After Akashi arrived home, he immediately went inside his study and sat down at the table with a pensive expression on his face.
*clang* Only when Aiko put teacup with a plate on the table, Akashi woke up from his thoughts and looked up at Aiko leaning forward above the table. Her hairstyle never changed, still 2 pigtails despite those years...This actually made her look slightly childish even though she was no longer a little girl.
"Thank you, Aiko. Can you please start your report on our expanding businesses?" Akashi forced out a smile and asked.
"Before that...Is anything troubling young master?" Aiko asked with a concerned expression while looking at Akashi.
'Was that scent what I think it was? It certainly smelled like another woman...When did the young master have time for this? Maybe I am just misunderstanding the entire situation, it could be Lady Phoenix's scent but...she smells quite different.' Aiko thought when she remembered the scent she smelled from Akashi when she was leaning forward to put down the teacup.
"Hm? Nah, it's nothing that important, just...interesting" Akashi replied with a slightly surprised expression before he returned to his stoic expression.
"Alright, I won't ask any further, however, know that you can always talk to me and discuss anything you want, after all, I am young master's personal maid!" Aiko joined her hands together and said with a bright smile.
Akashi nodded with a small smile and gestured her to start the report.
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GOLD: 4 423
'That's the amount I previously had after paying Oarburgh to join me which left me in quite a dire situation but as I hoped for, my business here only continued flourishing. The estimated amount I made in those days I was away is about 15.000 gold coins but the Empire is quite ruthless with their taxes despite me being one of the most powerful nobles. Well, it's only expected since taxes rose quite a lot since the Revolutionary Army kept pressing against the Empire.'
'The final amount is around 12.500 gold coins and that is after meeting some important people in the Finance department of the Empire. After talking with them for a while I was able to save roughly around a thousand gold coins. They were boring but I guess I can call it worth it. However, as expected of Aiko, she always kept some percentage of earnings away for development of other potential businesses or improving already existing ones. At least I don't have to worry about that type of thing with my own money anymore.' Akashi thought when he was returning from the palace together with Aiko who accompanied him there.
Akashi glanced to the side at Aiko and found that she was frowning and her expression itself was radiating that 'upset' aura.
"Are you alright?" He asked but he already knew why was she like that.
"Y-Yes...I just hate how most of these men were ogling me. Just because I am wearing a maid outfit they think that they can do whatever they want even if I am not their maid" Aiko replied and tried to form a smile, not wanting to appear too depressed in front of Akashi but she failed quite miserably.
"I suggested you change your clothes but you insisted that it will show everyone that you are 'MY' maid. Sometimes you can still be very childish." Akashi shook his head and replied with a small smile.
"I know but I thought that they won't stare if they will know that I belong to you. One of those leaders of the Finance department even suggested making taxes lower for a little "favor"! I was already shaking under his stare not to mention after what he said..." Aiko replied with a disgusted expression while putting her arms around her chest while holding her shoulders.
"I can't do anything about stares you are receiving, after all, you are beautiful young woman and I am pretty sure that those wolves know how to smell out if the girl is innocent or not...which only excites them more" Akashi replied with an apologetic smile, although he stopped some men who were staring too much and from too close but he can't do anything about people staring from afar.
"He-he, thank you for the compliment, young master." Suddenly, Aiko's mood took 180 degrees change and she giggled with a bright smile and blushing cheeks.
"Hm?! Then, if they can smell that I am 'innocent' how about young master helps me with that?!" Aiko suddenly blurted out while looking expectantly at Akashi.
"...*sigh*" Both of them stopped walking and Akashi turned at her and kept silent for a while before he sighed while shaking his head with a smile. He went ahead while Aiko kept staring at his back with a slightly surprised expression.
"You better treasure it and not use it for your convenience!" Only when she heard Akashi's voice from afar, she picked up a pace to catch up with him.
'But I am doing exactly that...' Aiko thought while pouting and looking at Akashi's back.
