Do Your Own Revolution

#013

“Huaaahm~!”

“You’ve been oversleeping lately. Eugene, is something wrong?”

Early morning.

Hearing my yawn, Senior Dwayne showed his characteristic friendly smile.

There’s a hidden meaning in that question.

While I was carefully choosing my words, wary of his intent, Senior Karin jumped into the conversation with perfect timing.

“Of course he’s tired! Making a ten-year-old run around day after day, how could his body keep up? Right, Eugene?”

“…Well, unlike us, Eugene is still growing.”

Hearing Karin’s words, Senior Dwayne nodded as if somewhat convinced.

‘This is dangerous, are they starting to get suspicious?’

Behind that friendly smile, there was a hidden coldness.

Not missing that, I walked down the corridor pretending to be casual.

There was still a year left until the imprint completely consumed my mind.

It had been half a year since I started exploring the underground passages at night.

While I had already completed the escape route I planned while traversing the underground passages, the method to kill Count Elcidore was still unclear.

‘But at least, the time invested has paid off.’

My magical power capacity was incomparable to when I first arrived.

My skill in handling the imprint had also improved, and I was steadily gaining practical experience through repeated missions.

Particularly significant changes were seen in the magic imprint implanted in my arm.

In addition to the two marks initially implanted, one more mark had been added.

This was proof that my position within the Knifehead had risen, and that I had gained Ben’s trust.

It had been half a year since I became an official member of Knifehead.

For what I’d achieved in such a short time, it was quite impressive.

‘Plus, I’ve made a useful companion too.’

After our first meeting half a year ago, Irene and I had many conversations.

How we spent our childhoods, what we grew up seeing.

Irene talked about her unfortunate life story and became sad, and I comforted her while playing the role of a ‘fairy’.

Those conversations that started in the middle of the night would end only at dawn, and as they continued, Irene and I were soon calling each other friends.

‘Irene is a boss monster with one of the highest difficulty ratings in all of [Revolution Empire]. If you fail to defeat her at the first encounter, she becomes an existence that leads the entire game scenario to a bad ending.’

Meeting such an entity in childhood and building a relationship was quite an encouraging achievement.

Even if not now, it would be useful someday.

‘Eugene! So you’re Eugene!’

I revealed that I wasn’t actually a fairy about a month after we met.

I blurted it out in frustration since continuing to lie seemed impossible, but thinking about it now, it seemed like the right choice.

‘Hehe… Friend, friend. Not a fairy friend, but a real friend… hehehe……’

…That was the right choice, right?

“Come in.”

Opening the door to Ben’s voice, Ben greeted me and the two others, sitting in his usual manner.

Dwayne, Karin, and Eugene.

At some point, the three of us had started working together frequently as a team, and this summons was no different.

“It’s a mission.”

Along with that dry statement, a single document was handed over.

There were no detailed briefings or specific mission instructions like before.

We just had to check the contents written on the document and turn around to leave.

‘I probably won’t be able to visit her for about three days… I should buy a cookie to bring when I go visit.’

Thinking of the ‘friend’ waiting in the laboratory, I turned around.

A mission like any other, a target no different from usual.

Right now, I was cutting off the Revolutionary Army’s limbs.

***

“Let’s see… Miss Karin Wesper, Mr. Dwayne Wesper, and Mr. Leon Wesper. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

To the station attendant’s question, dressed in a neat uniform, Senior Karin responded with a fresh smile.

“Confirmed. Then, this way please……”

The moment the attendant lowered his body after seeing that, the operation began.

The attendant, with a dagger in his lung, looked at Senior Karin with a pale face before his breath soon ceased.

“By the way, this is really twisted. Why am I the only one using an old alias while you two use your real names?”

“Pfft.”

Blood stains would raise suspicion.

While freeze-treating the dead attendant’s body and asking that, Senior Karin and Senior Dwayne giggled.

“Hey, Leon is a pretty name~ Right, Dwayne?”

“It’s also the name our youngest official member used when killing the Belkers branch director. Seems pretty monumental if you ask me.”

