In the northern skies of the Empire, atop the back of a manta ray-shaped danger beast known as Elmonta.
"...those are the terms. The Southern Revolutionary Army guarantees that as long as you, my lady, refrain from interfering, the entire northern region of the Empire will remain under your control once the new regime is established. They even say it's not impossible for you to take the capital as well," Sebas said proudly to Selene as he stood beside her. As the loyal butler who had watched Selene grow up, her every achievement only filled him with more pride.
As he spoke, Sebas picked up the enamel coffee pot and poured a cup of coffee he had personally ground and brewed for Selene.
"Oh, thank you..." Selene replied, stirring in a sugar cube with a spoon. Her tone was dismissive, as she remarked, "They're really flexible, aren't they? Just a few years ago, I wiped out their headquarters. Have they forgotten that grudge so quickly?"
Sebas placed the coffee pot down and responded, "It only shows that their political thinking has matured. After all, they've absorbed a number of officials who failed in the Empire's political struggles, so naturally, they've learned to be more pragmatic."
"The art of compromise... Indeed, they've matured." Selene bit into a pastry, ready to savor it, when she suddenly paused. "Hmm? Alex?"
"What is it? Oh, you've found Night Raid's headquarters and intercepted intel about the Revolutionary Army collaborating with the upper echelons of the Empire... You're asking if you have permission to eliminate them?"
"Hold off on the operation for now. Just keep them under surveillance... This alliance is part of my larger plan. They still have their uses."
"Oh? You've also seized the Imperial Arm: Spectator... Secure it and hand it over to Leiva back at the Duke's estate."
"Hm... you've done well this time."
After cutting off the communication with Alex, Selene took another bite of her pastry, unable to hide her smile.
It was a completely unexpected bonus. She had initially stationed Alex's Astartes squad at the Duke's estate in the capital to deal with Honest. But Night Raid had unknowingly walked straight into their path.
Driven by the desire for merit, Alex had taken down two of them in one round. And with Akame and Cornelia taking out another pair in a surprise attack, Night Raid's main forces had been halved.
Even more shrewdly, Alex had maximized the benefits, killing the strongest members, severely wounding another, and then planting a tracking device on the injured. This allowed them to locate Night Raid's headquarters.
If it hadn't been for Alex's caution—reporting to Selene and waiting for confirmation after intercepting intel from the Revolutionary Army headquarters instead of charging in—things could have gone south. Selene's carefully laid plans, with Night Raid serving as the tool to eliminate the Emperor, could have been ruined by her other blade, the Astartes. In that case, she might have had to act personally, which would have been far from ideal.
Well, it was partially my fault for not explaining things clearly to Alex and forgetting to account for their initiative... Still, the choice to implement "Ideological Branding" was definitely the right one. Despite the mental control, their personal thoughts and intelligence have been very well-preserved.
While Selene could easily deal with the Emperor herself, her "ideological purity" meant she found the idea distasteful.
As a righteous and loyal "servant of the Empire," how could she stain her reputation with the act of regicide?
Hmm, what's that phrase... "having your cake and eating it too"...? No, no, that's too crude!
This is simply the situation where, after the Imperial family "unexpectedly" dies out, Selene, with the loyalty of the military and the will of the people, will ascend to the throne by popular demand.
Raising her cup of coffee, Selene mockingly toasted in the direction of Night Raid's headquarters. With a smug grin, she thought to herself, "Night Raid, keep up the good work!"
...
Meanwhile, on the forest road outside the Imperial capital.
Clip-clop... clip-clop...
A carriage leisurely made its way down the path.
Suddenly, Boom!
Cracks spread across the ground, and massive chunks of earth flew into the air, shattering upon impact and sending dust billowing in all directions.
Boom!
A massive yellowish-brown beast, over ten meters tall, emerged from underground. Its colossal, clawed limbs smashed into the road, blocking the carriage's path entirely.
"Neigh—!"
"D-d-danger beast?!"
The two coachmen were paralyzed with fear, shouting, "It's a Class-One Danger Beast... it's an Earth Dragon!!"
"Run! Run for your lives!!" Their eyes wide with terror, they cowered atop the carriage, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Roar—!
The Earth Dragon raised one of its massive limbs and swung it downward with terrifying force.
"No... no, no! Somebody save us!"
Tears and snot streamed down the coachmen's faces as they screamed for help.
Suddenly!
Whoosh!
A long sword slashed upward from below, cutting through the air with incredible precision and force.
Splurt!
A spray of blood erupted as the Earth Dragon's massive forelimb was severed, flying through the air and crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
The next moment, a figure landed steadily in front of the two coachmen.
