Semi-Coercive Imperialist

Late at night. I am writing in the study.

─[Strategic Utilization Methods for Knights through Aerial Assault]─

Ⅰ. Concept and Utility of Aerial Knight Assault

Aerial knight assault is an operational concept in which a knight is transported by high-altitude aircraft to a point above the target location, then inserted directly into the enemy’s core area or key figures via free fall. This can provide the following strategic advantages.

1. Overcoming temporal and spatial limitations: Regardless of the advance speed of ground troops, a knight can appear on the battlefield anywhere within the Empire’s territory within a matter of hours. This forces an unpredictable threat upon the enemy command……

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This is content worthy of becoming a textbook for Empire Point, written with a fountain pen.

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Ⅱ. Method of Knight Assault

……Aerial knight assault must be applied flexibly. Having all knights drop in a single standardized method is as inefficient as swinging every kind of master sword like a hammer. The method of descent must be segmented and specialized according to each knight’s disposition, Talent, unique nature of mana, and the objective of the mission.

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There are various methods. Like me, one can slash down the enemy in a single moment of assault, or infiltrate silently and maneuver to disrupt the enemy’s rear.

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……To discover the optimal strategy suited to each knight’s characteristics and execute it flawlessly in actual combat, a systematic training program over many years is essential. It is not simply about teaching how to jump; it must include mastery of mana and physical control in high-altitude environments, and specialized tactics tailored to each type.

[Usage Reference: Beheading of Red Level Wanted Criminal Dun Caan]

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I momentarily set down the pen and stretched. On one side of the desk, a stack of assault training applications had piled up. Most of the young knights with lower seniority had submitted their applications.

Certainly, it seemed that this case had stirred a decent response.

“You look tired, Sir Knight.”

From between the tall bookshelves of the study, Lorenzo appeared. Lorenzo also looked quite fatigued as he handed over a thick pile of papers.

More paper.

Paper, paper, paper. These days, my work is buried in paper all day long.

“The theoretical text on the 「Aura Sphere」 has been completed.”

I picked up Lorenzo’s thesis.

“There are… an enormous number of mana formulas.”

It was fascinating. Lorenzo had perfectly organized the mana flow of the 「Aura Sphere」 formed by the virus into precise mana formulas.

“You’ve done a great job.”

“It was no trouble. I merely translated the concept you devised into the correct language, Sir Knight.”

Lorenzo offered a faint smile.

“To compose a single spell formula, hundreds or even thousands of mana formulas are required. They’re the methodologies for drawing circuits. However, there are many knights who move mana instinctively without such logic. Like Sir Maximilian.”

I quietly listened to his words.

“We scholars call that ‘intuition’. I have written your intuition in a way that others can understand as easily as possible.”

Lorenzo adjusted his glasses as he spoke.

“Now then, Sir Maximilian. Shall we go outside and give it a test?”

“……Let’s do that.”

I stepped outside.

Late at night. Standing in the training yard, I gripped a mana stone and infused it with mana.

──.

At that moment, the mana stone emitted aura and formed a transparent sphere beside my body.

“According to the calculations, the sphere is determined not by the surface area of the human body, but by the purity of the mana stone and the knight’s own mana capability.”

It meant that the taller and larger the knight, the bigger and more expensive the mana stone required.

I nodded with satisfaction.

“Where should this thesis be submitted?”

“If it’s a spell to be used by knights, then the Imperial Central Mana Graduate School. The mana scholars will analyze the thesis.”

Imperial Central Mana Graduate School. At a glance, wizards and mana scholars may seem similar, but they are distinctly different.

Magic is a technique in which a human interprets and transforms primordial mana through their internal mana circuit to produce phenomena. A wizard uses their mental power and imagination as catalysts to reconstruct the internal mana in accordance with specific formulas and magic circles.

In short, magic is the ‘fusion of mana and human psyche’, an extremely personal and internal domain. That is why the magic tower deals only with magic.

On the other hand, mana studies is a field that delves into the mechanism of mana itself. It explores only the ‘principles of mana’.

