-River Coast, a member of the Imperial Army's Southern Sector, exhaled a tired sigh as he did his assigned work.


(Why am I doing this? ......)


　The sighs were accompanied by a lot of gloomy complaints.
　The only reason why Revel is unconsciously doing this unproductive act is because he is unbearably dissatisfied with his current situation.


　What Revel is being forced to do here is the simple and monotonous task of checking the cargo against the inventory. It is the kind of menial work that anyone could do, checking the number of consignments and how many are to be taken out and recording them.


　...... Originally, Revell was not in a position to do this kind of work.
　He graduated from the military academy in the imperial capital with outstanding grades and joined the military as a lieutenant, the usual elite course.
　He was expected to have a bright future, and was eventually going to be appointed to the post of chief of staff.
　But, as it turned out...
　On the third day after his first day of duty, what awaited him was an order to transfer to the south.
　I was sent to the Kingdom of Rynor, where the situation was moderate, and I was even forced to mix with the Kingdom's people and do this kind of work as an agent.


(I graduated with excellent grades!　(I graduated with excellent grades!) Normally, you would be sent to work in the center of the country or to the battlefield to gain hands-on experience!


　Normally, after graduating from the military academy, it is customary to further study in the rear, or to take control of the junior officers as a lieutenant in the northern area where the Empire is currently at war.
　Despite this, he was sent first to the interior of the Kingdom of Rynor, one of the enemy nations.
　The mission was to accompany, support, and monitor an operation led by the Count of Rynor to seize silver.
　In essence, they are assisting the thieves in snatching strategic supplies.


　...... At the military academy, the students were mainly educated to become future generals and to command large numbers of troops.
　In spite of this, he was given a job like this where what he had learned so far was of no use.
　No matter how you look at it, this is not how the elite should be treated.


(This is all the fault of those idiots. (This is all the fault of those idiots. Everyone, everyone ......)


　I think of my classmates who graduated from the same military school as Revell.
　The incompetents who never got along with Revel, and even harassed him at every turn. They have never acknowledged Revel's achievements, but have always made fun of him, citing his physical characteristics.
　Of course, one of them must have dragged him down this time, too.
　They must have been jealous of their superior performance and slandered themselves to their instructors and military leaders.
　They are all incompetent, but they are all lads from good families. It is easy for them to get their parents to put pressure on them.
　Otherwise, why should a brilliant man like myself be engaged in this kind of work in this kind of place?


　The Empire is a meritocracy. That's why incompetent and talentless people are treated coldly, while talented people tend to be valued, even if their status is low. In such a country, when the incompetent and the incompetent rise to power and the competent are disadvantaged, there is always a sinister plot going on behind the scenes.
　I've been tricked.
　It must be so.


(Absolutely so. ...... absolutely ......)


　As before, Revel's mouth began to chatter to himself.
　When his mind had stabilized after dissipating his resentment, he suddenly looked the other way.


　On top of the crates were stacks of papers, deeds, and even the Count's instructions.
　At the back of the warehouse lay the silver that had been taken from him.
　It is covered with only a cloth, and there is not the slightest intention to hide it.
　The reason this is going on is because most of the people here are convinced that this base will never be found, even though it is so carelessly managed.


　What Revel doesn't understand, however, is why this place was chosen as a temporary base for storing supplies.
　The location was the capital of the Rastinel Domain, ruled by the great lord Louise Rastinel, who had been heard.
　The river is convenient for transportation.
　It would be difficult to be noticed, as it is common for people to not pay attention to their feet.
　However, as a graduate of a military academy, I have to say that using a place like this as a base is completely dangerous.
　Certainly, if it has to be here, then so be it.
　But there are other candidates for a base.
　There is no reason why it has to be here.
　Nevertheless, it is completely incomprehensible that they are even storing the instructions from the silver for the purpose.


　It could be said that silver is unavoidable, considering its convenience in transportation.
　The instructions are supposed to be incinerated after a certain period of time, but if they are seized here, they will be all over the place.
　The usual practice is to disperse danger.
　And yet, even when we tell them to do so, these people don't listen to us.
　Maybe they just don't want to go through the trouble.
　Or maybe they don't think about the fact that the matter will be exposed in the first place.
　They do not think about the worst case scenario at all, and stick to the assigned task.


