Sentinel headquarters was in an uproar over news that had spread belatedly.
The rookie knight Maximilian von Ebenholtz had killed a child.
Of course, the child had been the prime suspect in the murder of a noble…
but the dead noble's reputation had been atrocious.
In truth, he deserved to die a hundred times over.
Several imperial media outlets latched onto exactly that point.
***
—…How interesting.
Inside the Sentinel physical training hall, the new recruit Leon polished a wooden practice sword while thinking about Max.
He had never been a particularly noticeable person.
He had been the same way back at the military academy, Empire Point.
That place had clear factions, and Max possessed enough backing to become a leader whenever he wished.
And yet, he had never joined one.
Nor created his own.
At first, Leon assumed Max simply hated associating with idiots.
That wasn't it.
Max was softer than expected.
Though he didn't seem purely kind, either.
He wasn't someone who tried to trample others…
but he absolutely hated being looked down on or having his pride wounded.
In some ways…
a surprisingly small man.
One of the many "nobles who don't feel noble" scattered throughout the Empire.
***
—Twelve years old. Three younger than the last one.
His sparring partner, Tiana, spun her sword as she muttered.
—Maybe madness was hiding beneath that weakness. You know the type… once they snap, they go insane.
Leon wiped the sweat from his face and smiled.
—Max did seem crazy sometimes.
He didn't anger easily…
but he was the kind to bottle everything up until he exploded.
—Still, he's ahead of us now. I'm jealous.
—Jealous? The media is tearing him apart.
Tiana tossed him a towel.
—There was no need to kill him. These days journalists are sharper than blades. He probably just got overexcited because it was his first day. He's regretting it now.
—…You think so?
—Obviously.
The two left the gym while drinking water.
***
—If we'd done it, upper management would've gone berserk. But since he's an Ebenholtz… Ah, loyalty!
—Loyalty!
As they climbed the stairwell, they ran into two senior knights.
They immediately straightened and saluted.
—Good work. Tiana and Leon, right?
—Yes, sir.
They were Kairon and Julian Askar.
Kairon wore a sly smile like a snake.
Beside him, Julian looked like a model—handsome, refined, and Max's direct superior.
Julian and Maximilian shared a certain noble resemblance.
Julian gave them a small nod.
—Good work.
—Yes, sir!
The senior knights descended toward the underground training hall.
Tiana and Leon continued toward the first floor.
Then they saw Max standing in front of the elevator.
***
—Max! Max! I heard the news. Congratulations.
Leon approached with forced cheerfulness.
Max merely tilted his head.
—Yeah.
—Where are you headed?
At that moment, the elevator doors opened.
Max stepped inside and answered:
—The vice commander called for me.
***
Knock, knock.
I knocked on the office door of Vice Commander Anton Jephren.
A voice from inside invited me in.
I opened the door.
Anton sat behind his desk.
When he saw me, he smiled warmly.
—A pleasure to see you, rookie knight Maximilian.
—Loyalty.
—Come closer.
I stood before his desk.
—You solved quite a major case in your very first week.
He tapped several newspapers laid across the desk.
The headlines were sharply divided.
[The Rising Star of Ebenholtz Punishes a Brutal Criminal!]
[Cold-Blooded Knight Draws Blade on Child: Excessive Force Controversy]
[Was the Noble's Killer Truly a Child? Investigation Lacks Transparency…]
—Many doubt us. Even what they see with their own eyes, they claim is fabricated.
Many media outlets were hostile to the Order.
Before my regression, I hated them as well.
But behind it all… were the Emperor's schemes.
Manipulating public opinion to shift the center of power from the knights to the Imperial Guard.
***
—The Grand Jury has also been confirmed. I heard you did not refuse the review.
—That's correct.
The hearing would take place next month.
Anton smiled bitterly.
—Maximilian. I understand the burden resting on your shoulders. The name Ebenholtz shines too brightly. The weight of family, the expectations of the world… such things crush a man.
He looked at me sincerely.
—But there is no need to rush so much. If you take one step each day… you will still reach your destination.
I looked at Anton in silence.
He was a self-made man.
Born almost a commoner, from a fallen noble house…
yet rose to his current position through talent alone.
—Yes. I will remember those words deeply.
Anton Jephren was a good man.
A genuinely righteous man.
Neither aligned with the Empire, nor with the revolution.
He simply wanted to walk the correct path.
But in an age where war was approaching…
there was no place for men like him.
He deserved respect.
But not the office he held.
***
—As a reward, fifty thousand dollars annually will be added to your knight budget.
