The next morning, the atmosphere in the assembly hall is heavy and tense.
Maximus steps onto the podium, his gaze sweeping across the grand hall where the senators have gathered. Murmurs ripple through the room—everyone already anticipates the outcome of the vote.
He takes a deep breath, then speaks in a deep, steady voice that resonates throughout the chamber."The results are clear."
The nobles and senators fall silent.
Maximus glances at the numbers on the result document before announcing them slowly:"In favor: 44%.""Against: 44%.""Abstentions: 12%."
The entire hall remains silent.
Everyone understands what this perfect balance means.
No side wins.No side loses.
By law, Maximus' proposal does not pass.
But Maximus does not stop. He continues, his tone calm but sharp:"After a short revote exclusively for those who abstained…""Two-thirds of them have chosen partial agreement."
Immediately, murmurs break out across the room. The nobles opposing the proposal frown, while those in favor smile—but not with complete relief.
A middle-aged noble from the opposition faction suddenly stands, slamming his staff against the stone floor."Partial agreement? What does that even mean?"
Maximus looks at him and replies slowly:"It means… my proposal has passed."
A shockwave spreads through the room.
"By a narrow margin.""Barely.""Just by a sliver."
Maximus does not need to state the exact numbers—everyone already knows the proposal has passed by the smallest possible difference.
A few extremists among the opposition scowl, but no one voices an objection. The law is the law.
Like it or not, they have lost this time.
A voice rises from the back rows—a young noble with sharp eyes."So, what does this mean?"
Maximus gives a faint smile."It means… we begin the reforms."
He steps down from the podium, his expression remaining calm, though he knows deep down that this battle was only the beginning.
Hitler, who has been silently observing throughout the tense debate, finally rises. He scans the entire hall, his gaze stern and unreadable."The assembly is adjourned."
Just three words, but enough to end all discussions.
No one objects.No one dares to.
The nobles and senators leave one by one, some still conversing in hushed voices, others remaining silent. Those who lost cannot hide their dissatisfaction, but no one can change the outcome of the vote.
As Maximus steps off the platform, two teenagers wait for him in the corridor—Zihao and Aldo.
Zihao gives a slight smile, his eyes glinting."Congratulations, Senator Maximus."
Aldo crosses his arms and nods."A narrow victory, but a victory nonetheless."
Maximus shrugs, his indifference unchanged."We've only just stepped onto the starting line."
Aldo scoffs."Yeah, well… but at least it's a start."
Before he can say more, his voice drops as he brings up another matter."By the way, I have something to complain about."
Maximus raises an eyebrow, but Aldo does not wait for him to ask.
"The Parliament sent a female knight from the Black Crusade to shadow me for the past week—to 'verify my loyalty.'"
He jerks his chin toward someone standing not far away.
Maina.
A tall woman with a solid build, clad in black armor with a golden cross. Under the dim hall lights, her eyes betray exhaustion and lack of sleep.
Zihao frowns slightly, while Aldo looks openly annoyed."Why am I the only one being watched? Why not Zihao?"
Maximus glances at Aldo, then shrugs as if the answer is obvious."You're the only one producing enzymes."
His tone is even."And enzymes are currently a crucial buff for many guilds. They want to make sure you're not planning to overthrow anyone."
Aldo scoffs."Ridiculous. Me? Overthrowing a bunch of nobles?"
Zihao chuckles."Honestly… it's not entirely impossible."
Maximus simply smiles, while Maina—who has remained silent until now—suddenly speaks.
Her voice is dry, with a hint of exhaustion."But he deliberately led me into dens full of bandits and heretics."
"Just so I would have to take them all down myself."
Under the fiery red sunset of the city, the atmosphere in the Black Crusade camp still carries the heat of relentless battles. The scent of dried blood, metal, and gunpowder intermingles, forming a harsh and brutal battlefield scene.
In that space, a towering figure appears, each heavy step echoing against the stone ground, the sound of metal armor scraping in the silent air.
The Captain of the 128th Unit of Black Crusade.
A middle-aged man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a neatly trimmed beard. His sharp eyes are like blades, carrying the mercilessness of a seasoned warrior. His dark black armor gleams with silver linings under the light—a symbol of those who have survived hundreds of battles.
He stops in front of Maina, his gaze filled with appreciation.
— "Maina, you have done well."
Maina immediately stands straight, placing a hand over her chest in the traditional salute of the Black Crusade. Her face remains emotionless, but tension fills her mind.
The Captain reaches into his cloak and pulls out a black lacquered wooden box, adorned with intricate engravings. As he opens it, a bright metallic gleam reflects under the twilight—a Third-Class Iron Cross medal.
— "For your outstanding achievements in the past six days, I present you with this medal on behalf of our superiors."
Maina takes the medal, her eyes flickering slightly. She has fought tirelessly for nearly a week, but truthfully, what she has done hardly falls under the duty of a surveillance knight.
