Only a few days had passed since Kyle left the capital.
The factional infighting that erupted immediately after Unit 06’s discharge continued to intensify until it spread across the entire capital.
The Thieves’ Guild and several criminal organizations also joined the conflict, hoping to make a fortune from the opportunity.
The city had quite literally become a complete disaster.
Amid all that, rebel forces quietly infiltrated the capital and released the information in their possession, deliberately provoking even greater chaos.
As the turmoil continued to worsen, the situation eventually reached the point where the Emperor himself had no choice but to intervene.
“The confusion appears to be intensifying….”
“…I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty.”
The Director of the Intelligence Bureau immediately bowed deeply after being granted a private audience with the Emperor.
There was a reason even the Director, who wielded immense authority, was groveling while drenched in cold sweat.
The Emperor still possessed enough power to demand it.
The present crisis certainly was not solely the Director’s fault.
However, he possessed enormous authority and had still failed to find any clue that might resolve the situation.
That alone was more than sufficient grounds for punishment.
This time, moreover, the Emperor was not the only one demanding answers.
Perhaps because the matter was so severe, the leaders of every noble faction had gathered to attack the Director together.
‘Retirement is no longer the issue.’
One wrong move, and he could be made the scapegoat before being purged.
This was not merely intuition.
Grinnell had carried out that exact kind of operation many times himself, so he understood the process better than anyone.
Even if he intended to retire, he first had to survive this crisis.
Grinnell remained bent at the waist, sweating as he waited for the Emperor to continue.
Only after a long silence did the Emperor speak again.
“Was Unit 06 of the Special Corps the cause?”
“…That is correct, Your Majesty.”
The crisis would have erupted eventually, but Unit 06’s discharge application had effectively served as the trigger.
When Herse began to waver, the Ropec Empire made a probing move in the east.
The rebels then took advantage of the resulting chaos.
It would be difficult to declare that Unit 06 was entirely responsible, but its actions had undoubtedly influenced the situation to some extent.
“I have heard many people say that matters would never have reached this point if they had been properly managed from the beginning.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
As Grinnell bowed his head, the Emperor asked coldly,
“You must have had several opportunities even after they announced their intention to leave the military.”
The Emperor spoke as though he already knew everything.
Where had he obtained all that information?
It certainly had not come from the Intelligence Bureau, so the nobles must have volunteered it themselves.
They would suffer damage in the process as well, but they were willing to accept that price if it meant destroying the Intelligence Bureau while they had the opportunity.
Nevertheless, the Emperor did not immediately remove its Director.
“How do you intend to stabilize the situation?”
Realizing that he was being granted one final opportunity, the Director hurriedly began explaining the plans he had spent the entire night developing.
“What will you do about Unit 06, the source of this turmoil?”
“For now, our highest priority should be getting them out of the Empire.”
“And afterward?”
“We should attempt to win their goodwill. At present, the best course of action is to ensure that they do not align themselves with either the rebels or the Ropec Empire.”
No one knew what might happen if they recklessly provoked Unit 06.
“What about eliminating them?”
“…At present, I believe that would be an inferior strategy.”
“Even if I send the Imperial Palace Knights?”
“…Yes, Your Majesty. Even the Intelligence Bureau has been unable to determine the precise extent of their combat strength. There is no guarantee that we could kill all of them.”
The Imperial Palace Knights would undoubtedly be able to kill many members of Unit 06.
However, what would happen if Kyle managed to escape?
The risks in that scenario were far too great.
Furthermore, the Director’s assessment of Kyle’s strength was based on information from his time in the north.
At some point, Kyle had begun concealing his strength completely, making further evaluation almost impossible.
Even so, his continued ability had been proven when Unit 06 eliminated the assassins without suffering even a single minor injury.
In other words, all the information the Intelligence Bureau possessed about Unit 06 was now meaningless.
‘An operation based on calculations we cannot make is doomed to fail.’
The Emperor closed his eyes and considered the Director’s honest answer.
After a moment, he nodded slightly and waved him away.
Still sweating profusely, Grinnell hurried out of the Imperial Palace.
Once the Emperor was left alone, a middle-aged man quietly emerged from the shadows.
“Do you intend to give him another opportunity?”
“His abilities are undeniable. He has worked hard all these years, so I can afford to give him one more chance.”
The man silently bowed his head.
The Emperor would suffer losses by giving the Director of the Intelligence Bureau another opportunity.
However, he clearly believed that if Grinnell were kept alive, the man would eventually return far more than whatever was lost.
“If the situation appears likely to grow more violent, I will need you to intervene.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The man quietly bowed again.
One might wonder what difference a single person could make.
However, the man standing beside the Emperor was more than capable of changing everything.
He was one of only three people in the Empire to have reached that great realm.
Ranier, the current Captain of the Imperial Palace Knights, silently looked at the Emperor who had issued the order.
His eyes held pity.
The Herse Empire’s national fortune had already been exhausted long ago.
The fact that it had survived until now was largely due to the present Emperor.
The war in the north.
The war against Ropec.
The war against the southern rebels.
Every one of those disasters had resulted from the enormous mess left behind by the previous Emperor.
The Empire should have fractured long ago, yet the present Emperor had maintained it by continually mediating among the nobles.
Even he, however, was approaching his limit.
‘What a pity.’
Had he been born only a few generations earlier—or even merely before the previous Emperor—the present Emperor might have restored the Herse Empire to greatness.
Instead, because imperial authority had grown so weak, a man of his ability could do little more than barely mediate between the nobles.
“…Kyle Ripley.”
“Does he trouble you?”
“I am not sure. Rather than troubling me, he makes me curious.”
The Emperor picked up the report left behind by the Director of the Intelligence Bureau and began reading it.
