The final years of the Empire.
A dark, decadent private chamber.
Shhh…
Expensive perfumes and unidentified narcotics drifted through the air like thick smoke.
Liquor spilled across tangled naked bodies.Laughing faces gasped for breath as they traded filthy jokes.
In every corner draped in red velvet, forbidden pleasure burned hot.
And through that sticky, revolting atmosphere…
Rodriguez walked forward.
Back then, he had been the owner of that room.
With a servile smile, he extended a jeweled glass set with amethysts.
Inside it swirled a strangely colored liquid.
"Young master of the great Ebenholtz family. One drink of this, and every worry in the world will disappear."
Young master.
That phrase rang as clearly as if it were yesterday.
This was my past.
One meaningless day among countless others I had wasted before my regression.
Back when I was a complete fool.
***
—...
I opened my eyes and sat upright at once.
A filthy dream.
Rodriguez had been there.
No—not only Rodriguez.
Many of the Imperial Guard dogs who served as the Emperor's hounds had been there.
The corruption of the ruling class.
One of the many reasons the Empire had collapsed.
I ran a hand through my hair.
—Refreshing.
The dream had been unpleasant.
But my body felt astonishingly refreshed.
A mere thirty-minute nap had completely restored my energy.
Was this also because of the mana core?
I rose and changed into civilian clothes.
Whatever happened to be nearby.
It was time to secure a new residence.
***
Kleinschmidt Street Mansion, Imperial District 3
There were many people gathered there.
Two Imperial Guardsmen under Rodriguez lounged on the living room sofa with their legs crossed.
Between them, nearly crushed, sat the homeowner: Arman.
Behind them stood six or seven subordinates in a row.
—...Mr. Arman. Cheer up a little, will you?
One of them crossed his legs as he spoke.
A forced smile twitched across Arman's lips.
—Just say a few words and it'll all be over. See this?
They tapped the Imperial Guard insignia on their chests.
These days in the capital, belonging to the Emperor's Guard carried more power than birth or status.
At least, that was what they believed.
—But—
—No "but." You really want to lose your head?
—To pay the amount you demanded—
—Shut your mouth.
The so-called "tax" they had imposed on Arman was more than all his remaining assets combined.
And Rodriguez was even preventing him from selling this mansion.
—Still don't get it, huh? You think we came here to negotiate? Just consider it the price of staying alive.
Knock. Knock.
At that moment, someone knocked.
Arman flinched.
One of the guards grinned.
—Behave yourself. Open it.
—Yes.
The youngest subordinate approached first and opened the door.
A man stood outside.
He wore a neat uniform, but his covered hair and the lingering softness in his face made his youth obvious.
Step. Step.
The man walked straight in and sat down in the drawing room.
—Pleasure to meet you.
He greeted only the homeowner.
He did not even glance at the guards beside him.
Nor did he ask for names.
—...Yes. Nice to meet you.
—As I mentioned before, I liked this house. It's damaged in several places, but that only means I can renovate it to suit my taste.
One of the guards laughed at the sight of the young man speaking so freely.
Arman's complexion darkened.
Watching their expressions carefully, he spoke cautiously.
—Actually… I'm sorry to say this, but there is already another party involved.
—Yes. I heard. I'll pay twice what they offered.
One of the guards cut in.
—Hey. Didn't you hear? Someone already has dibs.
The young man looked at him calmly.
Then turned back to Arman.
—Who is this person?
—Ah… well…
—No matter. Then I'll compensate that party as well.
—Can't this brat understand simple words?
THUD!
One of them stomped the floor with his military boot.
—Learn to read the room.
—It's not about reading the room. I've heard the news too. If I don't buy it, it'll go to auction anyway. So I'm offering double. A property in such a fine location shouldn't end up in the hands of trash.
—Trash? This bastard think he's funny?
The atmosphere turned ugly.
Then, the planned performance began.
***
—Stop.
The front door opened.
Rodriguez entered at last.
At once, all his men stood and saluted in formation.
A simple sequence meant to pressure the other side.
Rodriguez sat beside the homeowner and spoke.
—My apologies. It seems my men were rude to this young knight.
—Yes. They were.
Rodriguez chuckled softly.
—Pleasure to meet you. I am Major Rodriguez of the Imperial Guard.
The young man stared silently.
Probably intimidated by the rank.
Satisfied, Rodriguez continued.
—As a Major of the Imperial Guard, I have already reached an agreement with Mr. Arman, owner of this mansion. There are complicated matters involved, so I ask for your understanding.
—...Is that true, Mr. Arman?
The young man asked Arman directly.
Rodriguez's eyes briefly slid toward the homeowner.
—...Yes.
Arman answered in a voice barely above a whisper.
—It is true.
Rodriguez bowed his head slightly, hiding a smile.
Then he pulled out a cigar.
—Hmm. Sorry to have wasted your time. Care for one?
—...
The young man looked at Arman.