“Monumental, really……”

This time’s fake identities were of three siblings from the frontier noble family Wesper.

With the setting of heading to a resort for summer, I had to faithfully play the role of an excited child among them.

Acting like a child always felt fucking awful, but at the same time, it was the most efficient strategy I could employ.

Plus, this time I got a free cookie to give to Irene.

Despite being embarrassing, it was quite a useful skill.

As we were talking, the armored train carrying me and my companions started moving with the sound of artificial magic circuit activation.

A sturdy train car that would pierce straight through the contaminated zone infested with magical beasts.

But before we could admire its majesty, as soon as the train started moving, the three of us took out the equipment hidden in our luggage.

Specially made adhesive explosives and detonators.

And the daggers used by the Knifehead.

“Reconfirming mission details. Eugene?”

“Yes.”

Senior Dwayne was commanding this mission.

Following his instructions, I delivered Ben’s operation plan to the two.

“This armored train is operated by Count Keldin’s family, carrying weapons to be supplied to Revolutionary Army occupied territories.”

“Keh, that damn Revolutionary Army again? Don’t they ever get tired?”

“Karin.”

Dwayne, stopping Karin’s complaints, gave me a look. It meant to continue.

“…Our mission is to blow up the weapons loaded in the cargo car and falsify the recipient’s name for the cargo. After killing all passengers, we’ll disguise it as Revolutionary Army terrorism.”

Like any other operation, it was horrifically cruel content.

“The problem is the Revolutionary Army hidden in the cargo car… They’re not pushovers.”

Despite his friendly face, Dwayne couldn’t hide the cold sweat on his forehead.

It was as he said.

There were dozens of Revolutionary Army members inside the cargo car.

Some of them were elite soldiers who had completed Magic Awakening.

“To break through that with just three people, then handle the information manipulation and explosion…”

“You know what I’ve been thinking~ Don’t our missions seem to be getting tougher?”

I expressed mild agreement with Senior Karin’s complaints.

Usually, when you do work well, more work comes your way.

Hearing the grumbling, Senior Dwayne smiled slightly and assigned the missions.

“Karin, standby between the passenger car and cargo car. Take care of the attendants and guards.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll handle the evidence manipulation and ‘process’ the passengers. Eugene…”

“Enter the cargo car, eliminate Revolutionary Army, plant bombs on the stored artifacts. Confirmed.”

After hearing my response, Senior Dwayne nodded and put on his gas mask and hood.

It took less than 10 minutes for three harmonious siblings heading to a resort to transform into three assassins.

After checking the gas mask’s operation status, I gave Senior Dwayne a thumbs up.

After confirming Senior Karin’s hand signal, Senior Dwayne took out two chemical bombs and.

“Operation start.”

With those words, the train we were on was enveloped in poison gas.

***

“Cough, cough…!”

“Aagh! My eyes… My eyes……”

“What… What’s happening suddenly……”

The technicians Elcidore had recruited in advance were more capable than expected.

Most of the air circulation systems had stopped working as soon as the train departed, and all windows were welded shut.

This armored train, having left the station and entered the tracks, had now become a gas chamber on rails.

“What, what’s going on!?”

“Poison gas, who would do such a crazy thing……”

That’s when the Revolutionary Army members hiding in the cargo car made their move.

News that all passengers on the train had turned into corpses.

The moment they came out of the cargo car in shock, the Ice Spear I had created in advance shattered the head of the Revolutionary Army member who jumped out.

“……”

“A-an attack?!”

Before they could even be surprised, a small figure appeared from the darkness.

A small shadow wearing a gas mask and hood.

And the Ice Spears floating around it.

The remaining Revolutionary Army members immediately took combat positions.

This was now a well-known sight within the Revolutionary Army.

“It’s him! That one!”

“Elcidore’s little devil……”

The assassin who killed Belkers branch captain Refin and murdered countless Revolutionary Army collaborators.

At some point, the Revolutionary Army had started calling that existence ‘Elcidore’s little devil’.

“Kugh?!”

After blocking the incoming Ice Spear, the boy’s small body immediately rushed in.

