Formal, Profound, and Philosophical Discourse

Chapter 63

John Burghardt, leader of the Owl, an assassination organization directly under the Empire’s Director of Intelligence, is currently deep in troubled thought.

‘Hmm. Which side should I even support?’

Recently, an incident occurred where Sergei, a member of the Owl and a colleague, got entangled with the Crown Prince while cross-dressing on a mission.

And that incident opened a new horizon for John.

‘The premise itself, you could say, was the sort of thing you’d find in a romance novel…or, truth be told, that sometimes happens in real life too. Like Prince Siegfried of Labor Kingdom and his lover, a similar case.’

Though generally, in such scenarios, it’s all quite normal, that is to say, a man and a woman getting entangled, typically.

But this time, it was different.

Androgynous looks notwithstanding, Sergei was, for all intents and purposes, a man.

That he, a man, could be mistaken for a woman and courted by the Crown Prince of the Empire?

For John, a devotee of romance, there was no finer delicacy.

Thus he deeply pondered, researched, and reflected on whether it should be David x Sergei or Sergei x David, only to conclude that he couldn’t bear to discard either, until…

The Minister had gone and made Sergei a woman outright.

John felt a sense of bewilderment.

‘Does this mean it’s become…pedestrian? No, but Sergei *was* originally a man. If his body is now female, but his mind remains male…a difficult problem, indeed.’

He wrestled with it for days, alone, only to grow more and more confused.

Like a person who has lost their sense of taste from eating too much, John became so deeply engrossed in his own thoughts that he could no longer tell which development would be more tantalizing, and so he decided to seek the counsel of his colleagues.

John, having even prepared a hefty dossier, today summoned the members of Owl, excluding Sergei, who had once again been summoned by the Crown Prince, to the conference room.

Following their leader’s directive, the members of Owl gathered in the conference room, and after reading the materials he had prepared, were overcome with dismay.

“I kept wondering what you’d been agonizing over these last few days, and it turns out you’ve been agonizing over *this*?”

Alexander, as if at a loss for words, tossed the documents he’d finished reading onto the table with a sigh and continued.

“It goes without saying that *’amkuttarak’* is the most tantalizing, isn’t it?”

“‘Amkuttarak…’?”

John tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term, so Valdemar picked up the thread and explained.

“Simply put, it describes the process by which someone who was once a man becomes a woman, awakens to the joys of being a woman, and becomes stained with that pleasure. Your studies are lacking, John.”

“Hoh…”

His studies are lacking.

Never before in John’s life had those words struck him so keenly.

But at the same time, he felt an overwhelming emotion.

He was thrilled by the fact that pioneers who had experienced the same concerns as him already existed, and that they had provided an answer.

“I see. *’Amkuttarak’*. It certainly resonates with tantalizing implications.”

Unlike the other two, who were satisfied by their leader’s grave nod, Christina cautiously raised her hand to offer a dissenting opinion.

“But, you know… This is just a possibility, but wouldn’t it also be tantalizing if Sergei were to *see* His Highness with another woman?”

“Die.”

“Die.”

“Die.”

Kristina, catching the three daggers flung at her simultaneously with killing intent in a single hand, protested as if wronged.

“No, I’m telling you, it’s about possibilities!”

“Because of your ‘possibilities,’ the beautiful scene of those two unfolding in my head has been defiled.”

“Are you even human?”

“That is adultery. Human renouncement, Kristina.”

Despite her comrades’ undisguised contempt, Kristina stubbornly stood her ground.

“It might sound grating, but this is even in line with femdom corruption!”

“How so?”

“Imagine it! Sergei, resisting his heart turning feminine, seeing His Highness with another woman, experiencing jealousy and rage, and being bewildered by his own emotions!”

The conference room fell silent.

The Owl members were all top-tier combat professionals, even by world standards.

Combat was calculation.

Capable of predicting countless exchanges in the blink of an eye, they brought their abilities to bear and imagined the scene Kristina described.

Certainly, it was arousing.

“Indeed. So it’s possible to think of it that way…”

“…I hate to admit it, but it’s kinda hot.”

