"Ambushed by the southern rebel army?" Selene raised an eyebrow and gestured to an empty seat beside the dining table, indicating that Gozuki should sit down and explain further.
"Thank you, General..."
Seeing that Selene was willing to listen, Gozuki quickly stood up, not even bothering to sit as he hurriedly explained, "There's a traitor within the Empire aiding the rebels, leaking information about the whereabouts of the Assassination Unit. I barely escaped with my life, and I beg you to send reinforcements to rescue them."
"A traitor?" Selene asked, puzzled. "Isn't this sort of thing the Internal Affairs Department's responsibility? It's not really my place to interfere. Besides, isn't the Imperial Assassination Unit part of Honest's faction? Why come to me for help?"
"...Aside from the mission report at the Assassination Unit headquarters, the only place where we made any stops was at a local defense garrison. We were extremely careful, yet our location was still compromised..." Gozuki's tone became more serious. "So, I suspect there's a high-ranking mole within the Empire's military."
"Hmph, a reasonable assumption... I see. I'll look into this matter," Selene said, setting down her knife and fork. She then asked meaningfully, "Does Honest know?"
The fact that Gozuki was coming to Selene for help rather than Honest was already a red flag, suggesting that certain members of the Assassination Unit were growing tired of living under Honest's thumb.
As for Gozuki's desperation to rescue his "seven disciples" and whether his defection was sincere or just an act, it made no difference to Selene. This was just another piece in the larger game.
"..." Under Selene's penetrating gaze, Gozuki hesitated briefly before biting his lip and finally speaking, "Honest is unaware." He didn't even bother with formal titles anymore.
"Very well." Noting Gozuki's struggle to maintain decorum through his injuries, Selene's fingertips glowed with a soft white light. "Let me heal you for now."
As the white light enveloped him, Gozuki felt his wounds begin to close. In a matter of moments, aside from lingering weakness from blood loss, all his injuries were healed.
"As for reinforcements..." Selene raised her left hand and snapped her fingers with a crisp snap!
In an instant, a cold wind surged through the room, chilling the air.
Whoosh!
The fierce wind howled, causing the crystal chandelier overhead to flicker erratically.
Witnessing this, Gozuki, who was standing respectfully before Selene, suddenly felt a cold sweat run down his back. Whether it was due to blood loss or the eerie atmosphere, his face turned pale.
At that moment, shadows began to appear on the ground, snaking around like long tendrils as they rapidly moved across the floor.
The shadows converged around Selene, forming swirling black vortices.
Then, from within the vortices, figures began to rise—dark silhouettes emerging one by one.
Their faces were blood-red, their skin deathly pale, and they had bat-like wings sprouting from their backs, making them look like demons straight out of hell. The sight was utterly terrifying.
"General? These are..." Gozuki stammered, his fear and apprehension deepening.
These beings could emerge from shadows, moving unseen and unheard!
If that was the case, then didn't that mean everyone—including Minister Honest—was under Selene's constant surveillance?
"They are your reinforcements. For dealing with a group of petty rebels, there's no need to mobilize the Imperial Guard stationed in the Northern Province. It would be too noisy and not worth the effort."
With a flash of violet light, Selene opened the [World Chronicle] in her hand. The White Wolf River was located at the border between the Empire's western and northern regions, which explained why Gozuki had sought her help for reinforcements.
Aside from Esdeath, Honest's new army forces were mostly useless. Budo was busy protecting the palace and couldn't be deployed, and Gozuki clearly didn't trust the local defense forces. So, his only remaining option was Selene.
A unit of Selene's Imperial Guard was stationed not far from the White Wolf River. A small detachment could reach the location in a day if they marched swiftly.
"Alyssa, didn't you want a mission? Here it is!"
"Wuwuwu... Huh?"
...
After Alyssa departed to lead the mission, Gozuki, now assured of Selene's support, stood up respectfully. He bowed slightly before turning and leaving to follow Alyssa.
With the [World Chronicle] and the Bat Warriors assigned to Alyssa, and with Gozuki's experience as a guide, everything should proceed smoothly.
Selene then returned to her office, pulling out a stack of dusty files and began reviewing them.
If her memory served correctly, Najenda had been stationed in that region as part of the local defense forces before she was promoted to General.
"Hmph... So, Najenda has betrayed us, hasn't she?"
...
Empire's Northwest, White Wolf River, in a remote village house.
"Damn it! These rebel scum are getting bold… launching such a blatant attack on us. Where the hell is the local defense force? Worthless! They still haven't shown up to provide backup! Ugh..." Guy, a large man wrapped in bandages with a black helmet, leaned against the wall, cursing furiously. Across from him stood three teenagers.
"Enough, Guy. Save your strength. The rebels could attack at any moment... Don't go getting killed by some random grunt." A boy with short, light blond hair was casually cleaning the thin sword in his hand, his tone mocking.
"Tch, even if I die, I'll make sure to take a few of them with me!"
"Najasho, do you think Father managed to escape?" asked Pony, the energetic girl who was now looking rather downcast.
The rebels were chasing them openly, and the local defense force, supposedly their allies, were acting like blind men, unmoving.
"He must have. I'm sure Father will escape and bring reinforcements!" Tsukushi said confidently, her large chest bouncing slightly with her movement, causing the wounded and lecherous Guy to ogle with wide eyes. His "flushed" face and trembling body seemed to suggest he was on the verge of a miraculous recovery.
Seeing Guy's perverted reaction was nothing new, Najasho sheathed his sword, now cleaned. "Whatever happens, we have to hold out until Father arrives with help!"
Though the odds of survival seemed slim, as the leader of the Assassination Unit's "Elite Seven," Najasho couldn't afford to show any sign of weakness.
"Where's Akame?"
"She's out hunting..."