Do Your Own Revolution

#059

My hearing, disguised as a report, ended without much fuss.

Inside the empire, territories were falling one after another in real-time due to the Revolutionary Army’s activities, while outside, Westraine’s army had begun their advance.

The military, with fire at their feet, said “Since we caught the rebels, let’s promote this bastard and send him to the frontlines,” and the Knight Order accepted the request with “Do whatever you want with that, just end this meeting quickly!”

From the start, they weren’t interested in the report; they just wanted to get their bureaucratic nonsense over with.

Just like a bunch of old men with nothing better to do.

“Becoming a captain just two months after being promoted to lieutenant, isn’t that promotion speed too fast?”

“I got promoted before I was even commissioned for a month. At this rate, I’m worried I might get arrested for speeding.”

“Aren’t you bragging too much?”

“When they give a lieutenant rank to a one-month rookie, it means the imperial army has gone to hell. What’s there to brag about?”

The exchange of crude jokes and snickering didn’t last long.

“So the day has come to return to that wretched family.”

Feilun, who had recently started using more vulgar language, bid farewell with a bitter expression.

“This is goodbye, Eugene. Though it was brief, I enjoyed working with you.”

“Next time we meet, you’ll be wearing the Knight Order uniform.”

“Though I’m not sure if that Zeplant fellow will let that happen.”

At the mention of his rival, the First Born of Nachtval, Feilun’s eyes deepened as he looked at the train.

His destination was Ernstburg, the territory of the Nachtval duchy.

The one who had called him while he was waiting for his next assignment was none other than the Duke of Nachtval himself.

“It’s absurd when I think about it. I specifically joined the imperial army to avoid this kind of situation.”

“You’re the second seat of the magic nobles. It must have been simple to pressure the imperial army.”

And they probably had people planted within the imperial army too.

When I said that, Feilun sighed as if he knew it all too well.

As a reaction to the Revolutionary Army’s increasingly intense activities, the magic nobles were calling back their family forces that had been scattered throughout the empire.

Currently, the Revolutionary Army’s blade was pointed at the minor nobles.

While they dealt with the Revolutionary Army’s attacks, they probably planned to use the Knight Order to sweep them away.

And dump all external affairs on the imperial army.

‘They’re probably planning to use the war with Westraine to weaken the imperial army. In the original story, they almost succeeded.’

Thinking back to [Revolution Empire]’s main story, that was exactly what happened.

The protagonist’s main enemies after joining the Revolutionary Army were the magic nobles and their Knight Orders.

The imperial army was half-collapsed while dealing with the monsters on the eastern front and Westraine on the western front, and the magic nobles who belatedly filled that void used the remaining imperial army as cannon fodder for the Knight Order.

‘But even after concentrating their forces like that, they couldn’t stop the revolution.’

More accurately, they couldn’t stop the protagonist who grew insanely powerful.

The rookie revolutionary member received the Supreme Leader’s imprint and became a great magician handling seven stroke imprints in just a few years.

He was a variable that neither the magic nobles nor even his allies in the Revolutionary Army had anticipated.

The protagonist in the original story succeeded in an impossible revolution, only to be betrayed.

‘That’s why I’m more curious. How will the Revolutionary Army change without its protagonist?’

My reason for letting Claude live was both practical and driven by personal curiosity.

The Revolutionary Army was born with the purpose of overthrowing the nobles and emperor to establish a new empire.

However, with Westraine’s invasion as a catalyst, the Revolutionary Army’s values began to deteriorate.

[Revolutionary warriors continuing their lonely fight against the corrupt regime!]

[Don’t worry anymore! The Republic of Westraine will help you!]

Westraine’s agents approached the Revolutionary Army, offering troops and supplies.

Though they extended their hands with smiling faces, the protagonist Eugene had drawn a firm line.

[While we welcome support in the form of investment, we cannot accept your interference in our activities.]

[W-what?]

[I said we cannot accept it.]

Remembering Maximilien who shared the same fate as the emperor, the protagonist had said:

[This revolution must be achieved purely by the hands of imperial citizens. We cannot borrow the hands of a foreign country, especially Westraine, an enemy nation that has nothing to do with the empire.]

[This isn’t my personal opinion, but the will of Maximilien, the founder of the Revolutionary Army.]

Westraine was an old nemesis who had been invading imperial territories, a common enemy to all imperial citizens regardless of class.

If the Revolutionary Army were to operate with support from such people, what would happen to their position within the empire?

Probably the Revolutionary Army receiving Westraine’s proposal now was thinking the same thing, but…

‘When I killed Maximilien, the original story was distorted.’

Maximilien died earlier than intended, and Vark, who succeeded him, met a tragic end leaving behind the cancer called Randall.

All that remained was Randall, who tried to manipulate the Revolutionary Army according to Westraine’s orders, and Claude who was being swayed by him.

In this situation, I didn’t think the Revolutionary Army would reject Westraine’s support.

“Rather, this works out well.”

With my assignment to the western front, my contact points with the Revolutionary Army would disappear for a while.

If during that time, the Revolutionary Army fell for Randall’s schemes and became Westraine’s dog?

I could use them as pawns to bring down the magic nobles, then dispose of them as enemy spies.

‘And before that, I should extract as many useful comrades as possible.’

With that thought, I opened the door of the armored train that had stopped before me.

