Andrei adamantly opposing it while the Emperor blocked him.

Their intense argument over his safety eventually turned into…

‘It was the same forty years ago during our secret meeting. Even if it’s for the Emperor’s safety, who enters a place of male-female relations wearing full armor?’

‘If Your Majesty brings that up, I have something to say too. The port from thirty-seven years ago! For someone who stole the lady I chased for two years to say such things…!’

They started an intense battle over love affairs from before my age.

My goodness, to see the Empire’s two highest authorities growling at each other over women from more than 30 years ago.

As young blood meant to lead the Empire’s next generation, I felt my already insufficient patriotism being scraped away.

‘Maybe the Empire… should just disappear?’

Come to think of it, revolution. It doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

Yeah. That must be it.

While I was seriously considering defecting to the Revolutionary Army, the Emperor suddenly came to his senses and sent me here.

The tavern Aidan.

He said it’s a café he frequents, but given the hour, it would be awkward to wake the palace staff.

So I came out on an errand to clear my head as well.

Why did I have to watch two seventy-year-olds fight over women from thirty years ago?

“May I take your order?”

“Ah.”

At the waiter’s question, I ordered from the menu written on the note the Emperor gave me.

“Three sardine pies, two dark beers, and one chocolate cookie… please.”

“Ah.”

I’m at a loss for words even after saying it myself.

What is this insane combination?

Sardine pie with dark beer?

What’s wrong with the Empire’s Emperor’s taste in food?

“Ah, you’re our reserved guest. This way.”

Reserved?

He even eats this regularly?

Sardine pie?

Just as my doubts were deepening, the waiter guided me to a back door set in one corner of the shop.

It seems foods ordered from the palace are prepared separately.

Come to think of it, since it’s food the Emperor himself eats, that makes sense.

Thinking this while following the waiter’s guidance for ten minutes.

No matter how I thought about it, something felt off.

‘The next building? That should be a communications base station.’

No, it was more than that.

The employee guiding me into the base station, leading me to the basement.

Moreover, seeing their extremely tense appearance, it seemed there was some other ulterior motive.

‘Since these are coordinates directly specified by the Emperor, they shouldn’t be enemies. But still…’

Better safe than sorry.

As I drew up a bit of magical power, the employee slowly opened the basement door, and.

“…What is this?”

Inside was a space completely different from the outside.

Rustle rustle-

Beep. Beep. Beeeep-

“Intercepted. ‘AF lacks drinking water.’ Their attack target isn’t Lancaster but Aliman.”

“Message to Owl! Three acorns planted in Raccoon’s den. First operation successful!”

“Team B discovered during operation. Currently fleeing with contact. Support team on standby locally will…”

Numerous telegraph poles and communication devices.

And between them, countless telegram documents and communication records flying about, suited men moving busily.

In the middle of all these people looking haggard like office workers obsessed with overtime, an equally haggard-faced woman greeted me.

Looking to be in her late twenties, with thick horn-rimmed glasses.

A woman wearing the white coat issued to the Imperial Guard Knight Order draped like a blanket.

At first glance, she reminded me of Rennie.

Of course, this one looked much more weathered by life’s hardships.

“Special Magical Power Unit Battalion Commander Eugene Lorentz. Correct?”

“Yes, but…”

When I answered, she roughly nodded and spoke toward my side.

“See? So put your guns down quickly.”

“D-Director. But…”

“You can see his imprint. Six-stroke mages aren’t common, and you must have verified his personal information. What are you so worried about?”

At her sharp retort, the men who had been glaring at me slowly lowered their pistols.

Why point them when they wouldn’t even scratch him anyway?

Muttering this while shaking her head, the woman took out a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth.

Not a homemade cigarette, but one from Imperial military supplies.

‘A woman wearing an Imperial Guard Knight Order coat and smoking military cigarettes…’

Plus, Director? Then could this person be…

“Imperial Intelligence Department Director, Rebecca Pendleton.”

“…Pardon?”

Hey, this is crazy.

Really?

“You heard correctly.”

While I stood frozen, unable to speak, the woman who introduced herself as Rebecca twisted her lips and took my hand.

“Welcome to the Imperial Intelligence Department.”

No, really.