Every knight received an annual budget.
Rookies started with three hundred thousand.
Distinguished veterans could manage two or three million… or more.
That money funded informants, operations, investigations, and missions.
—Thank you, Vice Commander.
—Is there anything else you wish to say?
—No. That is enough.
—Then you may go.
—Loyalty.
I backed out respectfully.
I entered the elevator and descended to the second floor.
Then—
***
—Max!
Someone called my name.
I turned.
Five or six noble-born knights stood there.
All belonged to Kairon's faction.
The same men who, in the past, destroyed Anton and seized control of the Order.
—Max, what did the vice commander say?
—Yeah, yeah… anything special? You know… something about the Ebenholtz.
They watched me warily.
In truth, they feared a possible alliance between Anton and the Ebenholtz.
Anton's only weakness was his background.
—Max, if that old man told you anything strange—
—Max, tell us what you talked about in there—
—Max, remember that time we drank together? I can set something up again—
Max. Max. Hey, Max.
Hearing them throw my name around so casually disgusted me.
—Max?
I cut them off coldly.
—When did I give you permission to address me that way?
—…Huh?
I had to become the most loyal man in the Empire.
To exterminate an alien species… it was necessary.
But that did not mean I intended to stand beside the trash devouring the Empire from within.
That would only turn the lesser evil… back into the greatest evil.
***
—My name is Maximilian. And this is not Empire Point, where we mingled as equals.
The knights fell silent.
—From now on, mind how you address me. Before seniority, we are all knights here.
I walked past them toward my office.
Old memories surfaced for a moment.
The time when they treated me like a useful fool.
***
—I should have realized sooner.
Even now, they still call me like I'm their dog.
But you are not like me.
And I am not like you.
I am the son of Sebastien von Ebenholtz.
The legitimate heir of the Ebenholtz.
From the moment we were born… we were different beings.
Priya was right.
I should never have tried to escape the Ebenholtz.
Because I…
am Ebenholtz.
And I stand in the proper place to do what must be done.
***
How does a knight's day begin?
And how are missions assigned?
I had completed my first mission with Julian Askar, but a superior was only that.
All Sentinel Order operations were managed through the central system.
***
Click.
I turned on the office computer.
The interface appeared.
[Sentinel Mission Management System]
On one side of the screen, alerts streamed in endlessly from across the Empire.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
Monster appearances.
Rebellions.
Violent crimes.
Unsolved cases.
Each case was ranked by urgency and danger.
An algorithm distributed missions among the knights.
The first thing it evaluated was specialization.
Mission history.
Training results.
Personal talents.
For example:
A knight specialized in monsters would receive hunts first.
A knight skilled in espionage would receive covert operations.
Still, they were only recommendations.
They could be declined.
And many general cases could be chosen manually.
That was why rookies had to discover their specialty.
***
Click.
I opened the Wanted Targets tab.
The screen filled with grim portraits and red warnings.
I scanned the names silently.
***
—…Hm?
One caught my eye.
Head Eater.
A serial killer who consumed only the heads of imperials.
The photos were horrific.
The victims' corpses were mutilated above the neck.
As though some beast had torn away the flesh with its jaws.
***
—Wait.
Suddenly, I remembered Jacob's final appearance.
Crack!
His mouth splitting far beyond human limits.
Teeth twisting with magical energy.
***
—Who is "Lexi," the one you said would come to offer me my heart?
I had asked Jacob that.
And he reacted with absolute fury, revealing his true form.
Was Lexi truly someone so important to him?
But the child I killed in the park had been different.
Before cutting off his head, I whispered:
—I know who you are. Are you still waiting for Lexi even now?
The child showed no reaction.
He merely smiled faintly.
He died while maintaining the shape of a weak little child.
To protect his own kind.
***
—…Lexi.
I repeated the name quietly.
Jacob had not reacted because I understood their alien language.
He reacted because I spoke the name of one of his own.
For them, the highest priority was ensuring humanity never discovered their existence.
They would even embrace death for that purpose.
But each individual was different.
Jacob treasured Lexi especially.
Perhaps by Ezenheim standards…
he was considered very weak.
That was why he fell for my provocation.
And died.
***
I looked back at the screen.
Head Eater.
[Sentinel Mission Management System]
Status: Year 0 Knight – Maximilian von Ebenholtz
Code: C-077
Type: Pursuit and Elimination of Wanted Target
Target: Head Eater (Unidentified)
Do you wish to accept this mission?
[Accept][Decline]
***
I pressed Accept.