"I-Um..." Seryu was stuttering and couldn't find the right words to say since she was quite shocked by this development.
"Don't worry about it, that is if you aren't speaking because of those rumors you just spoke about a few seconds ago. I was the one hiding this from you so no need to feel embarrassed or foolish." Akashi said and finally freed his hand that was still being held by Seryu until now, and then patted her shoulder a few times.
*inhale* *exhale* "Isn't it bad for you to be outside with a girl just a few weeks before your wedding? What if anyone sees you together with me?" Seryu took a few breaths before she asked in a low voice with furrowed brows.
"Are you worried about me?" Akashi asked with a raised eyebrow and confused expression.
"I just think that you aren't a bad person..." She replied with a little blush on her cheeks while looking sideways.
"To be honest, I thought that the first thing you ask would be how I feel about this entire marriage. As to answer your earlier question...That's why I am wearing a cloak and hood but you don't really have to worry about such a small thing. I can do whatever I want, I can even get out of this entire marriage thing." Akashi said with a smile.
"? You can? Then why didn't you do anything about it yet? Are those rumors just lies or are you actually fine with marrying someone you have yet to meet?" Seryu asked with a curious tone while perking up her ears.
"You see, I can see that you are very compassionate and want to help people by delivering justice. Her family...isn't exactly the cleanest family out there so I am waiting to deliver my own justice on them. By the way, it is the truth that I have yet to meet her." Akashi said while gesturing for the owner of the stall to refill his cup with tea.
"...Are you saying that they are evil? That's some serious accusation. Are you sure?" She turned serious and asked with narrowed eyes.
"I have some evidence but probably not enough to overthrow a noble family like them. Also..." Akashi said but it was an obvious lie, however, he would like to have more evidence than he has right now, and most importantly...he wanted them to fall right a few days before their wedding. They would be feeling extremely good and satisfied for being able to form a connection with his family in a few days but right at their happiest moment, they would fall into despair.
"?! Yes?" Seryu was surprised that he actually has some evidence.
"Don't use the word evil in such a way. Maybe they have reasons for doing what they are doing. This doesn't excuse them but selfish is a better word than evil. You would recognize true evil on the first sight, that is someone without any emotions, not caring for even their close people, that kind of person is evil. You perhaps regard thieves as evil but they are usually stealing because they were forced to...are the ones who forced them evil or are they? The world is actually much better if you stop judging everyone evil or good. However, I understand that as the Imperial police you need to have such a mindset." Akashi said what was on his mind while sipping on his tea.
'...What a weird mindset but this area so far is the best one where most people are happy. Maybe there is something to his words.' Seryu thought for a bit about his words.
"How can you say something like that when you earlier sent those 2 men into prison? They didn't exactly do anything evil..." Seryu decided to ask some questions to see more into his mindset.
"No, they didn't actually break anything or hurt anyone, but rules are here to maintain public order. Just by starting the fight, they endangered the safety of the people around them. I don't judge them if they are evil or good, for all I care they can even be saints who just lost it for a moment but that won't protect them from the punishment. Punishment awaits all people, for you to understand...evil and even good. The best example is death...doesn't judge, just kills, both good and evil." Akashi replied with a smile.
Like this, both of them spend an hour talking to each other and exchanging their views on this world and its criminals. Akashi lived through a lot already so Seryu's words didn't really appeal to him much but Seryu took some of his opinions into the heart. There was even time where she got a bit angry because Akashi's opinions were sometimes crossing with the opinions of her deceased father.
In the end, Akashi threw a few gold coins at the owner of the stall and left the stall with Seryu and Koro in tow.
"Why did you pay for our meal? I didn't guess your name right." She asked with a confused expression while dragging Koro behind her.
"I think that I make more money than you, don't you think so? Plus it's my territory, it's my obligation to pay for your meal if you were keeping me a company." Akashi bluntly replied without caring for the girl's feelings.
"Haha, I guess you are right." However Seryu wasn't a normal girl, she didn't take it as offense and only chuckled and actually agreed with him.
"Thank you for everything! If what you said to me is the truth, I will be there to support you once you will uncover their crimes against the Empire and its people! However, for that to happen, I will probably need an invitation to the actual wedding, hehe" She said while showing me thumb up with a wide smile across her slightly blushing face.
Koro used this chance and actually approached Akashi just to hug his leg.
"?" Akashi looked down with a confused expression.
