Do Your Own Revolution

#021.

“All troops disembark!”

The infantry of the 72nd Division, disembarking from the armored train, immediately began securing various parts of the Belkers domain.

“As of this moment, the Belkers domain is under Imperial Army control, and all trains and airships are to cease operations!”

“Imperial Army?! What? Why are you people here……!”

“Q-quick, remaining personnel, stop them! If they get inside the mansion……!”

The Magic Corps mages stationed at the outskirts tried to stop the Imperial Army, but it was futile.

“Ugh, urk?!”

The sound of the howitzer mounted on the armored train shook the entire domain.

It was a blank shell with no warhead.

Not meant for actual killing, but a show of force to demonstrate firepower superiority.

“Drop your weapons! Now!”

“A-alright! D-don’t shoot…!”

“Imperial Army, what’s the meaning of this suddenly……!”

As hundreds of gun barrels pointed at them simultaneously, the Magic Corps lost their will to fight.

With their forces depleted trying to break through the mansion occupied by the Revolutionary Army, and the magical power signature of the head of the household, Elcidore, now gone.

In this situation, it was impossible to stop the Imperial Army advancing with their armored train.

“It’s quiet. Despite the battle at the castle.”

Major General Keiren remarked while walking down the deserted main road.

For this level of disturbance, there should be at least someone coming out to check the situation or domain residents trying to escape, but there wasn’t a single one.

It seemed to show at a glance how much Elcidore had oppressed the domain’s residents.

Eventually, Keiren and his soldiers arrived at the main gate of the Elcidore mansion.

Looking at the facility that was closer to a fortress than a mansion, Keiren let out a sigh.

‘So this is why the Magic Corps couldn’t rashly enter.’

The battle took place inside the mansion.

Even if the Magic Corps stationed at the outskirts tried to enter belatedly, the Revolutionary Army that had infiltrated would have occupied the towers and fortified their position.

To think they would have to siege a fortress they themselves built.

Keiren couldn’t understand why Lupeon made such a decision.

“The gate is locked, but there are no signs of life on the other side. This is……”

“Blow up the gate and enter.”

At Keiren’s order, the combat engineers immediately began setting up explosives.

Military explosives were plastered all over the Elcidore mansion’s main gate with its classical decorations.

With an explosion, the gate disappeared without a trace.

At Keiren’s gesture, soldiers with rifles raised rushed into the mansion interior en masse.

Past the thick castle walls like a fortress and the heavy main gate.

As they stepped inside, the faces of the soldiers who saw the mansion’s interior turned pale.

“M-Major General?!”

“This is, what……!”

The mansion’s interior was a sea of blood.

A space covered in blood and torn body parts scattered here and there.

It was an unbearably horrific sight even to Major General Keiren, who had been through countless battlefields.

“Ugh, urgh?!”

Upon witnessing this unexpected carnage, several soldiers retched.

However, they couldn’t stop the search because of that.

The soldiers swallowed hard and began searching throughout the mansion with their rifles at the ready.

“Revolutionary Army, Elcidore knights…. What’s with these gas masks?”

They checked the bodies strewn across the mansion courtyard.

“Look here. All the servants and coachmen were killed too.”

“What in the world happened here……?”

They started searching for survivors inside the mansion.

“These bones buried under the castle wall….”

“Looks like they’ve been buried for a while…. Wait, aren’t these children?”

“This place looks like a training ground and barracks no matter how you look at it….”

“What were these crazy Elcidore bastards doing inside this mansion?”

As they thoroughly searched the completely destroyed Elcidore mansion.

“Found it! It’s Lord Lupeon’s body!”

“It-it’s Maximilien! We-we found the Revolutionary Army leader’s body!”

At the two pieces of news that came simultaneously, Keiren frowned.

The bodies of the two men were soon brought out on stretchers.

Looking back and forth between Lupeon and Maximilien’s bodies, Keiren fell into deep thought.

‘As expected, it’s certain that Maximilien killed Lupeon.’

Lupeon’s corpse had his chest completely crushed, and the arm that should have had the magic imprint was cut off.

‘The Revolutionary Army won the battle between the two factions, and Maximilien had enough leisure to retrieve Lupeon’s magic imprint. But why……’

How could the victor Maximilien be dead?

Keiren examined Maximilien’s body.

A huge hole in the heart area, as if pierced by a massive bullet.

‘This isn’t a trace of Lupeon’s ice magic. This is Maximilien’s own magic.’

To die by his own magic, does that mean he committed suicide?

Keiren looked at Maximilien’s right arm.

The magic imprint ‘Wings of Crimson’ that should have been implanted there was nowhere to be found.

‘Elcidore’s right arm hasn’t been found yet, and Maximilien’s magic imprint has also disappeared. Then….’

Spitting out his finished cigarette, Keiren reached a conclusion.

‘An unknown third party must have taken everything for themselves.’

If that’s the case, the problem becomes even more serious.

‘Rider of the Ice Prison’ and ‘Wings of Crimson’.

To think two magic imprints equivalent to strategic weapons have disappeared.

If these were to leak to the Revolutionary Army or a foreign country like Westraine……!

As Major General Keiren’s concerns deepened.

“Two survivors found! They’re children!”