(Are these people stupid? ......)


　These are the kind of people we have here. They are quick to belittle others and do not listen to others' opinions. They are all dull-witted people who just want to take orders from the top.
　Such a group is led by a merchant named Pirocolo.


"Hi, everyone, nice to meet you.


　What I hear is a voice lacking in confidence.
　His manner of giving instructions to those around him is also clearly frightening.
　The people here are ostensibly merchants, so they must have chosen people who are well versed in that field to manage the place.
　Pirocolo was not the kind of person who was suited for this kind of rough work.
　So--


"What do you mean, "please take care of me"?　We've already suffered damage from yesterday's attack!　Do you understand that, you bastard?

I'm not sure.　It's ...... I had no idea they could use magic.

I'm sure they can use magic if they've handled the Mark!　You're an idiot!

What?　I'm so sorry!


　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.
　The reason for this is because the men who were assigned to play the role of bandits were badly injured during last night's raid on the village to steal the silver.


　Apparently, there were mages from the kingdom staying in the village, and they used their power to protect the village.
　According to the story, most of the people who attacked the south gate were defeated by the magic of those mages and captured on the spot.
　Those people probably died after slurping down the Machin that was given to them in advance.
　The man who is shouting now is the one who is in charge of the bandits, and he thinks that the damage was caused by Pirocolo's failure to report.
　If Pirocolo had a certain dignity, he would have been able to control his gushing frustration.
　However, every time he makes a mistake, he is thrust into a corner like this.
　The only thing I can say is that you picked the wrong people, because you can't keep your subordinates in check.


　...... If you work in this kind of environment, it is obvious that one day you will go bankrupt.
　And yet, none of them make any move to improve it.
　It's stupid.
　Why are other people so stupid?


"Hey. "Hey... imperial lackey.


　That's what he called me from the side.
　It was a very unwelcome call, but I swallowed my anger and turned around to face the voice.
　The man who summoned Revel was a thin man sent from Nadar's side.
　He was now propped up on a crate, looking like he owned the place.
　He's got a lot of piercings, too many to be considered fashionable.
　A tattoo of a beast of prey occupies half his face.
　If he had a woman by his side, he would be the face of the underworld. ...... I'm not sure about that.
　The reason why you can't be blamed at all when all the other people are busy moving around is because this man is a mage.


"What's ......?

　I'm not sure what to make of that.


I'm sure you're not the only one.　Hmm?　You're still spending time on that kind of work?　You're really useless, aren't you?


　The mage man says this in a loud and audible voice.
　I'm not sure if you want to tell the people around you.
　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.


I really feel sorry for the incompetent ones, don't you? No matter where you go, you stink and you'll never be taken seriously.

"I am!

What?　That's why you were sent to this place, isn't it?　You're a self-proclaimed elite of the Empire.

Geez, ......!

It's a pity, isn't it, people like you who can't do anything no matter what?


　The mocking smile is especially hateful.
　Revel's work is not so slow as to be considered "slow" as the man says.
　In fact, this is quite normal for an unfamiliar job.
　This man has been poking and prodding Rivel since he was first assigned here.
　Perhaps he is trying to boost his self-esteem by humiliating people like Revell.
　It must be quite a thrill for him to torment the fallen elite.
　Perhaps the man's laughter has caught the attention of the people around him, who are laughing at him.
　While I was distracted by this, the mage man kicked the stack of papers.


There: ......


　The documents flew through the air and scattered all around.
　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of these.
　What's more, the man said deliberately.


"Oh?　I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Sorry, Revell.

".............


　What did you not see? You knew and you kicked me.


What?　What? You're mad at me?　Hmm?　What do you mean?　If you're angry, say something.　What?


　The man is trying to provoke me.
　But don't be taken in by this. These provocative actions will be further accelerated if you respond to the man's intentions. This kind of vulgar harassment is something I had to deal with in military school. There is no time to waste in dealing with them.
　The man was not happy that Revell did not take him up on his challenge. "d*mn," he'd swear.


"And when you're done with your work, why don't you do mine?