The Captain smirks, then continues:
— "And by the way, here are the ten incredible feats you accomplished during your surveillance mission."
He begins listing them, his tone carrying a hint of amusement:
Single-handedly eliminating a bandit hideout with over 50 men.
Discovering and neutralizing a heretical group conducting a forbidden ritual.
Slaying a B-class demonized creature without sustaining severe injuries.
Rescuing a group of merchants from bandits in under three minutes.
Silently neutralizing five assassins hired to kill Aldo.
Uncovering a noble's smuggling ring and reporting it to Black Crusade.
Destroying an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in the slums.
Successfully capturing an A-rank fugitive.
Single-handedly suppressing a small riot in a labor district.
Surviving six days of watching Aldo without going insane.
As he reaches the final feat, the Captain squints at Maina for a moment, then chuckles softly:
— "The last one isn't official, but I believe it's worthy of recognition."
The group falls silent for a few seconds.
Maximus is the first to break the silence, nodding with an exaggeratedly serious expression.
— "Truly remarkable. A knight this dedicated deserves more trust."
He turns to Maina, his tone encouraging but unable to hide his teasing:
— "Black Crusade is lucky to have a warrior like you."
Aldo raises an eyebrow slightly, then looks away, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.
Zihao, standing quietly at the side, lifts a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter.
Only Maina remains silent.
But she stares directly at Aldo, her eyes icy cold, filled with barely concealed irritation.
Aldo, as if completely unfazed by her murderous glare, simply crosses his arms and stands there, looking as composed as ever.
Maximus notices Maina's reaction and laughs, shrugging playfully:
— "Perhaps the Parliament should trust her more."
The Captain of the 128th Unit narrows his eyes at the group, sensing something unusual.
— "Is there a problem?"
Maximus maintains his calm tone as he slowly recounts how Aldo repeatedly pushed Maina into dangerous situations—how she, instead of merely observing, ended up becoming an unwitting crime-cleaning machine.
The story ends.
The entire team bursts into laughter.
The Captain laughs heartily, clapping Maina firmly on the shoulder.
Zihao lowers his head, his shoulders trembling from holding back laughter.
Aldo, with his signature half-smile, looks completely unrepentant.
Only Maina does not laugh.
She crosses her arms, takes a deep breath, then exhales heavily.
Her face now carries the unmistakable look of someone contemplating whether to strangle Aldo right then and there.
Maximus crosses his arms, the corner of his lips curling up in amusement. He glances at the captain and chuckles softly:
— "Do you have any idea what has happened in the past six days?"
The captain furrows his brows and slowly shakes his head.
— "Go on."
Maximus laughs, then begins recounting the story with great enthusiasm:
— "At first, Maina's mission was very simple—follow Aldo, observe his activities from a distance, and report back when necessary. But the problem is..."
He glances at Aldo, who remains standing with his arms crossed, completely indifferent, as if this story has nothing to do with him.
— "...Aldo is not the kind of person you can follow from a distance."
The captain raises an eyebrow and looks at Maina, as if waiting for an explanation. But before she can say anything, Maximus continues:
— "On the very first day, instead of hiding or acting discreetly, Maina decided to walk right beside Aldo, like a shadow."
The captain turns to look at Maina, his expression practically asking, "Why would you do that?"
Maina says nothing. Instead, she grabs the captain's shoulder, points directly at Aldo, her eyes blazing with fury, as if accusing him of labor exploitation.
— "Don't you dare look at me like that!" — Maina snaps. — "I followed him by walking next to him because he has absolutely no concept of being followed!"
The captain stays silent for a moment, then gives a small nod.
— "Hmm, that actually makes sense."
Maximus chuckles softly and continues:
— "But the real issue is that Aldo has a rather… unique habit. He has a tendency to throw himself into all kinds of danger. Not just stumbling into it, but deliberately poking at it and then running away."
The captain glances at Aldo, assessing him, but Aldo simply shrugs—neither denying nor caring.
— "For example," — Maximus raises one finger — "he walks past a bandit hideout, sees that they aren't doing anything yet, and instead of ignoring them, he picks up a rock, throws it at the leader's head, and then casually walks away."
The captain raises an eyebrow.
— "And what about Maina?"
Maina grits her teeth, clenching her fists.
— "Obviously, I had to deal with the aftermath!"
— "Another example," — Maximus raises a second finger — "he comes across a group of cultists performing a forbidden ritual. Instead of reporting it or staying away, Aldo walks right into the middle, watches for a moment, and then… kicks over their altar."
The captain blinks.
— "And what did he do after that?"
— "Ran away."
Maina nods firmly.
— "Very fast!"
The captain remains silent for a few seconds, then slowly nods.
— "I see."
Maina stands in the middle of the room, hands trembling with barely contained frustration, her eyes red from lack of sleep. She takes a deep breath, pushes her messy hair back, and growls:
— "Listen carefully. I have had ENOUGH of the past six days!"