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Days passed by and the Empire almost completely forgot about the incident with their best assassination unit. They actually stopped actively searching for Poney but there were still wanted posters with her drawing so she was pretty much screwed if she ever wants to live inside the Capital. These days, Akashi didn't even leave his mansion since he was too busy with all kinds of meetings and paperwork due to his nearing "marriage". There were many people congratulating him even a few weeks before the actual marriage and he could see a few ridiculing looks in some of the people's eyes and he was perfectly aware why.
Normally, big and powerful families like his, heirs usually choose who they want to marry, and usually, it is also from another big family or only slightly weaker one. Sometimes, it can also be commoner, after all, there are many more commoners than nobles so chances of finding a more beautiful woman there are higher. But that only happens when the family is strong enough and doesn't need to form any bonds with others. And that's the reason why they felt pity or why some were ridiculing Akashi, of course, none of them dared to show it in front of him. Aria herself wasn't exactly ugly or beautiful, she was looking alright which was fine with Akashi, he has never been a type to pay too much attention to appearance but her personality is something he wouldn't be able to stand.
Akashi was actually contemplating if he should meet her a few days before the marriage and go on a few dates with her. He was already aware of many cases of how she and her family lured other people into their mansion with kindness just to be tortured or tested with poisons. He wanted to pay her in the same way, show her kindness, and love just to betray that at the end.
Actually, he was slightly accepting the matter with testing the poisons but if he ever had to quickly test any important poison, he would go for prisoners first, however, if he really had no other way, he would also kidnap someone off the street just to test it. However, he hated how they lured those people in with fake hope. In this world, everyone was ruthless in one way or another but giving someone fake hope is really disgusting act. He wants to let them feel how their victims feel.
---Akame's side---
Akame, Green, Najenda, Bulat, Leone and Lubbock were standing in a small circle around a table.
"We have waited long enough! We have gathered considerable amount of people so I think it is out time to slowly start this revolution. We are going to carry out this revolution with as few casualties as we can and that's also the reason for our group existence, assassination unit!" Najenda said with a light cigar in her mouth.
"..." Both Akame and Green looked at her with a slightly nervous expression or maybe impatient would be better a word.
"Come on Najenda! Don't tease them so much, announce our group's name already!" Lubbock exclaimed with maybe a too much excited tone and expression.
"Our organization's name is Night Raid and with this mission, I declare official existence of Night Raid!" *Bam* Najenda said and slammed the table in the middle while leaving a poster on it.
"?! Bill?" Akame and Green exclaimed at the same time with slightly surprised expressions.
"Oh? You know this man?" Leone asked both of them with a curious expression.
"Of course they know him, he is leader of the different assassination unit but they must have met him a few times, right?" Najenda replied in their stead while puffing out the smoke out of her mouth.
"Yes, he is quite an important person but there is still someone higher above him, however, we know nothing about him." Akame replied with a thoughtful expression.
"Hmm, still, trying to assassinate someone deep inside the palace will be extremely hard." Green muttered while holding his chin, looking down at the poster.
"Saikyuu is the name of the man above Bill but he can be said to be the second most important person in the Empire so targeting him right now is nearly impossible. On the other hand, Bill is another matter, right?" Najenda said while looking at Green.
"That's right, Bill most likely spends most of his time in the laboratory that's located inside the palace but most of the security is concentrated in the middle of the palace and laboratory is in the underground on the edge of the palace, the same with the entrance. There is tight security but definitely not as tight as near the Emperor's hall. We might have some chance to sneak inside." Green nodded his head and replied.
"Do you know any secret passages we can use to our advantage?" Bulat asked since he was a soldier and not assassin, therefore, he has never spent a lot of time at the palace during his time in the army.
"There are a few underground passages but we still need to get inside the palace through the whole Capital." Akame replied while thinking hard about ways how to get inside unnoticed.