Do Your Own Revolution

#077

“Huff… Huff…!”

Rough breathing sounds were expelled through the gas mask filter.

They said it was old equipment, and damn, it’s suffocating.

Even while thinking that, Sergeant Leopold Kolhead gritted his teeth and lifted his head.

‘I can’t collapse here!’

According to what he heard from his superior, Count Gloucester was contemplating which side to take in the empire’s upcoming turbulent period.

Calling the Special Magical Power Unit to his territory was to gauge whether they had the power to change the future political situation.

In other words, he and his unit members needed to show their best performance in this territory.

That’s why currently, Leopold and the Special Magical Power Unit members were…

“Kieeek–!”

“Two monsters confirmed ahead! Third platoon will respond!”

“Fire! Keep shooting!”

“Minimize magic bullet consumption! The one who wastes them dies first!”

…fighting desperately to destroy monster nests in the contaminated areas near Gloucester.

“Good! Enemy monster cluster, successfully lured!”

“Battalion Commander! Now’s the time!”

Even with monster combat experience, the Special Magical Power Unit was close to being newcomers in this territory.

Therefore, the Special Magic Unit’s formation had one experienced Gloucester knight being escorted by the rest of the members.

When the knight who confirmed the gathered monsters signaled, Leopold immediately called for Eugene, the battalion commander.

“All units, maintain formation. Prepare for impact.”

“Impact? Hey, what’s that suddenly…”

“Sir Knight. It would be better to just quietly do as told.”

The Gloucester family knights’ confusion didn’t last long.

Eugene, looking at the monsters, immediately waved his hand.

Dozens of magic circles appeared in the air simultaneously with his gesture.

“Kruk?!”

“Kieek-!”

Dozens of magical power chains bound the monsters’ bodies, and the heat generated beneath them was churning as if about to explode at any moment.

When Eugene confirmed this, his hand pulled the trigger of his Heresy.

The Fireball Eugene shot upward and the Hellfire generated on the ground ignited simultaneously.

“Uw, uwaaak?!”

Flames, flames, and more flames.

The monsters that were struggling while bound in chains burned without a chance to resist.

The monsters were burned so crispy that not even ashes remained.

The knights who witnessed this scene opened their eyes wide in disbelief.

“Th-that is…”

It was natural to be surprised.

Even for himself, who went to the battlefield with him every day, it was a sight that couldn’t help but make him shudder every time he saw it.

Eugene prepared the next spell without delay after ejecting the spent magic bullet casing.

Watching Eugene like this, Leopold thought.

‘Just how is he this strong?’

In terms of stroke count alone, Eugene’s power wasn’t particularly outstanding.

After all, when you went up to the Knight Order’s higher ranks, it wasn’t difficult to find mages with five stroke inscriptions.

However, among those Knight Order leaders, there were no mages who demonstrated such overwhelming power as Eugene.

In other words, no one could carelessly fire spells that could single-handedly sweep away hundreds of monsters.

“Doesn’t feel like he’s the same human as us. Don’t you think?”

The one who said this while standing next to him was Company Commander Guille.

Watching Eugene’s back as he burned the monsters pouring out from the nest, he slowly opened his mouth.

“That guy was like that since military academy. Even while living together, I never felt like he was the same human as us.”

“……”

“Every time the newspapers make a fuss about him being a hero or whatever, Eugene gets sick of it… but well.”

Their commander maintaining his characteristic languid expression while burning monsters.

Even while firing spells at the monsters, Guille was watching that figure with his eyes.

“In the current empire, is there anyone more fitting for that title than that guy? I don’t think so.”

Saying that, Guille pulled out a magic bullet casing from the rifle he was holding.

“Company Commander. About restricting magic bullet use…”

“Sorry, but that only applies to newcomers like you.”

His inscription increased to four strokes.

Gritting his teeth while accepting the magical power supplied by the magic bullet, he was among the highest ranks of Special Magic Unit members excluding Eugene.

“That guy will become a hero who’ll overturn the empire. And we are the soldiers personally chosen by that hero.”

“…!”

“If we’ve stepped into this place after catching the eye of a hero, shouldn’t we show performance worthy of that?”

While saying that, Eugene, who had finished dealing with the monsters in front, immediately raised his hand to command the Special Magic Unit.

“All units, prepare to fire!”

The gun barrels of the members accompanying Eugene all aimed at the monster nest simultaneously, and after confirming this, Eugene reinforced their weapons’ power by imbuing them with his magical power.

The intention was for them to directly use magic beyond their level and learn from that experience.

For him, this monster nest was merely a training ground to develop his unit members’ skills.

