"Is there something specific you want to talk about?" I asked Esdeath when she sat down right next to me.
"Hmm...Not really, I guess I just wanted to talk for a bit" She replied with a small smile while looking up at the bright moon.
"I see and what kind of topic do you want to discuss?" I have asked her with a curious expression and a bit of wariness in my eyes.
"Since you are my friend, I will be honest with you. I have ordered a few of my trustworthy subordinates to investigate a bit around your influence in the Capital and everything around it." Esdeath suddenly said with an honest apologetic smile.
"Hmm, and what did you manage to find?" I asked with a neutral tone but my eyes became slightly colder.
"I have discovered that you are expanding a lot of businesses and you are even making some "charity". Hiring weak men who used to be in the army who lost their worth to the Empire. Although most of the people don't talk about it, however, one time when I took a walk around your residence, I have heard some very good words about you from the locals." She explained with a small smile.
"Well, I am not sure about the charity thing but I do hire those men since I have a good occupation for them. I had also expanded my businesses but why is that interesting? Aren't all nobles trying to get richer each day?" I asked while shrugging my shoulders with a smirk.
"True enough but I don't think you are that type of person. It looks like you are slowly building up your reputation with locals, some of them call you Red Devil with fear and some with awe and respect which I find very interesting. Are you playing in politics?" Esdeath asked me with a serious expression.
To think that she would be able to investigate it...her so-called "trustworthy subordinates" definitely must be at least Teigu users and experienced at that to be able to get past my Organization I have created. I mean, the organization itself still isn't truly completed since we lack any higher figures who can take care of different parts of the city. Most of it is Ichika's and Kurome's responsibility.
I thought and my stoic expression became colder while my eyes slowly lost its radiant color.
"Ohoho, I like that face of yours but there is no need for anything like that." Esdeath said with a wide smile while looking at my cold smile.
"?..." I just looked at her and waited for her to continue.
"You see, my army supports Prime Minister Honest but to be honest with you...I don't really care about it. I just find it curious why are you trying to build a reputation in that way, I can understand that more people will support you this way but...Is there any other reason?" She said with a bored look before asking me with a curious look.
"...The Empire itself can't exist without its people. Not many people can understand the fact that the prosperity of common people also means the prosperity of the entire Empire." I replied while returning to my uninterested expression.
"Hm? But if those people won't do anything about it themselves, they will become just weaklings depending on someone else. Why is there any need to protect or make sure that weaklings prosper?" Esdeath asked with a genuinely confused expression.
"Normally, I wouldn't give a shit but if I want this Empire to prosper that's the proper way how to do it. They are weaklings but they at least work and pay taxes. The more they will prosper, the more taxes will Empire receive. Also since you are general, you must know how the morale of your soldiers is important within the battle. Politics are also one big battlefield and if you can make a lot of people happy, they will naturally return it, at least most of them. Usually, it's how weaklings think. That's one of their good conducts." I explained with closed eyes.
"So you want to take over the throne?" Esdeath asked me with an amused smile.
"Yes and also no. I don't want to be the one on that throne. I don't want to spend the rest of my life sitting on a shitty chair. I came into this world because it was the suited world for someone corrupted like me who only knows how to kill." I said in dead-serious tone while looking at the palm of my right hand with dull eyes.
"? What a weird way of the wording 'came into this world'. It's like you are saying that there are other worlds." Esdeath's amused smiled disappeared and she said with a calm expression.
"Maybe there are...Maybe it depends on your already predestinated character where you will be born, this world is suited for psychopaths, killers, and others so I definitely not regret being here since this is where I belong. Anyway, let's stop with this depressing discussion, I have heard about Najenda but I don't know details." I said with a slightly crazy smile before looking at her with a calm expression and asking her.
Now that I think about it...Najenda might also be a slightly depressing discussion...whatever.
"Yeah...She defected to the Rebel Army along with her army or at least she wanted to. I was tasked to stop her army from leaving the Empire. As you already know, my relationship with her wasn't bad so I gave her a chance to escape after I cut off one of her arms. Without her arm, she won't be able to use her Teigu any longer, she won't be able to strengthen the Rebel Army because I prioritized capturing her army instead of her. The only thing she can do now is what she has always been doing...being the General and tactician." Esdeath explained with a small smile.
"?! You let her escape?" I asked with a slightly surprised expression.
"Of course I haven't done it deliberately so everyone could see it. She had a good chance to escape and if I wanted to capture her I would have to abandon my army and chase after her which I didn't want to do that. She was able to escape only with a few soldiers while only 2 of them looked strong, I suspect, both of them were Teigu wielders. It is quite surprising that she has been able to gather 2 Teigu wielders." Esdeath replied with a playful smile.
