Do Your Own Revolution

#035.

Cavalry poured out from the Imperial Palace entrance where the Emperor’s procession had departed.

Their uniforms gleamed golden, with ornate decorations adorning their rifles.

Though they appeared no different from an honor guard at first glance, the golden imprints embedded in their hands were not mere decorations but real.

“The Imperial Knight Order!”

“Damn it, we took too long!”

“Vark!”

As dozens of rifle barrels aligned in formation pointed at them, dismay spread across the faces of the other Revolutionary Army members.

They looked up hoping for support, but as expected.

The mages dispatched from Westraine had already left their positions.

“Those opportunistic bastards…!”

Anger surged, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

The Imperial Knight Order Commander blocking Vark’s path.

Though they had been launching fierce attacks continuously, not a single one had penetrated that barrier.

The Emperor’s Shield.

At this point, with his entry into the battlefield, the operation had failed.

Despite the Knight Order Commander’s appearance, Vark’s attacks did not cease.

If ranged spells wouldn’t work, then the fight had to be decided at close range, and close combat was Vark’s specialty.

As Andrei blocked the sword Vark swung, small cracks began forming in his barrier.

“Your plan is already over. If you surrender quietly…”

“Don’t make me laugh. If I was going to pathetically beg for my life, I wouldn’t have started this revolution in the first place!”

When he pulled the trigger attached to his sword, over ten magic bullet casings were expelled in an instant.

Ten magic bullets at once, forcibly pushing the magic circuit output.

Given Vark’s capabilities, this was far beyond the permissible limit.

“I must…! I must get the Emperor…!”

Magical power gathered on Vark’s sword as he forcibly increased the output.

As the surging magical power grew stronger, the cracks in Andrei’s barrier deepened as well.

But that was only momentary.

“How pitiful.”

“?!”

Andrei, who had been watching Vark with stern eyes, spoke in an even tone.

“So this is all the Revolutionary Army amounts to after losing its central figure, Maximilien.”

“What…?!”

Ignoring Vark’s startled voice, Andrei reactivated the magic imprint in his arm.

Golden magical light blinded Vark’s eyes.

The Imperial Knight’s magic imprint, [Shield of Radiance]

“It’s over.”

“Ugh!”

Vark tried to withdraw his attack then, but it was already too late.

When his vision recovered, Andrei’s sword of light was positioned before his eyes.

The barrier exploded with a thunderous roar.

Not from Vark’s attack, but because it couldn’t withstand Andrei’s magical power bursting from within.

“Ugh, uwaagh?!”

“Maintain the barrier! The shockwave will sweep us away!”

Andrei’s strike didn’t stop at subduing Vark.

A shockwave that swept through the entire hall.

When its aftermath finally subsided, everything was over.

“Kah… Kuhk…!”

Vark lay bloodied on the ground, with Revolutionary Army members who couldn’t withstand the shockwave collapsed in their positions.

And the knights’ rifles aimed at each of them in turn.

“Listen, all of you!”

After confirming Vark could no longer move, Andrei raised his voice toward the banquet hall where fighting was still ongoing.

“The Revolutionary Army’s leader who attempted to assassinate His Majesty has been subdued! Rebels, drop your weapons and surrender immediately!”

“Vark’s been captured?!”

“This is insane…!”

Seeing the knights surrounding them, the remaining Revolutionary Army members began their final struggle.

“Kyaa, kyaaak?!”

“Everyone back off! Or right now I’ll…”

Some Revolutionary Army members who hadn’t managed to escape grabbed nobles as hostages and began a standoff.

Behind them, the remaining members escaped from the hall.

While one group drew attention by taking hostages, their aim was to allow as many members as possible to escape.

‘That won’t do.’

Mari’s safety still hadn’t been confirmed.

If you let them go now, there’s no telling what the Revolutionary Army members who reached the outskirts might do.

Instead of activating my magic imprint, I drew out ‘Heresy’ from my chest.

Using the auxiliary spells engraved in the item, I could still use the overloaded magic imprint to some extent.

Dozens of magic circles targeted the fleeing Revolutionary Army members’ backs and.

The dozens of branching Fireballs mercilessly burned them.

“Aaaagh-?!”

“Gah, gyaaaagh-!”

“What?! What’s happening…!”

At the screams of the fleeing Revolutionary Army members, those holding hostages wavered for a moment.

The gun barrels aimed at them spewed fire, completely eliminating the Revolutionary Army’s remaining forces.

Emperor assassination failed. Even the escape of remaining forces failed.

The Revolutionary Army’s planned uprising had completely failed.

“Whew…!”

Once the situation was completely over, exhaustion finally swept through my body.

Seeing the pain rising from my overloaded magic imprint, I’d probably need to spend a day in the hospital.

I wondered how things went with securing Otto as I’d requested.

But contrary to such thoughts, I forcibly raised my staggering body.

‘There’s still something I need to confirm.’

Having prevented the Emperor’s assassination, half the plan was successful.

The remaining half was confirming the survival of my foster father Keiren and Mari.

The Imperial Knight Order would handle the cleanup, so I could now slowly leave.

“Boy there.”

However, at that moment, Knight Order Commander Andrei, who had been standing with his back to me, spoke.