“Fire-!”

With his command, dozens of gun barrels spewed fire simultaneously, and the large nest that had been spewing out monsters was engulfed in a pillar of flame.

The monster nest subjugation in Gloucester’s wasteland.

The result was a complete victory for the Special Magic Unit without a single casualty.

***

“Move your arm forward more. Yes, that’s good.”

“Hey, they’re already finished, so why does he have to keep going?”

“Old model protective suits take longer for decontamination. Please wait a bit more.”

“Don’t touch your face! It’ll damage your skin!”

Eliminate the threats to Gloucester territory.

Although I had boldly promised this to the Count, sadly, neither I nor the Special Magical Power Unit had any experience with this wasteland and contaminated areas.

[We need an adaptation period to carry out the mission.]

Accepting my request, Count Gloucester had veteran knights from the Gloucester family join the Special Magic Unit to carry out contaminated area exploration missions.

‘Of course, the Count probably allowed it because it was beneficial for him too.’

The biggest problem for the Gloucester Knight Order was manpower shortage.

In such circumstances, having 200 fresh inscription mages roll in meant the Count would want to utilize this personnel somehow.

Moreover, the Special Magic Unit members had experience in eliminating monsters on the frontlines.

One week after arriving in Gloucester territory.

The Special Magic Unit members who had been struggling to even properly take off their protective suits had now transformed into monster combat experts rivaling the Gloucester knights.

“Four medium-sized nests and twelve small ones. The decontaminated area is also the largest ever.”

Checking the Special Magic Unit’s combat results so far, a pleased smile spread across Margrave Gloucester’s face.

“Something that would take over two weeks with just the Knight Order was done in half a day, indeed having more numbers makes things easier! Uahaha!”

“We also gained good experience thanks to you.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

Contaminated area exploration missions and monster nest elimination. And the numerous unexpected situations that arose there.

By personally experiencing these, I and the Special Magic Unit were able to acquire Gloucester’s monster combat know-how and check their decontamination system.

The experience gained here would be compiled into manuals through Erich’s hands, and those manuals would become valuable assets for future fights against monsters.

Magic nobles, Revolutionary Army, Republic, monsters.

The Special Magical Power Unit I created was an organization that had to respond to all of these.

‘It’s all good. All good, but…’

Thinking that, I looked at the scene unfolding before my eyes.

“Your Grace, please try this. We just dug these up from the field, aren’t they good?”

“Oho? Are these the ones brought in from the mainland? You’ve cultivated them well!”

“Battalion Commander Eugene, please come here and try some of this too!”

“Here, here, have some drinks…”

A group of middle-aged women entering the garrison carrying loads of alcohol and meat.

According to the Count, they were the ‘Gloucester Knight Order Wives’ Association’, a group composed of the knights’ wives.

The alcohol and meat offered by these association madams.

And the Special Magic Unit members sitting in small groups all sweaty, enjoying those offerings.

This scene, no matter how you look at it…

“It’s just like getting snacks from civilians during public support missions.”

“Hm? Eugene, what did you say?”

“No, nothing.”

Why am I getting this familiar vibe of 21st-century military culture in a game’s fantasy setting?

While patting Irene’s head as she stuffed her mouth full of meat, I was caught up in an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.

“…Wait, Irene?”

“Hm? What?”

“Why exactly are you here getting meat from the madams? Don’t the knights here say anything?”

“The Count gave this to us to eat?”

As Irene, who had somehow sat down next to me, held up a piece of meat saying that, Count Gloucester sitting across from us laughed heartily.

“Khaa~! Indeed, this is good! Come, come, young lady, have a drink too!”

“Thank you, Your Grace!”

“My, my~ Such good manners! Completely different from our ill-mannered sons! Khahaha-!”

A military garrison where civilians freely come and go, and the knights think nothing of it.

Ah, this is driving me crazy.

It feels like all my preconceptions about the Knight Order are completely crumbling.

While this peculiar drinking party mixing nobles and commoners continued…

“Your Grace.”

Harpel, who had finished decontamination, approached the Count and whispered something.

“…I see. So that’s what happened?”

The Count’s expression changed instantly from his jovial smile while drinking.

As the Count quietly got up and moved away,

I approached him, and Count Gloucester, with a hardened expression, said to me.

“We had sent knights to the deep contaminated area. Since you all were handling the outer area development, I thought to use this chance to explore deeper. However…”

At the Count’s gesture, Harpel, who was standing behind him, added an explanation.

“The magical power signals from the dispatched knights disappeared. According to our intelligence, there weren’t any threatening monster nests in that area.”