"Heh, what a bad liar you are, you just want her to gather strong forces so you have someone strong to battle against." I chuckled when I heard her words.
"Hmm...I won't deny it." Esdeath replied with a smile.
...I have something I need to do after this so I would like to move out of this camp tomorrow morning but...Kurome is still here. I guess there is no other way.
"Esdeath, can I ask you for a favor?" I asked with closed eyes.
"Hm? What is it that you need to even ask me for a favor?" She asked with a surprised expression.
"Nothing much...but first of all, how long can you be here before returning to your post in the Capital?" I asked.
"Hmm, a few days before returning I guess but if I want to remain here, I will do as I wish." She answered in a way I expected.
"I see, I need to go somewhere this morning and I might not be able to return in time so I would appreciate it if you could guarantee the safety of Kurome." I said while looking at her with a serious expression.
"?! You need to go somewhere so soon? ...I hoped to spend more time with you since it was quite a long time since we last saw each other but I guess I will have to postpone it. I will wait here until they will decide to move out since she has her sister here, right?" She said with a slightly sad smile.
"I am sorry. And yes, Kurome has been separated from her sister for the whole 8 years so it would be better for her to even travel back with them. I have heard that they will also be returning to the Capital so I hope you can go with them...I know that I am asking for a lot here, after all, Ice Queen must be really busy."
"Well, I can sympathize with her so I will remain here even when you will leave but you are going to owe me one...It's a shame that I can't really accelerate time, well, at least I will be able to use this time to practice the control over my Teigu." She said with a wide sly smile before she muttered with a slightly annoyed expression.
"Thanks, I will definitely return the favor one day. Can you tell others that I have gone ahead? Also, please explain it more thoroughly to Kurome but only her...." I said and started explaining a few things and also Kurome's next tasks until I return.
"Wait, wait, wait! Haven't you said that you will be leaving this morning?" Esdeath stopped me from getting up with a confused expression and furrowed brows.
"Well, it will be dawn very shortly so I might as well move out right now that everyone is still asleep." I said with a small smile.
"Tch, you are really the worst...I will make sure that you will truly suffer when returning the favor." She suddenly clicked her tongue in irritation before she said to me with a small smile.
...Well, what is done is done.
"I already can't wait for it" I said with a teasing smile and jumped down from the boulder, quickly jumping down from the hill to another smaller one. The terrain here is really weird but what to expect from dry land.
----
"...*sigh* I guess I will go practice, I hope they won't remain here for a long time since their teammate is still buried under that collapsed tomb." Esdeath released a tired sigh after watching Akashi's back slowly disappear in the dark of the night before muttering while jumping down from the boulder and returning back to the camp.
'I wonder why was my heart beating faster when I sat down next to him...Was it perhaps what they call love?' Esdeath thought with a small smile and little blush while pressing her hand to her heart.
----
.
.
.
*SCREECH!*
The sun was right on the horizon when the sound of the enraged bird was heard.
Looks like this Eagle like Danger Beast lost its eggs right inside its nest. And now it is just rampaging around, its size isn't something extremely large but one would be able to travel on it. Maybe I can try to tame it since it doesn't have anything else to lose except for its life.
I thought when I saw it flying around its nest situated on the peak of one hill. It was searching for anything to kill, whenever it found something, no matter what it was, it was instantly killed by the Eagle-like Danger Beast.
I crouched down and grabbed a small stone on the road and then threw it right at the beast. I didn't aim to injure it so I threw it so that it would miss but still be able to gather its attention.
*SCREECH!*
And as I thought, it immediately looked at me when the piece of stone threw right by its head. I just smiled at it and gestured it to come with my hand.
It instantly started flying towards me at incredible speed and when it was only a few meters away from me, it flapped its wings, sending air pressure at me in the form of blades. I started dodging each one of the blades and tried to communicate with it but it was too enraged to listen to me.
"If you won't listen to me, I will have to calm you down!" I shouted with narrowed eyes.
[Hail of Blades]
[Energy: 1465/1515]
3 flying broadsword appeared behind my back and I command them to start slashing its attacks. The Danger Beast itself wasn't that strong but due to its enraged state, it won't listen to anyone even ten times stronger.
After a minute of its futile air pressure attacks, it decided to fly down and attack me with its big claws, almost as big as my own swords.
I summoned all 3 swords back to me and formed a shield out of them in front of me.
*CLANG* When the Beast's claws met with my shield of swords, the dull sound resounded and my swords started to shake a bit but they never broke. I used this chance now that it was down to jumped on its head while it was busy with my swords.
"CALM...DOWN!" I shouted and performed knifehand strike right to its head.
*AWW!* It released sound similar to a groaning.
I didn't use my entire strength but it should be enough for it to calm down a bit.