“Oh, ooh!”

At the shout from a corner of the mansion, color returned to the soldiers’ faces.

“Children? Really?”

“Yes! One girl and one boy! We’ll protect them now!”

The reporting soldier slung his rifle on his back and took out a chocolate bar from his pocket.

“Here, this way kids. Don’t be scared, take uncle’s hand.”

Soon after, small hands emerged hesitantly and grabbed the soldier’s hand.

A boy and girl who had been hiding in a closet in a corner of the mansion.

Eugene Lorentz and Irene Elcryer.

***

Two days after the search of the Elcidore mansion was completed.

Keiren and the 72nd Division cleaned up the blood-soaked mansion and made it their temporary base.

They still had work to do, such as confirming the identities of the fallen and their military achievements.

Processing the bodies and maintaining public order.

“Even for internal affairs of a noble family…. This went too far.”

What particularly caught Major General Keiren’s attention were the children’s bones piled up inside the Elcidore mansion and the torture chamber.

Flipping through unsettling photos and reports, the major general put a cigarette in his mouth.

“So they’re still not saying anything?”

“Yes, Major General. It seems they’re quite shocked after seeing that carnage firsthand….”

“Yes, understandable.”

Though the major general agreed with the staff officer’s words, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off.

After pondering for a while.

The major general finally put down the report he was reading and stood up.

“Guide me to the children. I’ll talk to them directly.”

“M-Major General will speak to them personally?”

“Yes.”

The staff officer who heard Keiren’s words immediately led the way.

The children were in one of the guest reception rooms located in a corner of the mansion.

It was a luxurious room but had few pieces of furniture.

Two beds and a desk in the middle of the room, and chairs.

The original furniture had been removed to suit its purpose as an interrogation room.

The soldiers probably took any valuable items while they were at it.

“Are these the children?”

Keiren asked, looking at the two children sitting at the desk.

“……”

“……”

The two kept their distance while watching him warily.

Judging by their complexion, he could imagine how the soldiers and staff officers in charge of interrogation had treated the children.

“Soldier there.”

Keiren called to the soldier guarding the interrogation room.

“P-private First Class! Benny Ra……!”

“Yes, yes. Benny. Sorry, but could you give us some space?”

When the soldier stammered at the division commander’s words, he smiled and patted the soldier’s shoulder.

“Go out. The kids must be scared with soldiers glaring at them.”

“Ah, yes……!”

“Ah, tell the staff officer outside. Tell him to brighten up the interrogation room’s atmosphere and bring some combat rations.”

Maybe they’ll open up if I give them some crackers or candy.

After making that request, Keiren slowly approached and sat in the chair placed in the center of the room.

“……”

Keiren didn’t ask questions first.

He merely looked back and forth between the two children with a faint smile.

“……Um.”

After some silence continued that way, the boy who couldn’t bear the awkwardness opened his mouth.

“Are you…. Not going to ask questions?”

It was the boy sitting on the left.

Eugene was his name, wasn’t it?

Looking at the boy’s seemingly frightened face, Keiren narrowed his eyes.

‘That child, something’s different.’

Though he was acting like a frightened child, years of military experience and instinct warned him.

This boy named Eugene.

He wasn’t simply trembling in fear.

“You said you’re Eugene?”

“Y-yes……”

Looking into the eyes of the boy who was looking up at him dejectedly, Keiren asked.

“You’re not an innocent victim, are you?”

“Ye-yes…?”

He seemed to try denying it for a moment but it was useless.

Keiren looked into Eugene’s eyes with his chin resting on his interlocked hands.

“Among the boy soldiers scattered across battlefields, there are children with eyes similar to yours.”

“……”

“Hiding daggers behind the mask of a child, waiting for an opportunity. Waiting for the opponent to let their guard down, ready to go for the throat at any time.”

The look in the eyes of children who survived while bearing responsibilities unfitting for their young age.

Eyes that children of that age shouldn’t have.

“By my guess, you’re not an innocent survivor. At least a party to or collaborator in the incident that turned Elcidore upside down…. Perhaps even the mastermind.”

The girl sitting next to him, seemingly frightened by the relentless words, hid behind the boy’s back.

“So there should be no lies in answering this question I’m about to ask.”

Sorry to that child but it can’t be helped.

Suppressing his guilt, Keiren spoke to the boy.

“Who killed Maximilien?”

If he insisted on denying until the end, there was no choice.

A torture specialist would be dispatched, and real interrogation would begin.

The current empire was that cruel of a country after all.

Please take off the mask.

Thinking that, Keiren waited for the boy’s answer.

“……Haa.”

Eventually, as if having made a decision, the boy dropped the frightened posture he had maintained throughout.

“Major General Keiren Valkheim, right?”

Speaking in a languid voice unfitting for his age, he addressed Keiren.

…Wait.

How does that child know my name?

I never once mentioned Valkheim?

“Before making my statement, I have one request.”

Such thoughts were brief.

The boy, now sitting comfortably as if a different person from moments ago, said to Keiren.

“Perhaps, do you have a cigarette?”

“……What?”

Hearing the words of the boy called Eugene, Keiren was dumbfounded for a moment.

This child seemed to be much stranger than he had thought.