Why are you doing this to me, Your Majesty?

You said it was just an errand.

No, you said it was just a simple errand!

***

“I already know the operation details. I refined the plan His Majesty conceived.”

Rebecca took the note the Emperor had given me and said this while guiding me to her office.

No, I still can’t believe this.

The restaurant owner I was sent to on an errand is the Intelligence Department Director, and the menu written on the note is the password to enter the Intelligence Department? Your Majesty, you only said there was someone there, you never mentioned they were the Intelligence Department Director!

“The headquarters location is quite… open. Even though it’s not downtown, there were many people around the waterfront bar.”

What kind of spy movie is this, having the Empire’s largest intelligence agency in the middle of the city?

Oh wait, it works.

This was a game world after all.

“Though it looks like a bar, everyone inside was our agents.”

“…Everyone?”

“Yes. From the shop owner to the customers, even the passersby.”

What the.

This isn’t The Truman Show, how can they spread their agents all around their headquarters entrance?

“Thanks to His Majesty’s generous budget. And your Special Magical Power Unit is contributing to that, so I’m somewhat grateful.”

“For that kind of thing, the agents’ welcome was a bit intense.”

Even pointing guns unnecessarily.

“Of course. Our workload increased more than fivefold along with the budget.”

Rebecca smirked while maintaining her haggard face and put a new cigarette in her mouth.

“Thanks to some crazy bastards who blew up the entire city of Elcryer, all our agents had to frantically overturn Imperial media outlets to control information and suppress news coverage.”

“Ah.”

“We had to somehow plant agents among the magic nobles who were thoroughly enraged by the Elcidore incident. And to make matters worse, now we have to personally ‘stage’ His Majesty’s assassination.”

I glanced at the Intelligence Department agents driven mad by overtime and overwork.

“Hey, is that him? That bastard’s the Special Magical Power Unit commander?! Do you know what hell I went through cleaning up after you…!”

“Hey hey, catch that bastard!”

“Why catch him?!”

“Because I’m going to hit him first, so catch that bastard! Huh? Hey? Hey that bastard’s looking away! You, I’ve got your face memorized, you son of a…”

I covered my eyes and ears and shut myself in dark darkness.

This is the Intelligence Department you chose.

Endure it with pure grit.

While I was doing that, Rebecca, who had been shuffling through documents occupying half her office, called me.

“It wasn’t His Majesty who called you here, but me. There’s something we need to do before the plan.”

“Something we need to do?”

Rebecca pulled out a well-printed stack of documents and handed them to me.

“This is the list of spies that the Intelligence Department has acquired over the past two years.”

Randall’s eyes that relay the capital’s situation to the Revolutionary Army in real-time.

I pulled out several pages and looked at the profiles of the people in them.

“Wow, insane…”

Seeing it directly was quite something.

Palace janitors.

Nobles residing in the capital.

Self-employed workers, writers, musicians. Even the Imperial Guard.

Dozens of detailed profiles with everything from birth backgrounds to childhood, family history.

I was amazed once at the number of spies, and again at the Intelligence Department’s ability to compile such a list in just two years.

‘So the only person who could control this organization was the Emperor…’

I hadn’t realized the Emperor’s early death in the original work would cause such a huge butterfly effect.

If an organization with this level of intelligence and espionage capabilities had functioned properly in [Revolution Empire]’s main story?

I guarantee.

Maximilien’s revolution declaration or whatever, they all would have been dragged to Korhonen Prison before it even started.

“We’ve compiled the list. However, handling all these bastards at once is beyond what we can do.”

Thinking this, I turned the last page.

The groundwork for the plan and the first step in starting the Emperor’s assassination operation.

Eliminating all the Republic’s spies hiding in the capital.

“The Intelligence Department cannot move openly. So dealing with these ‘reactionaries’…”

“Of course.”

Rebecca interrupted and held out her hand to me.

A single cigarette in her hand.

Taking it, I lit the cigarette with a smirk.

“The Special Magical Power Unit will handle it.”

Similar smiles played across both Intelligence Director Rebecca’s face and mine.

School ties, blood ties, regional ties. And after that, smoking ties.

The partner the Emperor introduced was someone who matched with me beyond imagination.

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