"Haha, it looks like Koro-chan wants to thank you for a fulfilling meal too! It's very rare to see him acting so familiar with anyone else other than me. And believe me, buying him a meal doesn't work so you must be quite compatible with him too!" Seryu released a hearty laugh after seeing Koro act like this before she explained it to Akashi.
'Compatible? So he really is Teigu, huh? Biological Teigu...interesting' Akashi thought and confirmed his guesses with only 1 Seryu's word.
"It was nice having your company, Seryu, Koro-chan." Akashi crouched down and patted Koro's head before he once again stood up.
They said their goodbyes and Akashi returned back to his mansion.
The moment Akashi returned and entered the mansion, a silver-haired woman instantly jumped on him, tightly hugging him.
"Um...Is something the matter, mother?" Akashi asked with a confused expression while patting Ember, his mother's back.
"You have been away for quite a long time and you ask me what's the matter? And what the hell happened to your eyes?!" She immediately attracted the attention of everyone since the entire mansion was completely silent.
"Nothing happened to them, really. See-?" Akashi replied while taking the blindfold off and opened his eyes without blinking to adjust his eyes to the light. He took the blindfold off just because he felt that it was alright to stop the training right now, previously, he was afraid of losing all progress but right now he was already accustomed to working without his eyes. The only thing that remained was to merge his enhanced other senses together with his sight. This can be quite hard and if he once again gets accustomed to using his sight as the main sense, he can even lose the entire progress so he must be careful.
His eyes were immediately attacked by the "intense" light but despite feeling burning pain, he endured it.
'Hm? His eyes look like they are completely new...His pupils are slightly enlarged but nothing else is different so why does it feel that way?' Ember thought while carefully looking into Akashi's eyes.
"Akashi Nii-sama?!"
"Young master?!"
Both Kurome and Aiko came down from the second floor and once they spotted Akashi standing in the main hall, they ran up to him and hugged him from each side.
'Ugh, am I some kind of stuffed animal for hugging or what?' Akashi thought but he still smiled at them and patted their heads.
Akashi remained there hugging them for a few minutes before he excused himself to greet other people inside the mansion. He reported to his father and also the situation about the kids.
"I see...You did well but we need to be careful so no one recognizes them, they should also feel indebted to you so they might be great future assets to our family. You mentioned that each of them will pick a different department which they want to study. I can arrange some teachers and I can also hire regular teachers to teach them some regular stuff. We wouldn't want them to be uneducated..." Jun, Akashi's father said to Akashi while doing some paperwork at his table in his study.
"Thanks, I already had Ichika accommodate them. They are probably sleeping already since they must be tired from the entire journey...Is there anything else?" Akashi nodded his head with a grateful smile and then asked with an uncertain expression since it looked like his father still had something he wanted to ask.
*sigh* "Yes, unfortunately, yes. Your wedding is only a few weeks from now and you still haven't done anything about it. If you want to marry that girl then I don't mind but at least be honest with me." Jun said with a complicated expression.
"...Pff, haha, you think that since I haven't done anything yet, I actually want to marry her? Don't worry, my plan is already set in motion." Akashi laughed a bit and then reassured his father with a calm expression once again.
"Just be careful how you do it...if anything happens to their family just a few weeks or days before wedding, most people will think that we are the culprits since we don't want to have ties with such a small family." Jun said with a serious expression since he was aware that his son was slightly sadistic. He was aware that his son just wants to give that family hope just to lose it right in front of them.
"No need to worry, I already have a plan on how to do it. I have met someone from Imperial police today and I believe she will help me. And even if her superior is scum, he won't let himself be bribed by them if he will see opportunity to take everything from them. Either way, that family is done for once the evidence I have accumulated gets to the public. It doesn't matter if high ranking members in the Imperial police are righteous or scums anymore." Akashi explained with a calm tone and smile.
"She? Akashi, you need to be cautio-" Jun already wanted to warn his son since he thought that he might be too trustful to that woman. After all, women are very dangerous no matter in what department.
"Don't worry, I am not naive, neither I am horny. I will make sure that there won't be any leads to our family." Akashi replied before his father could finish his sentence.
*cough* "Ehm, language, Akashi. Your mother could be listening behind the doors. Anyway, that's everything for today, you should also get some rest." Jun cleared his throat and said with a calm tone.
Akashi nodded his head with a smile before he left his father's study.
.
.
'From what I have heard from the guards, it looks like the tension between the Revolutionary Army and the Empire is becoming bigger each day. The true war will start within a few weeks or months at most.' Akashi thought while relaxing in the bath.