“……”

“And the last magical power communication we received from the knights who lost contact… is this.”

After finishing his words, Harpel took out a hastily scribbled note and showed it to me.

[Enemy attack from rear. Attackers confirmed as mages with imprints.]

Mages with imprints.

There weren’t many groups in the empire that could operate these.

Revolutionary Army, Special Magic Unit, Magic Corps.

And…

“The rebels wouldn’t be interested in this territory.”

Count Gloucester, lowering his voice, slowly opened his mouth.

“The Special Magic Unit is with us, and the Magic Corps is tightly held by the imperial army. Then… there’s only one suspect left.”

After checking the note, I slightly turned my gaze to look at Count Gloucester’s face.

“The vermin who killed my precious knights, to think it would be a Knight Order of fellow magic nobles.”

That face that had been like a jovial countryside commoner was now distorted like an evil spirit.

***

“A telegram arrived from Margrave Gloucester. He said he quite liked the gift we sent.”

“Now that’s welcome news. Tell him I’ll send word separately later. I should catch up with an old friend after so long.”

An elderly man with white hair was walking slowly.

The Imperial Emperor, Friedrich El Franz Kalhyram.

However, the floor he was stepping on wasn’t the red carpet of the imperial palace where he usually resided.

This place where the emperor was walking was the empire’s airship ‘Kalhyram’ floating in the sky.

This massive beast in charge of the imperial army’s air fleet’s flagship was facing dozens of airships bearing the republic’s emblem.

The war with the republic that took place in less than a year.

This airship carrying the emperor was also the venue for the armistice negotiations.

“And Margrave Gloucester… added some interesting words about that child.”

Interesting words.

The emperor slightly nodded his head, substituting it for a command.

Tell me what he said.

Understanding that meaning, Andrei slowly opened his mouth.

“He said he’s as capable and dangerous a flame as ‘Informant M’.”

“……”

Informant M.

The emperor’s expression darkened at those words.

“Recalling the sins of youth is always painful.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. And if Kalkas evaluates them that highly, it means that child’s qualities are certainly genuine.”

While the emperor and Andrei’s conversation continued…

As the emperor approached with his guards, imperial soldiers raised their rifles and stood at attention.

Rifles with scratches all over despite desperate cleaning, and bayonets with cold sharp edges.

Looking at the soldier’s face, the emperor immediately knew.

Unlike his guards, these were soldiers experiencing actual combat on the frontlines.

The emperor silently moved towards the soldier.

The soldier, face pale, desperately recalled military protocol and shouted loudly.

“Gr-greeting His Imperial Majesty-!”

“Mm.”

The soldier frozen stiff with tension.

The emperor carefully observed the soldier’s appearance, then placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Y-Your Majesty’s grace…!”

“It is not you who has received grace, but I who have.”

Opening his mouth thus, the emperor patted the soldier’s shoulder with a faint smile.

“For the empire. And you have fought so hard for your own life.”

“Y-Your Majesty……”

“Your dedication. And the dedication of all imperial citizens who fought alongside you, I shall never forget.”

Hearing the emperor’s words, the soldier gripped his rifle tightly.

Probably thinking of fallen comrades, and family waiting in the empire.

He could understand without words.

He, too, was once a body that traversed countless battlefields.

“The numerous lives lost due to my incompetence. How could I measure all their resentment?”

“Your Majesty.”

The emperor’s voice murmuring as he passed by the soldiers was full of regret.

But that was only for a moment.

Hearing Andrei’s worried words, the emperor waved his hand with a slight smile.

“Don’t worry. I decided to stop dwelling on past mistakes since that day.”

As if greeting the emperor who said this to the knight who had guarded his back for decades, the door leading to the deck opened.

When the emperor appeared, the generals of both countries who had been waiting for him all stood up at once.

Keiren and the imperial army generals saluting him.

The republic’s army looking at the emperor with tense and wary eyes, and the one standing in their center was…

“It’s been a while since we met face to face, Secretary General.”

“…Emperor.”

The center of power ruling the republic.

First Secretary of the Westraine Communist Party, Vladimir Brezhnev.

“Well, since time is pressing for both sides…”

Meeting the eyes of the old bear glaring at him, the emperor slowly opened his mouth while looking around the gathering.

“Let’s begin the armistice negotiations.”

“……”

It was the republic that initiated the invasion first.

It was also the republic that proposed the armistice first.

A satisfied smile spread across the emperor’s face, while the secretary general’s face was stiffly frozen.

The war and armistice between the empire and republic that continued like an annual event.

Unlike until now when it always ended in the republic’s victory, this time the empire held the initiative in the negotiations.