Several Revolutionary Army members tried to respond by drawing up magical power, but the situation wasn’t good.

This was inside a small train car, and the boy was already tangled with their comrade.

“Gyaaaargh?!”

In an instant, two Revolutionary Army members lost their lives, and the boy’s Ice Spears were looking for their next target.

Like that, one by one.

After about 20 minutes, all ten Revolutionary Army members hiding in the cargo car had turned into cold corpses.

“Whew-!”

Was it combat fatigue?

After dealing with all the Revolutionary Army members, Eugene took off his gas mask and let out a heavy breath.

But the mission wasn’t over here.

Eugene immediately took out the bombs he had kept and started attaching them to the ammunition stored in the cargo car.

High-explosive shells, machine gun bullets, rifles, and other military supplies including combat engineer explosives.

It was enough quantity to turn the entire train into a fireball if it caused a chain explosion.

“Mission complete.”

Boom-!

After creating several Ice Spears, he detonated them on the spot.

The cargo car’s outer wall, reinforced with thin steel plates, tore like paper, and the murky landscape of the contaminated area came into full view.

Flash-

Not long after, a small light flickered in between.

The wandering merchants recruited in advance to help with the escape.

As their signal came, Karin and Dwayne waiting in the next car jumped out.

“Eugene!”

As Eugene heard Karin’s call for him, just as he was about to jump out last.

“Eugene. So that was your name?”

“Kugh?!”

Someone grabbed Eugene’s neck.

“What, what’s this!?”

“You didn’t eliminate all of them?!”

Both people’s eyes widened at the sudden situation.

Eugene also seemed surprised, turning his head to look at who had grabbed him.

“Long time no see. Isn’t that right, little one?”

“Y-you……”

Revolutionary Army leader, Maximilien was there.

“……”

“……..”

Karin and Dwayne hurriedly looked back and exchanged hand signals.

The Knifehead’s principle.

When mission failure becomes apparent, the Knifehead member must commit suicide.

Karin shook her head saying no, but Dwayne gritted his teeth and activated his magic imprint.

The family’s principles were absolute, and no traces could be left from missions.

The explosives Eugene had planted ignited, and Eugene and Maximilien were instantly caught in the explosion.

Red-tinted vision, and hair burning in the middle of it.

Just as they reached out their hands, Eugene’s figure became impossible to find, hidden by the train’s explosive smoke.

***

“Ugh, ugh……”

My body feels heavy.

Memories are hazy, and my head feels dizzy as if hit by something.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t remember what happened.

“Hack!”

As I immediately got up, the surrounding landscape came into view.

Purple-infected undergrowth and barren wasteland.

And a single campfire illuminating that desolate land…

‘Where is this? How did I survive?’

That’s when I was thinking.

“Are you conscious?”

A familiar. Therefore, a voice that shouldn’t be heard came from behind me.

When I hurriedly turned around, there was a face I never wanted to meet again.

“Maximilien…!”

“Hehehe.”

He showed his teeth while looking at me and smiled, then opened his mouth.

“When I pressed Hans, he spilled everything.”

“……”

It was what I had told him when we met last time.

“Thanks to that, the operation was cancelled. A few informants were sacrificed, but we should consider the damage minimized.”

After saying that, Maximilien slowly stood up and pointed a gun at me.

“So, this time I’ll ask you properly. Boy.”

“……”

“You who have never met us. You who have never seen us… Why do you know every detail about our plans and even our traitors? How exactly?”

I can’t answer.

Would he believe me if I started talking about game transmigration or whatever?

Instead, I thought desperately.

‘Killing Elcidore alone is nonsense, and it’s not something I can do by myself.’

‘The only variable I have left is Irene. But even that is too early to use.’

‘Then…’

The thought was quick, and the decision was even quicker.

I will use Maximilien, use the Revolutionary Army.

Make the Revolutionary Army bring down Elcidore, and survive.

After making my decision, I threw my gambit.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“…A deal?”

“Yes. A deal.”

The most dangerous move to break through this situation.

“Don’t you want to bring down Elcidore?”