“I apologize, Kristina. Your opinion has presented us with a new path of possibilities.”

Kristina gladly accepted her comrades’ sincere apologies.

The Owl members were able to deepen their bond, becoming of one mind and one purpose, but that was only within Owl.

One day, Kristina, visiting the archives and engaging in light banter with Lisana, heard something shocking.

“T-this time, I think the Minister went too far…!”

“What is it?”

“T-turning Sergei into a woman! Th-that defiles pure love…!”

“Huh?”

The long war had begun.

The femdom corruption is truth faction versus the pure male-male couple love faction.

Starting with these two massive factions, smaller and larger forces repeatedly appeared and disappeared, and sometimes someone would appear, asking, “What happens if he comes back halfway through?” throwing the political landscape into chaos.

Truly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a period of warring ideologies.

Years hence, reflecting on this era, Serguei, a participant himself, offered a brief, pithy assessment:

“Mad dogs, all of them.”

—

“On the day I become Emperor, you shall be Grand General,” Albrecht declared.

The Margrave of Krevitz inquired, “Is everything prepared?”

“Almost. One step remains, you could say.”

His plan was simple enough.

Using agents recruited from beyond the borders, he would orchestrate attacks on the Empire’s territories, forcing the Imperial Army, led by the Grand General, to depart the capital. Then, he would march the Margrave’s army into the Imperial City.

“Of course, a simple plan does not equate to simple preparations.”

The Regalis family no longer possessed its former power.

Especially since the current Emperor had severed all their financial lifelines, it had taken an inordinate amount of time to secure external forces of sufficient strength to assault the Empire.

“Is this Marduk mercenary band truly reliable?”

“Have no worries. Mercenaries, after all, would throw themselves into the very fires of hell for gold. To receive the promised bounty, they will have no choice but to do as they are told.”

Despite Albrecht’s confident assurance, the Margrave of Krevitz couldn’t quite shake his unease.

He too knew of the Marduk mercenary band’s reputation.

A relatively new outfit, formed only a few years prior, it had rapidly expanded its power by absorbing renowned mercenaries and even entire mercenary companies.

Rumor had it that their combined strength was sufficient to easily overwhelm a minor kingdom.

*‘Even so, they are ultimately just a mercenary band. Surely, they themselves are most aware that they are no match for the Imperial Army?’*

Perhaps a nation the size of the Kingdom of Lavor could entertain the idea, but to become the Empire’s enemy at this juncture was tantamount to suicide.

Whether one was an individual, an organization, or a country, it mattered not.

“…While there is a lingering doubt, I will trust in the old man.”

Beyond this, Albrecht had mobilized every connection from his past in preparation for the rebellion.

He had even drawn in the chairman of the Merchant Guild and influential figures from various sectors, anticipating the chaos that would engulf the Empire in the rebellion’s wake.

“All have agreed to cooperate with me willingly. They are, it seems, greatly displeased with the current Emperor’s reign.”

Chuckling and stroking his beard, Albrecht appeared to already envision himself as Emperor.

The Margrave of Krevitz, having watched him in silence, suddenly inquired, as if a thought had just occurred to him.

“What will you do with the Emperor and his children?”

“Kill them.”

“…Even his grandchildren, all of them?”

“Of course. It pains me to have those children killed, but I cannot afford to leave any loose ends. It’s simply unavoidable.”

Crebiz Margrave, momentarily struck speechless by the reply, could only manage a response after a few moments.

“I see. I shall keep that in mind then.”

As Crebiz Margrave rose from his seat, Albrecht spoke, a hint of regret in his voice.

“Leaving so soon? Surely you can stay for supper.”

“It would not do for me to linger in the capital. You are no doubt aware of the rumors concerning the Owls, old man.”

Owls.

Upon hearing that word, Albrecht’s face paled instantly.

“Ah, yes. Well. One can never be too careful, I suppose.”

“Indeed. Then, I shall call again when we are prepared to finalize the execution date of the plan.”

With a respectful bow, Crebiz Margrave turned and exited the Regalis estate.

Once inside the carriage, he relayed the entirety of his conversation with Albrecht to Ervin, who had been waiting inside.