Inside the palace, Honest was having a real-time communication with Selene through a projection device provided by the Imperial Science Bureau.
As soon as the connection was established, Selene wasted no time in berating him: "...If you cannot maintain order in the Imperial Capital, then I will handle it myself."
Panting heavily and suppressing his growing anger, Honest forced a smile and responded, "General, it's merely a group of petty thieves. I'm confident that very soon—"
"Hmph! Very soon, you say? Do you mean to let things continue as they are?" Selene coldly interrupted, setting her teacup down, not showing any respect for Honest's words.
"And what kind of troops have you formed? One defeat after another on the southern front! Those so-called 'talents' you've promoted, what a bunch of useless fools, nothing but a pack of sycophants!"
"Are you a supply officer or something?!"
"Those self-proclaimed revolutionaries in the south have grown so rapidly, I'd say they owe a great deal of their success to your... 'support,' don't they, Minister Honest?" Selene mocked, emphasizing the word "support" with biting sarcasm.
"I will be ending my vacation and returning to the Capital shortly, Honest. You had better figure things out for yourself…"
With that, Selene ended the communication abruptly.
"..."
Staring at the blackened projection screen, Honest's expression grew increasingly dark. His face twisted with barely contained rage, as though a volcano was about to erupt beneath the surface. His clenched teeth ground together audibly, and his eyes glowed with a beast-like malice as he glared at the now lifeless screen.
After a moment of silence, Honest roared in fury, "Selene, you damn woman! You have no sense of loyalty!"
Grabbing a wine glass from his desk, he prepared to hurl it at the projection screen. But...
Just as he was about to throw it, Honest hesitated. The real-time communication device was quite convenient. If he broke it... what would he do the next time Selene wanted to contact him and he couldn't answer?
"Ahhhhhh—!!!" With impotent rage, Honest flipped his entire desk over, seething with fury.
This feeling of being at someone's mercy, being berated like a subordinate—it was intolerable!
Ultimately, it all boiled down to lack of power!
Taking a deep breath, Honest turned his gaze toward the corner of the room where a trembling servant stood. His voice was cold and chilling as he commanded, "Summon Syura. Didn't he say he had gathered a group of talents? Tell him to get back here immediately!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
...
Meanwhile, far above the northern skies of the Empire...
A massive flying Danger Beast with a wingspan of over fifty meters, resembling a manta ray, flapped its wings slowly as it headed toward the Imperial Capital.
Despite its enormous size, one might mistakenly assume it was powerful. In reality, this particular type of Danger Beast was far weaker in combat compared to earth dragons. Its gentle temperament and wide, flat back made it one of the most suitable beasts for human domestication.
Selene had needed an aerial mount, and upon seeing this creature, she'd decided to capture it. After some modifications, it had become her luxurious airborne transport.
"This time, when we return to the Capital, Honest's usefulness will have run its course."
After cutting off the communication with Honest, Selene smiled faintly, imagining his frustrated but helpless expression.
Now that Honest had outlived his usefulness, there was no longer any need to tolerate him.
"Heh, are you finally planning to make your move, my queen?" Esdeath, seated cross-legged beside Selene, asked with a twisted smile.
"Hey... Little Es, since when did you start using Alyssa's catchphrases?" Selene sighed, rubbing her head with a helpless expression.
To Selene, the title "Queen" felt uncomfortable, evoking images of certain infamous characters, but now she had gotten used.
"Mmm... Ah? Did you call me, my queen?" Nearby, Alyssa, who had been munching on snacks like a hamster, snapped out of her daze, her mouth smeared with grease as she asked in a soft, innocent voice.
"No, no, keep eating," Selene replied.
"Oh, okay! Mmm..."
With her Honkai Beast physiology, Alyssa could eat all day without ever feeling full and never gain weight—truly the blessing of a lifetime for a foodie.
"Don't call me 'queen,' call me 'general'... Ah, forget it, call me whatever you want."
Too tired to argue over titles, Selene lay back on a thick, luxurious blanket, speaking with a hint of nostalgia.
"When I take the next step, you'll have to start calling me 'Your Majesty.' 'Queen' can be reserved for someone else."
"Someone else...?" Esdeath caught onto the term, curiosity piqued. "General, who is that 'someone else'?"
"She's... let's just say, a senior of mine. Perhaps she doesn't even know me yet..." Selene murmured as she toyed with the glass cup in her hand, her expression thoughtful.
Realizing Selene didn't intend to elaborate further on this topic, Esdeath quickly shifted the conversation. "That fat fool Honest... are you planning to deal with him personally?"
"No, no, someone else will take care of him, including that little emperor... That's why I'm not teleporting straight back to the Capital but flying back leisurely. I want to give certain people a chance to struggle."
Turning her head, Selene asked, "Sebas, have you made contact with the southern rebels?"
"Yes, Mistress. Your terms have been discreetly conveyed to them..." Sebas, standing as straight as ever behind Selene, remained unaffected by the high-altitude winds as he replied respectfully.
"Good. The stage is set. I shall appear as the savior of this Empire... And with the legend I create, the next world..."
Should be enough to reach the Throne of Heroes, right? Selene thought to herself with satisfaction. Using a fabricated legend to become a Heroic Spirit—quite the clever method.
Although Esdeath didn't understand what Selene meant by "legend," she refrained from asking further. Instead, she turned the conversation to the current state of the Imperial Capital.
"Speaking of the Capital, things have been growing increasingly unstable recently. Ever since Honest came to power, peace has been a rarity..."
"The irony is, due to the string of assassinations targeting corrupt officials, the remaining lowlifes have quieted down, giving the people of the Capital a brief period of peace."
That the Capital had been stabilized by assassinations was an undeniable and bitter irony...
"Assassinations... They're the tactics of cowards. Is this Najenda's work? This time, I'll make sure to meet her properly!" Esdeath's eyes glimmered with battle lust at the thought of facing Najenda.
"Well, you'd better hurry up. You're not the only one who wants her dead..."
...
Meanwhile, outside the Imperial Capital, at Night Raid's headquarters...
"Boss, Lubbock and the others have returned... but Captain Tennyson, Captain Bulat and..."
"What?!"
Of the seven who set out, only three returned (not counting Sayo and Ieyasu), with Leone gravely injured as well?!
After repeatedly confirming the grim news, Najenda, the leader of Night Raid, was left stunned. "Four dead, three injured... Who did they run into? Lubbock, explain!"
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