"A Class-One Danger Beast, an Earth Dragon... Well, it's not a bad match for me."
The young man who appeared was quite youthful, with short brown hair, wearing a cream-colored shirt and blue-gray trousers. In his hand was a longsword, still dripping with fresh blood.
He looked every bit the part of a fledgling mercenary out on an adventure.
Roar—!
The Earth Dragon's massive eyes glowed red as it turned, pulling back its remaining claw as if drawing a massive bow, preparing to strike.
"Come on!" The young swordsman nodded, spinning his sword in a flourish and preparing to strike...
Suddenly, BAM!
BOOM—!
A gust of wind roared through the air, and a towering figure appeared before the young man, effortlessly pinning the Earth Dragon beneath it. No matter how much the beast struggled, the massive golden-armored hand didn't budge an inch.
"A Dragon of this size is rare... Earth Dragon meat is quite a delicacy. I'm sure the General will enjoy this," the armored giant muttered.
"So... so big! So strong! He subdued a Class-One Dange Beast with pure physical strength! Excuse me, sir... I... I'm Tatsumi, and—"
Before the young swordsman could finish, a rumble like thunder echoed from the distance. Dust billowed into the air as small stones began to tremble along the road.
Alerted by the sound, Tatsumi cautiously looked back. Could it be another danger beast?
Soon enough, a large shadow appeared on the horizon. Fully armored infantry and cavalry surged forward, their armor black as ink, their weapons like a forest of blades and spears. The formation advanced like a massive wall, filling Tatsumi's entire field of vision.
"That's the Imperial Guard?!" one of the coachmen stammered, pointing with a trembling hand.
Hearing this, the young man became even more excited. Regaining his composure, he bowed deeply to the golden-armored giant before him and spoke with determination, "Sir, I am Tatsumi, and I wish to enlist in the Imperial Guard."
"Enlist? Sorry, I'm just a regular soldier. I don't have the authority to recruit new members," the golden-armored giant replied, landing a punch to the back of the Earth Dragon's neck, knocking it unconscious. He then slowly stood up.
"What?! You're a regular soldier?!" Tatsumi exclaimed in disbelief, staring up at the towering figure, who was at least three meters tall.
"He's telling the truth. He doesn't have the authority. But I do. Boy, are you sure you want to enlist?" A voice, heavy and metallic, rang out as an even larger figure cast a shadow over Tatsumi.
Turning around, Tatsumi saw an even taller giant standing behind him, causing him to exclaim once more, "Th-this guy is even bigger!"
The hulking man in golden power armor, with intricate and extravagant designs covering its surface, was far more imposing than the first. This man's height easily exceeded four meters. Could a person really grow this tall naturally?
"What are you surprised about? Soldiers should be big and strong, right? With your bean sprout of a body... well, I'll make an exception since you managed to wound a Class-One Earth Dragon. But otherwise, your height... might mess up our formation."
The massive hand, almost the size of Tatsumi's torso, lightly patted his back, nearly knocking him off his feet. Gensa laughed heartily, preaching his philosophy of "bigger is better" to the young boy (Tatsumi stood at 165 cm).
"How old are you?" Gensa asked.
"Fourteen," Tatsumi replied honestly.
"That'll do. Still young, plenty of time to grow... What are you waiting for? Didn't you want to enlist? Get in line!" Gensa bellowed.
"Captain, this kid's a bit underage," one of the soldiers remarked.
"Hahaha... Captain, are you recruiting child soldiers now? Won't the General punish you for this?" another soldier joked.
"Get lost, you disrespectful brats! If you keep mouthing off, I'll pummel you!" Gensa barked, laughing along with his men, unconcerned.
"Yes, sir!" Tatsumi replied, snapping to attention. With eager steps, he was directed into the nearest squad by a group of soldiers beckoning him over.
"All right, break time's over! Reform ranks and continue the march! Oh, and bring that Earth Dragon along!"
"Yes, sir!" echoed the voices of numerous soldiers.
And so, amidst the camaraderie of his new comrades, Tatsumi officially began his journey as a member of the Imperial Guard.
Sayo, Ieyasu... I wonder how you're doing now? Did you see? I've already joined the Imperial Guard. I'll be able to save our village soon! Tatsumi thought to himself, filled with determination.
...
In the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, inside a hotel.
"Boss, after scouting, we've found that the defenses along this route are suspiciously thin. Most of the Imperial Guard seems to have been diverted elsewhere."
"It seems they're keeping their end of the deal. According to the map, this tunnel was once maintained by a civil official who used to tutor the young Emperor. It should lead directly to the Imperial Palace!"
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