That is why the virus inside me is closer to mana studies. It reacts only to mana itself and conveys to me only an “intuition” about the essence of mana as a pure energy.

“……There are many scholars there who are nearly insane, having devoted their entire lives solely to theory. They are mana scholars in the truest sense. If they acknowledge the value, it can be officially published as a ‘theoretical text’.”

“I see. Then.”

I handed Lorenzo a check.

“It’s a bonus.”

“It’s fine. I have no more need for money now. Just…… allow me to build a small school in the city you’re planning to establish. For the other children who have talent but no opportunity.”

Lorenzo seemed genuinely committed to nurturing future generations.

“Yes. I’ll make that happen.”

“Thank you.”

Lorenzo straightened himself using his cane. I stood beside him and looked up at the night sky.

We quietly admired the scenery for a moment.

“……Lorenzo-ssi. The Empire is preparing for war.”

Suddenly, I wanted to say these words.

“I won’t avoid that war either. Rather…… I will cleanse an entire race.”

Lorenzo looked at me with startled eyes. I gave a bitter smile.

“As an intellectual, you may find that utterly unacceptable.”

Lorenzo fell silent for a while before asking.

“……Do you truly believe it’s the right thing to do, Sir Maximilian?”

The right thing.

Any value becomes meaningless in the face of survival.

A person who chooses death to uphold morality and ethics may be worthy of respect, but the stakes placed on the table, without us even realizing it, are not as trivial as the death of an individual.

It is the extinction of humanity.

“Yes. It is right. It will always be right.”

Lorenzo looked at my conviction. In the eyes of the aged genius scholar, the stars still lingered.

“And yet, if someday…… the scholar named Lorenzo can no longer justify the actions of the knight named Maximilian, if you find them completely intolerable, then please speak honestly to me at that time. I will tell you, without reservation, the foundation of my belief. In exchange.”

Facing him, I continued softly.

“At that time, you must believe everything I say.”

***

Today, there was a special event.

A charity event hosted by the Empire’s nobles─ but in truth, the charity was just a facade. It was a party where the upper classes, including nobles, knights, wizards, politicians, and military officers, gathered to build their social ties.

I received an invitation and decided to attend, but my goal was not that kind of trivial socializing.

Ezenheim.

I would root out those bastards who had infiltrated here.

“We’ve arrived, Sir Knight.”

I got out of the car in full knight uniform. The guards at the entrance didn’t even bother to check my identification. At a glance of my face and uniform, they respectfully bowed and opened the way.

In the vast garden of the mansion courtyard, various charity booths were set up. It was arranged to make it appear like an actual charity event. Booths with names like ‘Wounded Veterans Support Foundation’ and ‘Children’s Rights Protection Group’ were lined up.

I glanced over them briefly as I walked inside.

“Max!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to me. It was Ezell. She came running over, holding some kind of cocktail in one hand.

“……You need to take care of your skin. Those dark circles-”

“Shut up, come here. I have something to tell you.”

Ezell pulled my arm toward a secluded corner of the garden, away from people.

“I’ve secured a plausible hypothesis. About the Brain-Eater.”

“Then you should’ve contacted me earlier.”

“……It wasn’t that easy. I’ve been in the magic tower the whole time, running experiments, you know? So I might’ve been discovered.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ezell glanced around cautiously and whispered.

“I mean, I might be under surveillance.”

I stopped for a moment too. Activating my aura perception, I swept a glance around the party.

There still weren’t many people. It wasn’t yet peak time─ not evening.

“For now. Just listen like we’re having a normal conversation.”

I nodded as I accepted Ezell’s cocktail.

***

Meanwhile, on the 10th floor of the Imperial Central Mana Graduate School. That entire floor, used as the [Theoretical Thesis Review Room], was where a certain scholar had just finished analyzing one thesis.

Tap, tap- after aligning the edges of the 100-page document neatly, he stood from his seat and moved to the classification bin.

│Top│High│Upper Mid│Mid│Lower Mid│Low│Bottom│

Without hesitation, he dropped it into the “Bottom” category.

It meant: ‘Not even worth a re-evaluation.’

Just as he brushed off his hands and turned to leave,

“A new submitted thesis.”

