Do Your Own Revolution

< Final Chapter-001. >

When I close my eyes, I can still see that scenery from back then.

The dark basement.

Me, trembling and holding my breath.

And from that dark hole, the voice that spoke to me… Eugene’s voice.

Even after taking Eugene’s hand and coming outside.

Even after eating lots of delicious things and seeing many beautiful sights.

What remains before my closed eyes is still that cold scenery of the basement.

Perhaps my time stopped there, in that basement back then.

Eugene now has many people.

Friends, colleagues, and Mari whom he loves.

People who love Eugene.

People Eugene loves.

People who, to me, look like nothing but prey.

…… … ………

I hear voices.

The cries of those who call me Queen.

Like me.

Yet different from me, making those sounds.

“No.”

This is Eugene’s world.

A world created by gathering the ideologies and hopes of countless people.

If I carelessly break it, Eugene will be angry.

So, I must endure.

Suppress my instincts.

Suppress my urge to destroy.

While suppressing the voices echoing in my head, I should wish for Eugene’s happiness.

But……

“……for how long?”

***

“You… You devil spawn-!”

Boom–!

With an explosion, the solidly built fortress wall was completely destroyed.

The knights protecting it with magical power were likely crushed to death under the debris.

However, Ryan, the Knight Order Commander leading them, had no time to care about such things.

“Open fire.”

Boom–!

Dozens of spells struck the collapsed interior of the fortress.

The knights who had been maintaining barriers at the frontline were pushed back, unable to withstand the impact.

“Impossible, a barrier synchronized by ten knights, in one strike…!”

“Buckenheim 7th Knight Order Commander, Ryan Buckenheim.”

“…!”

Swish-!

Through the hole in the fortress came a group of soldiers wearing black uniforms.

“We wondered where you’d hidden, and you had such a fortress prepared?”

Seeing the badge on their chest and the imprint carved on their right arm, Ryan’s face twisted with indignation.

“Special Magical Power Unit… Eugene Lorentz’s dogs…!”

Though Ryan spat these words through gritted teeth, his feelings were complicated.

This fortress was one of the temporary hideouts owned by the Buckenheim Knight Order. Even the Kalhyram Army shouldn’t have been able to find it.

‘Yet enemies have stormed this fortress. Which means…’

Someone from within the Knight Order must have revealed the hideout’s location.

The moment this thought occurred to him, Ryan’s eyes widened as he saw those pointing their guns at him.

“You, you all…!”

Mages wearing Special Magical Power Unit uniforms, bearing their red imprints.

However, among them were faces familiar to him.

Knights of the fallen Duke Buckenheim.

Some of them had joined the Special Magical Power Unit.

“Do you have no honor as knights! You filthy traitors…!”

Clang–!

Before Ryan could finish speaking, magic from the Special Magical Power Unit members flew toward his face.

“Honor? Do you think you have the right to speak of such things, Sir Ryan?”

The unit members who fired magic at him maintained cold expressions.

They were none other than the Buckenheim knights now wearing Special Magical Power Unit uniforms.

“Your birth is lowly. Your bloodline isn’t pure. The magical power of branch family members isn’t orthodox…”

“Isn’t it ironic that the Knight Order Commander who discriminated against us with all sorts of double standards and prejudices is now an impure element eating away at the nation?”

“This, this…!”

Ryan gripped his sword handle so hard it might break, activating the formula carved into his imprint at maximum output.

Crystal armor enveloping his entire body.

With this formula containing Buckenheim’s essence, he should be able to break through the encirclement and get the knights out!

“The Knight Order never dies… We, we will definitely restore this empire to its original state…!”

As he shouted these words of determination, Ryan charged forward while releasing all his magical power.

However, at that moment.

“Glory to the Round Table and Knight Ord—!”

“All units, fire.”

Boom—!

With the commander’s single word, dozens of red beams completely pulverized Ryan’s charging body.

What remained after the explosion was just a lump of charcoal that was once the knight named Ryan.

When their Knight Order Commander vanished in an instant, the remaining knights one by one dropped their weapons and knelt.