Then his gaze returned to Rodriguez.
His face.
His shoes.
His clothes.
Even his accessories.
As though inspecting every inch of him.
Then he spoke.
—Even if you gave it away for free… you look like the kind of man who couldn't afford the gift tax.
For a moment, Rodriguez's brow twitched.
—You would do well to mind your words.
The young man merely smirked.
Open mockery.
—Has this bastard gone insane?
Rodriguez's subordinates reacted first.
Rodriguez raised a hand to stop them.
The young man calmly pulled out a checkbook.
He signed it and handed it to Arman.
—I don't care what promises you made. I'm buying this house.
—Ha…
A vein bulged in Rodriguez's temple.
Arman looked down at the check.
—Why? You gain nothing by provoking the Imperial Guard.
Rodriguez asked it like a threat.
At that moment, Arman's eyes slowly widened.
He had read the name written there.
—Because I like it.
Truthfully, I hadn't even inspected the interior properly.
I simply hated what these bastards were doing.
—Whatever deal you made with the owner, I don't care in the slightest.
Men like Rodriguez had run wild in the Empire's final days.
And a nation like that deserved to collapse.
Edmon Bryndol blamed himself for the destruction of the world.
But what destroyed the world…
was the Empire itself.
And the true cause was trash like these men, rotting it from the inside.
—Well, well.
Rodriguez set down his cigar, pretending calm.
—Such a pitiful young—
—...Maximilian Albrecht von Ebenholtz?
A voice cut across the room.
It was the homeowner.
He stared at the check with trembling eyes.
Rodriguez's expression turned cold.
The young man—Maximilian—looked back at him.
—I am buying this house. So.
Tap. Tap.
He drummed two fingers on the table.
As though shooing away a dog.
—Know your place and get out.
Rodriguez's face burned with rage and humiliation.
His lips trembled as he bit down hard.
But that was all.
He could not utter even a single word.
Because he had already heard the name:
Ebenholtz.
***
After all the armed men had left, the mansion stood empty.
I looked at the homeowner.
—You've maintained the house well.
Arman's shoulders twitched.
Understandably so.
The person he had to deal with had changed from Rodriguez…
to an Ebenholtz.
That was hardly an improvement.
—Yes. Since my father's time… we lived here for many years.
—Far too fine a place to be filled with filth.
—Ah…
I leaned forward and met his eyes.
—Take this money and leave the capital tonight.
I tapped the check on the table.
—If you stay here any longer, nothing good will happen to you. The southern provinces have better weather. Marang would be suitable.
The south would suffer less from both the coming revolution and imperial oppression.
—But…
—Immediately.
I pressed him.
Swallowing dryly, he stood, bowed deeply, and went to gather his belongings.
***
—...
I watched him leave.
Then quietly picked up the communicator.
I dialed a familiar number.
The line had not even rung twice before it connected.
—Yes, Sir Knight.
—Engi.
Engi was the finest butler.
And the best adjutant I knew.
—I need a favor.
His tone sharpened at once.
—What kind of favor?
—You know a man named Rodriguez, right?
—Yes. Imperial Guard officer transferred from the eastern region last quarter.
Engi was always excellent with this sort of information.
—I clashed with him. He had nested himself in the house I intended to buy.
—I see. Were you able to complete the purchase safely?
—Yes. I offered the owner twice the market price.
—Excellent. The Lord of the House will be pleased as well.
A trace of amusement colored his voice.
Sebastien von Ebenholtz would never consider that wasteful.
Rather, he would see it as boldness.
And approve.
"If you desire something, take it. No matter who stands in your way. You still do not understand the weight of your own name. In this Empire, no one has more right than you."
What the Ebenholtz desired, they obtained.
What they wished to destroy, they destroyed.
That was the hidden face of the family.
—But the problem is… it's obvious what those dogs will do next.
—Yes. Naturally.
—The owner may not be a pure imperial, but he still conducted business with me. If something happens to him after that, it would reflect poorly on my dignity.
—Of course.
Rodriguez.
Before my regression, he would become an Imperial Guard executive.
Then later be executed by revolutionaries while trafficking liquor and narcotics.
A complete fool.
—Engi. You know it too.
He was stupid.
Weak.
Cruel.
Slow.
And above all—
—Those Imperial Guard bastards have been forgetting their place lately.
They were overstepping themselves.
—I can't tolerate that.
Back then, I used to think it was better to keep the peace.
I had lived under that delusion.
There was even a time I associated with the Imperial Guard because the knights looked down on me.
...I should have crushed them then.
—Help me just this once.
I would not make such requests again.
Engi was still my father's man.
And if I intended to live anew, then I too needed people who were mine alone.
—Understood.
—Good.
I ended the call.
Engi was Sebastien's most trusted retainer.
The first commoner ever allowed near the heart of Ebenholtz.
A monster who carried out orders by any means necessary.
All I had to do now…
was wait.