The Imperial Guard refers to the elite trio tasked with protecting the royal family.
Of course, not just anyone can become part of the Imperial Guard.
One must build a bond with the royal family from a young age while also proving their abilities.
In that sense, the Second Prince deserved to hear these words:
“Are you out of your mind?”
To be frank, what if I, a member of the Imperial Guard, stabbed the Second Prince in the back?
It was a statement I could make because I had abandoned loyalty long ago, yet it also came from a tiny shred of remaining loyalty.
“I think so too. Maybe it was just nonsense spoken out of fatigue.”
“Then you should have checked! What if it’s really a sign of mental illness?”
“Commander always said that when orders come from above, just follow them.”
“You b*stard…”
He still follows my teachings well.
Sometimes, he follows them too well, leading to trouble, and it turns out now is one of those times.
“Sigh… what do we do…”
“What else? I think it’s best to just comply quietly.”
“I thought I could finally live in peace, but now I have to go back to that mud pit?”
The reason I couldn’t retire for three years after the war ended was because of that Second Prince.
He ordered me to assassinate the Sky King of the Plains, wasting two years, and then to assassinate the major nobles supporting the First Prince, wasting another year.
If it weren’t for him, I could have retired three years earlier.
‘Is loyalty, even if it’s as small as a speck, enough as long as you have the skills?’
Ha, damn. Life is shit.
This is why you should be born a noble.
While lamenting, Obrang asked.
“Commander.”
“What?”
“Honestly, didn’t you expect this?”
“Expect what?”
“Sir Schneider, the former Commander, was appointed as the Supreme Commander of the 1st Corps. Sir Lauray, the former Deputy Commander, is now the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard.”
“So?”
“Statistically, all those who retired from the Special Forces have become close associates of the Imperial Family. I thought you knew.”
“That’s not the issue.”
Whether I expected it or not, the issue is that my retirement plans are now worthless.
The bigger issue is that there’s no way to refuse the Second Prince’s orders.
“Then why don’t you meet him first? The Second Prince said it’s fine to discuss the details at the palace.”
“Hah.”
So he wants me to come to him to complain directly.
“…Fine. That’s probably best.”
If you want to retire, settle it face to face.
The Second Prince was telling me that.
*****
Few Inner, the central district of the capital.
Unlike the outer district, which had the scent of commoners, this place exudes the aura of nobility.
It’s smaller and has less than Much-Sector, but any imperial citizen would want to live here.
Because.
“The land prices around here have gone up again?”
“That’s what they say.”
Nothing symbolizes wealth in this land more than living in Few Inner.
Even I, who amassed a fortune during my Special Forces days, hesitate to buy a house in Few Inner.
“Now that we’re here, are you heading straight to the palace?”
“Of course.”
My only concern right now is the Second Prince.
Any leisure activities will come after I get permission to retire.
“Why do you ask? You know I’m not the type to neglect my duties to have fun.”
“There’s a girl at home, right? I thought you might buy a gift for her.”
“Oh, the Little One?”
You mean the kid?
I left the Little One at home.
It seemed like it would take quite some time to meet the Second Prince and return.
“I did think about getting a gift. But that will be after meeting the Second Prince.”
“…I see.”
“Right.”
Since I came all the way to the capital, the Little One would feel disappointed if I didn’t bring back a gift.
“Oh, by the way.”
Something I had to do came to mind, and I stopped in my tracks.
I turned around and asked.
“Who are you?”
*****
“It’s me, Obrang, Commander.”
Hoo, look at this guy trying to cover his tracks.
Unlike most Replicans these days, he’s calm and composed.
He knows I’m not going to kill him yet and is assessing the situation.
Seeing how skillfully he uses the replicated memories and habits, he must have practiced quite a bit.
A rare talent, even in the Special Forces.
That’s how I could evaluate this Replican, but you’ve made one big mistake.
“Obrang doesn’t speak to me formally. Chester might, but not Obrang.”
“…What?”
“What? You idiot. If you were going to impersonate someone, you should have done better research.”
At this time, ‘Obrang’ is asleep.
It seems you thought the time each one takes over the body is irregular, but although it’s complicated, there are set times when Obrang and Chester are awake.
“Well, you must have thought it was irregular due to the lack of information.”
Poor guy.