Submit or die.

Those words Eugene Lorentz had said to the Knight Order were still being upheld.

“Report from the 7th border region. News that we’ve eliminated a hideout where Buckenheim Knight Order remnants had gathered.”

“Then this sector is wrapping up as well.”

Said Erich as he put down the report.

Hearing his voice, I removed a piece from one corner of the map.

On the Kalhyram Army airship fleet’s flagship, ‘Emperor’s Spear’.

In the office installed there, operations to eliminate Knight Order remnants were still ongoing.

“…By the way, Eugene.”

“What.”

“Isn’t it about time you took down that thing hanging in your office?”

“……”

[This Year’s Goal: Retirement]

The banner installed in the center of my office.

Erich, looking at it with a strange expression, continued speaking with a low sigh.

“It’s been hanging there for five years. At least replace it with a new one.”

“Will you let me retire if I change it?”

“Of course not.”

You didn’t have to be so blunt about it!

I looked at Erich with reproachful eyes, but there was nothing I could do.

Five years since the end of the civil war with the magic nobles.

The continent was unified, but there were countless problems remaining.

What could be the problem when we’ve caught all the magic nobles and there’s no republic anymore?

Well, let’s examine this one by one.

First, what we caught were the heads of each magic noble family, not the entire families.

The core remnants of the Knight Orders whose families were destroyed either hid in mountains and forests conducting guerrilla warfare while shouting ‘For the revival of the Knight Order!’, or degraded into bandits hiding in frontier villages committing robberies.

So what do we need to do about this?

Beat them all down, of course.

Second, we had to beat down the bastards in Westraine who were causing trouble trying to revive the republic.

I guess they missed the republic even after what happened with the secretary general.

Or maybe they’re the ones who used to leech off of it?

And finally.

Now that all the magic nobles are gone, we have these old imperial faction bastards crawling out trying to grab power.

They’re running their happy circuits thinking ‘Eugene Lorentz was a faithful servant of the imperial family, so he’ll surely employ us loyal subjects of the Emperor!’

After we worked so hard to seize power by beating down all the nobles, you want me to restore the monarchy in this situation? Oh please stop this nonsense.

If that was the plan, why would I have become Supreme Commander, you deranged old men.

So when we beat down the remnants of the old system, remnants of those remnants emerge, and when we beat down those remnants’ remnants, more weird guys pop up and spread shit all over the country.

I mean, what kind of nonsensical situation is it when the old Knight Order and Revolutionary Army remnants are joining forces?

And why are they fighting so well together?

“I want to retire.”

I said it out loud, but I’ll say it again.

I really fucking want to retire.

I mean, why do I have to keep working even after the war is over?

I thought the ending credits would roll after we finished beating down the magic nobles, but why is a Star Wars intro rolling instead?

“Still, thanks to your efforts over these five years, things have stabilized quite a bit.”

“Stabilized? More like suppressed by military force.”

After saying that, I opened a newspaper placed on one side of the office.

[New Kalhyram Railway Line Extension. Is Development Coming to Gloucester?]

[Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Transcontinental Railway Extending to Westraine. Successfully Proceeded with Council Member Keiren in Attendance…]

Though problems persisted in various frontier regions, the lives of imperial citizens had improved incomparably from before.

Complete end of the war.

The conscription system that bound imperial citizens is gone, and the budget that was used for war is now being used for poverty relief and social infrastructure expansion.

Civilian airships and trains filling the imperial capital’s sky, and packed cars.

And even new buildings gradually rising.

This continent where the war had ended was experiencing an unprecedented golden age.

“But this is, paradoxically, peace maintained by your presence.”

Erich, reviewing the republic reconstruction project, continued speaking as he turned the document pages.

“Your magical power that transcends seven stroke mages. And the military force moving under your hand, the Special Magical Power Unit.”

“……”

“This peace and development are maintained because this enormous power suppresses all social dissatisfaction.”

Thud-!

The airship shook once, seemingly having arrived at the dock.

Erich and I, after organizing the documents in hand, stepped off the airship.

“So, don’t worry too much.”