When he examined Kyle’s life, he saw certain similarities to his own.
The Emperor had been born an illegitimate child and spent his entire life bowing to others. Even after ascending the throne, he continued walking an arduous path.
Kyle had become a hero after earning great achievements in the north, yet he had been dragged to the capital and forced to endure years of humiliation.
The difference was that Kyle had obtained his freedom.
The Emperor was still trapped in the Imperial Palace, living an unfortunate life.
“I would like to meet him someday, should the opportunity arise.”
After murmuring those words, the Emperor tossed Kyle Ripley’s report into a corner.
He placed his faint hope that they might one day meet into a corner of his mind as well, then began concentrating on how he would handle the nobles.
Unlike the capital, which had become such a disaster that even the Emperor had to take notice, Unit 06’s journey south remained peaceful.
One might have expected at least a few nobles to attack the train carrying them, but no such attempt occurred.
More accurately, the nobles had no time to make one.
They were already overwhelmed responding to the issues constantly erupting throughout the capital.
How could they possibly spare any attention for Unit 06?
Furthermore, they now understood that ordinary assassins could not even injure its members.
Thanks to that, Kyle and Unit 06 safely reached the south.
“We are leaving for Weiden immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kyle and the members of Unit 06 had felt liberated after escaping the capital, but the knowledge that they were still standing on imperial soil remained deeply unpleasant.
Therefore, they intended to board a train bound for the neutral country without even stopping to rest so they could leave this revolting land as quickly as possible.
“We can make separate arrangements for—”
“That will not be necessary. We will accept your assistance only this far.”
Hearing the deep distrust in Kyle’s voice, the Intelligence Bureau agent gave a bitter smile and quietly withdrew.
Had he been in Kyle’s position, he would not have trusted them either.
Thus, the Intelligence Bureau and Unit 06 parted ways at the train station near the Empire’s border.
“Let us go.”
Only a single step remained before they achieved true freedom.
Weiden served as a secret repository for the slush funds of high-ranking nobles from surrounding nations.
Perhaps because many southern nobles from Herse also stored their money there, a railway line had unusually been established across the border.
That made reaching the country simple.
They merely needed to purchase tickets, board the train, and depart.
“Was it really this easy?”
Kyle murmured blankly as he looked through the train window.
All he had needed to do to escape this damned Empire was board a train.
It had taken him twenty years to reach the simple road leading to Weiden.
Even so, he had no regrets.
‘I just have to live well from now on.’
Kyle resolved to enjoy life enough to compensate for the twenty years he had lost and gazed upon the Empire’s scenery one final time as the train slowly began moving.
As the train carrying Kyle gradually prepared to leave the Empire, the agent watching from a distance hurriedly wrote a report for his superiors.
「Kyle Ripley and every member of Unit 06 are heading toward Weiden.」
Magical communication was an excellent means of transmitting information, but it was far too vulnerable to interception.
Therefore, they had no choice but to endure the inconvenience of using written correspondence.
After handing the letter to an intelligence agent stationed near the border, the man departed for his next assignment.
However, the Intelligence Bureau was not the only organization submitting reports.
Several men wearing fedoras watched the train carrying Kyle depart before beginning to move in different directions.
「The person of interest has chosen Weiden as his destination.」
Countless people who had been waiting to make contact immediately purchased tickets for the next train to Weiden.
Regardless of what those people were doing, the members of Unit 06 finally achieved their freedom.
As they crossed the Empire’s border, they shouted once again, just as they had when leaving the capital.
This time, it truly felt as though they had become free.
After casting away their final restraints, they arrived in the neutral country of Weiden.
There, Kyle unexpectedly said,
“For now, let us part ways here.”
“C-Commander?”
Coutinho looked deeply hurt.
The others wore similar expressions.
They had assumed that they would remain together until the end, so their reaction was understandable.
“There is no need to look so disappointed. I am not running off somewhere else. I will remain in Weiden.”
“Then let us go with you.”
Kyle quietly shook his head at Parshu’s words.
“I want to travel freely on my own for a while.”
“…….”
“More importantly, none of you need to abandon your dreams for the sake of my selfish desires.”
His subordinates flinched.
Kyle had already trained disciples, and the subordinates he had previously sent away were doing well.
He therefore had no lingering regrets.
His remaining subordinates, however, were different.
They had spent years being oppressed without even receiving proper recognition for their true achievements.
Deep within their hearts, they still wished to have their genuine worth acknowledged.
“Do everything you have ever wanted to do in Weiden. It would be even better if your names became famous enough to reach my ears.”
The expressions of the three Battalion Commanders changed.
Those were the same words Kyle had spoken in the north whenever he released his subordinates to pursue their own paths.
In other words, they were the final disciples he was sending down from the mountain.
“Show me. Show everyone what kind of men remained beside me until the very end.”
After hearing that much, they could no longer attempt to stop him.
In a sense, this was also Kyle’s revenge against the Empire.
The more famous his subordinates became, the more the Empire would be criticized for its arrogant decision to oppress them and drive them into desertion.
“Even so, please tell us where you will be staying.”
At Parshu’s words, the other two Battalion Commanders nodded.
“You have to let us know where we can visit you.”
“That is right.”
Kyle chuckled when Coutinho and Korn spoke as though whining and finally revealed his destination.
“Boritz. I intend to spend an absurd amount of money in Weiden’s wealthiest port.”
His subordinates laughed and nodded.
They waved farewell while promising to visit their Commander soon and see how lavishly he was wasting his money.
“I really have sent every last one of them on his way.”
Kyle stood in silence and watched as the subordinates who had inherited his techniques like disciples began walking their own paths.
Then, smiling, he took his first steps toward enjoying genuine freedom.
Ironically, that journey began aboard another train, immediately after the two he had already ridden.