This is the problem with being part of a mediocre organization.
They can’t utilize talented individuals properly.
It seems you didn’t have much time to study the memories either. If you had, it would have been harder for me to detect your identity.
“Now do you understand the reality? I knew from the beginning that you’re not Obrang or Chester.”
That’s when it happened.
My vision darkened, and my mind began to drift.
I wasn’t surprised since I expected this, but it did feel a bit unfamiliar.
It’s been quite a while since I experienced such an illusion.
This isn’t an ordinary illusion.
Could it be a barrier?
I was thinking.
“Ern Astra, Commander of the Astrape Special Forces. The national traitor who killed the Sky King.”
A gruff voice, different from Obrang Chester’s.
A new space appeared along with a telepathic voice filled with murderous intent.
“This is…”
An absolute technique of the Eastern Principality, refining the concept of void into a spatial form.
One of those is the Black Jade Barrier.
“…Oh.”
I let out a gasp of admiration.
To use this, 50 magicians need to sacrifice a month’s worth of mana.
It was so effective that it nearly annihilated our unit back in the day.
But.
“You’re using this now?”
The fact that it nearly annihilated our unit means we already found a way to counter it. It also means I know how to break it.
I quietly opened my mouth.
“####”
*****
The words Mister left me before he went out.
-Don’t leave the room under any circumstances. You know where the scroll is, right? If it feels dangerous, use it to protect yourself.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I followed his words.
I stayed in the room without moving, clutching the scrolls, constantly checking if anyone was coming.
-He might target you too, but just in case, I’ll be back in an hour. Just hold on for a bit.
I trust Mister.
He must have his reasons.
Thinking that, I kept my guard up.
“…Hmm?”
Was it my imagination?
For a moment, I felt the mana in the air become slightly hazy.
“…My mana isn’t responding either.”
Even the flames don’t respond.
Neither do any other spells. It’s like a device without energy. What’s going on?
I quickly turned my head.
“…Mister?”
*****
“Guh…!!”
Blood from what was once a Replican splattered violently.
Grasping his neck, I spoke calmly.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
I used a healing spell.
The Replican’s breathing became a bit easier.
“I’ve been thinking about why you lot tried to kill me.”
There’s no particular reason for them to target me.
Is it because I killed the Sky King?
That can’t be it.
The crumbling Eastern Principality doesn’t have the luxury to seek revenge.
So there’s only one possible objective.
The assassination of the Second Prince.
Kill me, who’s about to be made part of the Imperial Guard.
Then have the Replican, cloned from me, kill the Second Prince.
But this raises a question.
“How did you know the Second Prince would make me part of the Imperial Guard?”
Information about the Prince’s Guard is the most classified of secrets.
There’s no way guerillas from a fallen principality could know that.
Obrang’s memories are somewhat suspicious, but…
Considering Obrang’s rank, it’s information he couldn’t have obtained.
So then.
Does that mean there’s a traitor inside the imperial palace?
“Stop just spitting blood and start talking.”
I gripped his neck harder.
“Gah…!!”
“It hurts, doesn’t it? It’s agonizing, right? If you want to die easily, then talk.”
I pulled a dagger from nearby and drove it under the Replican’s fingernail.
“Gah…!!”
I could feel him slipping away.
Damn it. I hit the wrong pain point.
I gagged him to keep him from biting his tongue.
He couldn’t speak now, but it didn’t matter.
I was planning to hand him over to the imperial family anyway.
At that moment, I heard a voice.
“Commander.”
Right on time.
“What took you so long? I even gave you a signal.”
“I hurried because of that. How could you deploy a Domain in a city?”
“If I hadn’t, I’d be dead.”
Ray was there with the Special Forces.
The 1st and 2nd Unit Commanders, along with the other members, were also present.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
The members only nodded in greeting.
Normally, we’d exchange small talk, but now wasn’t the time.
“First, let’s deal with the body.”
We had to clean up quickly before anyone saw, to avoid complications later.
Even though I was retired, it was only right to help out with this since we had been through a lot together.
“Commander.”
“What?”
“The Prince is here.”
What? Are my ears failing me?
I’ve been feeling unwell lately.
My confusion was quickly dispelled.
“It’s been a while, Lord Astra.”
Suddenly, right in front of me.
The next Emperor of the Empire had arrived.