To track down the NPCs I met in the original story, I needed information first.

***

“Here! Aah~!”

“Uh, uugh…”

Inside the luxuriously decorated armored train car.

In the middle of the wide open space was the insignia of the Buckenheim family.

Sitting in that spacious area were two girls with black hair.

The girl with slightly wavy hair was Irene, and the one with messy hair and large glasses was Rennie.

“Rennie, don’t you like cookies? Should I get you something else?”

“No, that’s not it…”

Looking at Irene who was pushing cookies with an innocent face, Rennie seemed at a loss.

“Irene. It’s fine to watch her, but don’t stick too close.”

“Why? Is it dangerous?”

“Of course it is.”

He was right.

Although she was sticking close under the pretense of watching Rennie, this girl called Irene was incredibly frail.

A noble young lady who had never even lifted a plate by herself, let alone received military training.

She was just driven by trivial curiosity after hearing about the capture of a prisoner her age.

For Rennie, killing such a frail girl and escaping would be nothing.

However…

‘I can’t escape.’

Even if she could break through the surveillance and slip away, Rennie couldn’t escape this train.

That imperial soldier Eugene who captured her knew about her mother’s existence.

‘Even if I succeed in escaping, with just one letter from him…’

Her mother working for the Branvilde family would be executed immediately.

The reason for her existence would vanish in an instant.

“So, Miles hasn’t been with them for long, right?”

“Ah, that… that’s…!”

Just as her thoughts were continuing.

When Eugene, who was reading a newspaper, asked the question, Rennie immediately opened her mouth.

“A-according to Claude, yes. I don’t know exactly but…”

“He wouldn’t have lied to his comrade. And from what point did the number of new recruits joining the Revolutionary Army noticeably increase?”

“Th-that’s right. Just as you say.”

She felt self-loathing.

To avoid displeasing this man, she had to actively sell out information about her comrades.

But at the same time, she felt something strange.

‘The questions he’s asking… aren’t they odd?’

Usually in situations like this, there were set questions to ask prisoners.

The Revolutionary Army’s operation plans, locations of hideouts, weaknesses of key figures, or the structure of magic imprints.

But he seemed uninterested in such information.

Rather, what he asked about were her life stories and daily experiences after joining the Revolutionary Army.

Though she nervously revealed some information, he simply waved his hand dismissively as if uninterested.

“Milred hasn’t joined yet… same for Leopold. Then the northern prison? If so…”

Moreover, his reactions after hearing these stories were even stranger.

When she talked about her daily life or the names of low-ranking members, he would become lost in thought and start muttering to himself.

A week since the train departed from the imperial capital.

During that time, she felt less like a prisoner being interrogated and more like a grandmother reading storybooks.

‘Well, more like being treated as a parrot than a grandmother…’

Just as the dejected Rennie was sighing.

Eugene, who had been lost in thought with his chin propped up, slowly stood up.

“Alright. The interrogation ends here.”

As he said that, two soldiers who had boarded the train with him approached.

“Guide her to the private room. Don’t put handcuffs on her.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

“Are you sure that’s alright? This woman is one of the key figures of the rebels…”

“It’s fine. She won’t run away anyway.”

Unlike the two soldiers who were wary of her, Eugene spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I’m right, aren’t I? Ren.”

“Kuk…!”

Seeing Eugene’s face as he spoke with a twisted smile, Rennie’s face flushed red.

That attitude of calling her like a comrade.

It was his way of reminding her that he held her mother hostage.

After Rennie was led away by the soldiers.

“Buccaneer, Pai, Selina… fewer people than I expected have joined the Revolutionary Army.”

Eugene, recalling his conversation with Rennie, immediately began writing names on paper.

He already had all the Revolutionary Army’s main bases memorized, and even if he found out more, he who was heading to the western front had no way to utilize that information.

‘Provide information to the magic nobles? Why would I do something good for them.’

In this situation, what Eugene needed to know was how far Westraine’s influence had reached into the Revolutionary Army.

And how many talented individuals had joined the Revolutionary Army.

“Lieutenant! We’ve arrived!”

“You’re a lieutenant too, Ortega. Please, I’m begging you, stop with the honorifics.”

His comrades snickered as they teased him.

Eugene, after snapping at them, pulled down his military cap and stepped out of the train.

“Attention!”

Outside, a group of soldiers in black uniforms were waiting for Eugene.

Seeing their uniforms different from the regular imperial army, Eugene could tell who they were.

Special Magical Power Unit.

Their historic first unit was lined up before him.

“Salute to the company commander!”

At Guille’s command at the front, the members all saluted toward Eugene in unison.

“Good to see you all.”

Eugene returned a casual salute while looking over his unit members.

‘This is our commander? He looks too young.’

‘Haven’t you read the news? He’s the one who crushed the entire Revolutionary Army. The devil of magic bullets…’

‘Tch, doesn’t look like much.’

A group of various undesirables including criminals and former Revolutionary Army members.

Their saluting appearance looked less like soldiers and more like vagabonds in military uniforms.

However, among them.

Seeing one man glaring at him, a faint smile appeared on Eugene’s lips.

“Bingo.”

Leopold Kolhead, from the northern prison.

The man who should have become the Revolutionary Army’s assault commander was wearing the uniform of the Special Magical Power Unit.