Stepping onto the increasingly bustling dock, Erich looked at me and said.

“You’re doing plenty well enough, Eugene.”

“…Is that so.”

Erich speaking those words amidst the busy crowd.

Hearing those words, I saw him off with a slight smile.

When a friend says something like that, you can’t retire even if you want to rest.

***

“Oh.”

“What’s this, you’re home early for once?”

On my chaotic way home from work.

As I was looking for my keys to my mansion in the imperial capital, Mari in travel clothes spoke to me.

“I thought you went to the republic for reconstruction work, looks like you’re back?”

“That’s right. How about you? Politics?”

“No, war.”

“You really need to take it easy.”

Saying that as I entered the house, I hung up my coat and headed to the kitchen.

The reconstruction work is overseen by the Treasury Department led by Erich and the Westraine interim government run by Anthony.

However, their roles were limited to construction and social infrastructure development, falling short in healing the scars of war.

What stepped forward there was the ‘Special Magical Power Unit Women’s Association’ that Mari took charge of.

They, renamed to ‘Kalhyram Peace Foundation’, were continuing humanitarian support activities such as medical service, refugee relief, and food supply in the republic region.

“Eugene. Did you buy anything outside?”

“Sandwiches and… some simple soup ingredients.”

“Good then. Bring those plates over here.”

Though it was our first meeting in nearly a week, neither of us minded.

Plates neatly arranged on the dining table, and dishes being placed on them.

Greeting Irene who was rubbing her sleepy eyes, dinner began.

“How’s the republic these days?”

“Our people are working hard, but the old feelings are really bad.”

It’s good to be workaholics as a couple in this aspect.

Because I can hear stories I wouldn’t know otherwise.

“When imperial army veterans come in, they’re immediately viewed with suspicion… If Anthony hadn’t mediated in between, things would’ve gone wrong long ago.”

“It’s natural to have lingering resentment when the war ended not too long ago.”

“But!”

The gloomy conversation continued only briefly.

Showing her finger, Mari spoke with a slight smile.

“It’s not like there’s no progress.”

“Oh?”

“Temporary housing is all completed, and we reached agreements on building large hospitals, child protection centers, and schools.”

“What, there’s more progress than I thought?”

“With all their talk about grudges and whatnot, I snapped ‘Even if you don’t care about yourselves, the children need to live!’ and that seemed to convince them.”

So Mari and I got heated up talking about our respective work.

Sharing opinions, and even arguing in some places.

As the dinner atmosphere was becoming lively.

“…Irene, what’s wrong?”

“Hm?”

Something was off about Irene who was eating cookies.

Looking blankly into space with slightly unfocused eyes.

“Did something happen?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“You’ve never actually been fine when you say you’re fine. What is it?”

“Um……”

As expected, Eugene noticed right away.

Irene muttered that, but soon she spread her fingers and brought them to her lips.

“It’s a secret from Eugene.”

Thud.

The sound of something heavy dropping in my heart.

A secret?

Irene… Irene keeping a secret from me…?

Is this how fathers with teenage daughters feel?

An inexplicable emptiness circling my whole body.

“What do you think, wife?”

“What? Was Irene our daughter?”

“I thought something similar.”

“Listen here. Even though she looks like that, Irene is…!”

That conversation didn’t last long.

“Never mind. I won’t say it.”

Mari cut off her words midway and heaved a deep sigh.

What’s this, did I say something wrong?

Just as I was thinking that while observing the strangely chilly atmosphere.

[Your Excellency!]

A magical power communication came through the imprint.

I thought it was strange to get off work on time, and sure enough, something had happened somewhere.

“Report.”

[Urgent report from the Research Department. An escort team transporting magic imprints for research was attacked!]

“…What?”

What’s this all of a sudden?

Attack?

“Casualties?”

[None. However, the magic imprint…]

“What’s the stolen imprint? A seven stroke imprint?”

[No, sir. The stolen imprint is that…]

After a brief pause, the Intelligence Department agent slowly opened his mouth.

[Red Wings.]

“……”

[Claude Elcidore’s imprint has been stolen.]

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