“You protected His Majesty’s life and bought time for my arrival. What is your name?”

The old knight’s eyes were already looking at me.

A gaze mixed with goodwill rather than wariness.

Having saved the Emperor’s life, I could probably get whatever I wanted later.

I spoke while keeping my head bowed.

“I am Eugene Lorentz. I serve under Division Commander Keiren of the Imperial Army’s 72nd Division.”

I deliberately didn’t mention being family or his adopted son.

It wasn’t a status worth proudly declaring, and with the Imperial information network, finding out would be simple anyway.

“Major General Keiren. The heretic of Buckenheim. So he participated in this memorial service as well?”

“He attended as Buckenheim’s representative.”

“And his life was threatened, I assume. Just as His Majesty was.”

Andrei seemed to have some grasp of what was behind this memorial service.

Well, that’s probably how he was able to bring the Knight Order immediately when the situation broke out.

After confirming my face, Andrei nodded with a pleased expression.

“The moment of time you bought saved the Empire. Eugene Lorentz. I shall remember your name.”

“…It is an honor.”

Though I wanted to make a direct impression on the Emperor, there wasn’t time for a longer conversation.

Confirming Mari and Keiren’s survival.

To confirm that, I activated my magic imprint to send a voice message.

‘Irene.’

And not long after.

‘Yes! I’m here!’

A bright voice responded to my magical power communication.

With this I could feel relieved for now.

At least Mari had survived.

***

“What do you mean Mari hasn’t arrived?!”

The nobles who fled from the chaotic banquet hall headed to the nearest train station.

An armored train specially manufactured by House Buckenheim stood at the station.

However, hearing the station attendant’s explanation, Keiren felt as if his world was crumbling.

“We did protect several nobles who escaped from the banquet hall… but Young Lady Mari was not among them.”

“The soldiers, have no soldiers arrived?!”

“Y-yes…! Major General, you’re the first military personnel to come here…”

Blood dripped from Keiren’s fist as he struck the train’s armor plating.

‘Could Mari have gotten caught up in it…?’

The moment the attack began, he had seen Westraine’s agents moving busily.

It was already known that he was one of their main targets.

That’s why he sent Mari separately.

While using himself as bait to draw attention, to safely move that child to the train.

So that even if he died, at least Mari could live.

But the situation flowed opposite to his expectations.

It was he who arrived at the train first, not Mari.

“You must first regain your composure. The situation still isn’t certain…”

“How can I stay calm-!”

A scream burst from Keiren’s mouth.

His voice was more agitated than anyone would have thought possible for his usual self.

“Mari…!”

Mari was the only existence left behind by his deceased wife.

The most precious treasure that Anna and he had created together.

To lose Mari like this.

To lose her again, just as he had lost Anna.

‘If something has happened to Mari…’

Helplessness welled up.

And proportional to that helplessness, murderous intent toward the Revolutionary Army surged.

‘If they, who colluded with Westraine, try to propose some pathetic deal using Mari…!’

He could swear.

The bacterial weapons sealed in the division’s arsenal, torture technicians, poison gas. And all the vicious weapons he had forbidden until now.

He would use them all to completely wipe out every last seed of the Revolutionary Army.

No. For Mari’s revenge, he would do even worse…!

“Found you!”

“?!”

Just as dark thoughts were about to continue, a familiar voice rang out from one side of the station.

“Hehe!”

A black-haired girl waving her hand with a bright smile spread across her face.

And following behind her was…

“Young Master Eugene…?”

“What?”

The butler Walter recognized him first.

Eugene walking up covered in wounds.

And on his back was the existence Keiren had been so desperately searching for.

“Mari-!”

Rushing over in a single step, Keiren hurriedly took Mari’s body into his arms.

Ah, dear God.

Though she seemed unconscious, thankfully there were no wounds on her body.

Holding the unconscious Mari, Keiren shed tears of relief.

“Just what happened? The soldiers who went with her…”

Unlike Keiren who was relieved at Mari’s survival, what Butler Walter focused on was Eugene’s physical condition.

A body pushed nearly to exhaustion, irregular breathing.

His right arm trembling like an aspen leaf, and the smoking magic imprint.

He’d heard they escaped together, but what had happened?

Didn’t he look like he’d just been through a war?

“There was an attack from Westraine. Check the back alley of Imperial City 4th Avenue. And…”

Speaking in a voice near death, Eugene opened his sunken eyes and said.

“At Grey Quarter hospital, Otto… please…”

Before finishing his words, he collapsed forward.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the boy collapse, a curse rang out from behind Walter.

The doctor Otto, who had arrived at the station carrying his bag.

After checking Eugene’s collapsed condition, he shouted at the soldiers nearby.

“Clear a hospital bed in the train, bring water and ice! Set up the imprint regulator in my bag too! Hurry!”

“Uh, uhh?!”

“Lieutenant Otto?”

“To hell with Lieutenant!”

Though some soldiers who recognized him called out, sadly his only concern was Eugene.

“What are you doing! Are you planning to let the guy who saved your young lady die in the street?!”

“…!”

Hearing those words, Walter and the soldiers moved urgently.

Saving Mari’s life was as good as saving Keiren’s life.

If they let him die like this, who knew what Keiren would say when he came to his senses.