A new paper was delivered at perfect timing. It was a rare hardcover bound in fine cloth.

The scholar asked, “From an esteemed family?”

It was common for children of noble households to prefer such flashy packaging. In their youthful minds, everything had to look impressive. Those with innovative Talents who devoted themselves solely to theory didn’t bother with such exterior nonsense.

“Yes. It is from a noble family. Look at the name.”

The scholar checked the name. Maximilian von Ebenholtz.

「Knight Technique Proposal by Maximilian Ebenholtz: Aura Sphere」

Knights are typically experts in mana manipulation. Meaning, they usually utilize the techniques and theories crafted by scholars. Of course, among them, there are some with a temperament more akin to a scholar. They should not be taken lightly.

“Hmm.”

As a reviewer of theoretical papers, he was intrigued.

It was because of the weight the name “Ebenholtz” carried.

The scholar opened the thesis. He didn’t even bother returning to his desk. He began reading while still standing there. He thought it would be over quickly.

Tick-tick-tick-

The scholar flipped through one page, then another.

Contrary to expectation, he wasn’t reading quickly; instead, he realized this was a thesis that required time and care.

Tick-tick-tick-

Many scholars and graduate students passed by him, but he remained rooted in place. His eyes fixed only on the thesis.

“…….”

Suddenly, he moved and headed for the copy room. He inserted the thesis into the copier and infused mana. The single copy quickly turned into dozens.

The scholar was about to turn around immediately, but then stopped and counted the copies.

“Ten, twenty, thirty……”

He was estimating demand.

Though the graduate school housed hundreds of resident students, there were also scholars from other nations with access, and sometimes even wizards moved through as a transient population…

“Hmm.”

He stepped back into the copy room. He made exactly 100 more copies of the thesis.

With the stack in hand, he returned to his desk. In the open workspace filled with desks, other scholars were busy with their respective work.

He piled the thesis copies into heaps at the front, back, and sides of his desk.

“Ahh.”

Then, he picked up the loudspeaker.

“Distributing the knight technique thesis 「Aura Sphere」 submitted by first-year knight Maximilian of the House of Ebenholtz.”

Most scholars didn’t seem interested.

“This is a technique theory involving the emission of a transparent sphere by transplanting a knight’s aura into a mana stone.”

He had no desire to explain further. He didn’t want to waste time.

He sat back down immediately and began analyzing the thesis.

“…….”

The scholar’s immersion, focused solely on the circuits that composed the technique, and the mana formulas that made up those circuits-

“One copy. Please.”

Suddenly, another scholar approached. The name was unfamiliar, but the face looked known. With a rather bored expression.

Was he here out of boredom, lacking any worthy thesis to analyze?

“Take one.”

After that, he returned to his immersion in the Ebenholtz thesis.

Scrawling across paper with his pen, following complex calculations in his mind-

“One copy. May I?”

A third scholar came to ask.

“Yes. Take one.”

Just as he was about to return to his work, soon after.

“May I take one?”

A fourth scholar disrupted his focus.

With a frown, the scholar finally grabbed the loudspeaker again.

“Announcing again. The 「Aura Sphere」 thesis by Knight Maximilian, don’t ask. Just take one.”

“Yes.”

Only then did the interruptions from the other scholars stop.

He poured his full focus into 「Aura Sphere」 It was well worth it.

Tick- tick- tick-

Had it been several minutes?

Or had hours passed?

“…….”

He stood up from his seat. No matter how scholarly one may be, being human means that biological needs cannot be resisted.

He rushed to the restroom to relieve himself.

He returned quickly without even washing his hands, but a problem had occurred.

His desk was completely empty.

“Hmm.”

Someone had stolen the thesis he had been thoroughly analyzing.

Rather than anger, the scholar felt dismay.

“Ahh.”

He picked up the loudspeaker again.

“To the person who took the thesis from desk 108 without permission, please return it immediately. I repeat. I can provide as many copies as you need, so to the person who took the thesis from desk 108 without permission, please return it at once. If it is not returned, I will proceed in accordance with the internal procedures of the Mana Graduate School……”