"Don't tell me what to do. Don't tell me what to do. You're the one who's free to do it in the first place.

What?　What?


　The mage man stood up and glared at me when I refuted him.
　You want to threaten me with magic?


I'm a member of the Empire!　I'm a member of the empire! ...... You treat a member of the empire so carelessly, how do you think your employers will feel about that?

Touch .......


　When pointed out, the mage man shows a bitter face .
　It is true that he doesn't want to hurt the people of the empire and make Count Nadar (Yatoinushi) feel bad.


　To a man like that, all you have to do is return .


I'm sure you know what you're doing, don't you?　From now on, when you return to Nadar, you will threaten the Dauphin of Rynor's back, as instructed.

"What?　I know what you're talking about. I'm not like you, I fight at the front, okay?

......, if you know what I mean.

I'm sure you're not the only one.　I'm not sure what you mean by that.　If you want to change the subject, use your head properly.

"............

If you want to change the subject, use your head properly. ...... When you can't say anything back, you just shut up. ...... Well, I'm in a good mood. I'll forgive you. After all, the Dauphin's party is about to attack.


　Suddenly, the man's mouth quirked up.
　It's a smile that hides a cruelty filled with lust.


I can see it now. I can see the crown prince and his cronies being killed by my magic.


　Apparently, this man was taking pleasure in the thought of his next mission.
　But Revel has a question.


You're from the kingdom, aren't you?　Why do you agree to kill the Dauphin?

"Why?　It's obvious. I'm trying to impress the kingdom, which didn't appreciate me as a capable mage.

Blow the whistle?

Yeah. I've been exposed to magic since I was a kid, and there wasn't a single mage around who could compete with me. And yet, just because I didn't graduate from a magic academy, the officials treated me like any other mage.

So you're going to kill the Dauphin?

The Dauphin is the child of the most powerful mage in the kingdom.　That's a good way to get revenge, right?

"............


　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　That unsettling smile seems to be rooted in a deep resentment.
　What makes you competent?
　Didn't you appreciate it?
　Isn't that just backhanded resentment?
　It is because he was incompetent that he disgraced himself by becoming the son of a count.


You got a problem with that?

"...... Nothing.

If you're ...... incompetent, you should just stay in the corner like an incompetent.


　The man comes cursing at my back.
　He is an emotionally unstable mage.
　...... Why do I have to be with these people?
　They are all so focused on protecting themselves and satisfying their immediate desires that they don't look at the big picture.
　It is the height of stupidity.
　And the most foolish of all are those who have their silver stolen by these people.
　They don't even know that the Count is stealing their silver.
　They still believe they are just bandits and are searching the mountains and fields for them.
　Foolish. It's the height of stupidity.


The Rustinels will probably continue to put the crown prince in danger without even realizing that the silver has been stolen. ......


　I was complaining, as usual.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.


　--If you say it out loud, you'll get a bad taste in your mouth.


　This is a common saying in the empire.
　This is a common saying in the empire. It says that if you say something insulting to someone, something contrary to what you said will come back to you.
　The world was established by the ancient language of the arts, which manipulates events.
　All the words used in the world today are said to have been differentiated from it.
　Therefore, every language has a certain amount of power.
　Therefore, every word has a certain amount of power and influences events in a very small way.
　For this reason, it is customary in the military to place importance on such experiences, and not to say anything that disrespects the other person or is not auspicious, even if you think it in your heart.
　Revel thinks that this is superstition, but it is easy to fall into a trap when you underestimate someone.
　It was a bad sign, he thought.


"Hey, there's a Rustinelle army gathering outside!

At this hour?

Why?

And they're armed!

They're armed!


　A chill ran down my spine as I wondered if I had caused the misunderstanding.
　The man who was shouting at me earlier grabbed onto Pirocolo.


You didn't do anything wrong, did you?

No, no, that's not possible. ......


　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
　The reason for such a disagreement is that you couldn't contain your frustration.


The first thing to do is to buy some time and put everyone in the hidden room except us.


　Pilokoro was in the middle of giving the order.
　As if such stalling was unacceptable.
　The entrance to the warehouse was violently opened, and an avalanche of soldiers from the Rustinelle territory entered.