...
Stepping out of the rebel outpost behind him, Gozuki turned slightly and gave a curt nod. "Burn it."
At his command, the dozens of Imperial Assassination Unit operatives behind him immediately began the cleanup operation.
Within minutes, the entire outpost was engulfed in flames. The stench of blood and rot was quickly consumed by the inferno, the horrors within reduced to ashes.
"Are all the other outposts in the same condition?" Gozuki asked, watching the flames flicker in the night.
"Based on what we've found so far—yes, sir."
"Split into several teams and destroy them all. Don't forget to take photos—Minister Honest wants proof." Exhaling deeply, Gozuki gave his orders, his tone heavy.
"...And make sure to note that this is the handiwork of the Imperial Guard's General Selene. Now, let's go. I want to see the center of the explosion myself."
"Yes, sir."
Crossing the scorched wasteland, Gozuki couldn't help but recall Honest's secondary order—evaluate General Selene's true strength and determine her potential weaknesses.
Honest's reasoning was simple: precaution. Preparing countermeasures in advance in case relations with Selene ever soured.
Though the two currently coexisted peacefully, Gozuki had long since grown weary of political deceit. To him, all alliances were temporary arrangements of mutual interest.
But as he looked out across the devastation—an entire landscape torn apart as if by divine wrath—he fell silent.
How was one supposed to measure the weakness of a force of nature?
Drawing his crimson-edged weapon, the Teigu One-Cut Killer · Murasame, Gozuki steadied his resolve.
Indeed, Murasame was not among the most powerful Teigu in raw capability. It could not compare to Great General Budo's Thunder God's Rage · Adramelech or General Selene's Bright Knight · Excelsis. Yet its ability was, without question, one of the deadliest and most enigmatic of them all.
A single cut from Murasame, no matter how small, was fatal. The cursed poison it carried infected the victim's bloodstream and heart, ensuring certain death—even the legendary Super-class Danger Beasts could not survive it.
Gozuki didn't need to land a critical blow on Selene. If he could so much as scratch her, victory would be his.
That was the only way. Beyond a sneak attack using Murasame, he could think of no scenario in which he could possibly win.
Still... why should he put all his faith in Honest's ambitions?
Forming an elite subgroup of the Assassination Unit would require support from the Imperial Science Bureau—and that was now part of Selene's growing sphere of influence.
In that sense... General Selene, it seems our paths are destined to cross someday.
"Collect all remains, consolidate the data, and report the destruction of the southern rebel army's main force to the Capital."
...
Imperial Capital — Imperial Science Bureau.
"Yawn—"
Having taken refuge in Dr. Stylish's workshop to escape Budo's endless lectures, Selene was leisurely examining the doctor's latest line of upgraded thermal weapons when she suddenly sneezed.
"Hm? Someone's talking about me... Whatever. There are too many people thinking about me to keep track."
"Still..." she muttered, watching Dr. Stylish tinker busily. "His research progress is too slow. I'll have to find a way to get him the Teigu Glorious Hands of God · Perfector."
...
A week later — Imperial Palace Fortress, Imperial Guard Headquarters, Selene's Office.
Though she had repeatedly refused extra assignments, the flood of paperwork sent to her desk showed no sign of slowing. Most of it concerned the Empire's northern frontier.
After last year's victory in the southwestern campaign, the Empire's border defense pressure had greatly eased. As a result, the High Command now had surplus mobile forces—and Great General Budo had seized the opportunity to add to Selene's responsibilities.
"Since you were the one who led the southwestern victory," Budo had said, "you'll oversee all related defensive redeployments and legion transfers."
And then came the final nail in the coffin: "Your fief was appointed in the northern frontier by the late Emperor, wasn't it? The northern province has already been renamed the Habsburg Province in your honor. It's only fitting you handle its affairs as well."
That had been almost word for word what Budo told her—closing off every possible excuse she might have had.
And thus, just like that, Selene's brief week of peaceful leisure had come to an end.
From a relaxed 9–5–5 schedule... to a full-blown 0–0–7 nightmare.
Sigh... For the sake of her long-term plans—achieving true control over the world while learning to rule without relying solely on fear or apocalyptic might—Selene endured it.
She would study. She would learn everything she needed to become at least a competent ruler.
The path of governance stretches far and wide; I will seek it above and below.
Early morning in the Imperial Palace Fortress. Inside the Imperial Guard Headquarters, Selene quietly nibbled on a piece of pastry. Morning light poured through the grand hall's open doors, spreading across the marble and jade floors in a soft, golden hue.
Bathed in the gentle light, the entire hall seemed serene and majestic. For a moment, Selene found herself lost in thought. "Another all-nighter... huh."
Outside, hurried footsteps and the clinking of metal armor echoed through the corridor. Looking up, Selene spotted Kinshasa, acting commander of the Eighth Legion, waiting just beyond the entrance, speaking with the guards of the First Legion.
"Let him in. No need for formalities," Selene said with a wave of her hand.
The guards immediately saluted and led Kinshasa inside.
"General—General! You've already wiped out the Southern Rebel Headquarters?!" Kinshasa blurted out the moment he entered, his face glowing with excitement.
"Hm?" Selene raised an eyebrow, slicing her pastry with a knife. "And where exactly did you hear that? The operation should have been under strict information lockdown."
"Lockdown? General, it's no use now—the entire Capital's talking about it! Actually, not just the Capital—it's spreading across the whole Empire! Everyone's saying you single-handedly annihilated the entire rebel army, including their leaders!"
"That wasn't just some foreign skirmish with barbarian tribes either—it was the internal rebellion that's plagued the southern frontier for a century!" Kinshasa exclaimed, nearly bursting with pride as if the achievement were his own.
Selene sighed, watching him with mild amusement. "You seem... very invested in this. Calm down, will you? What are they calling me now?" she asked, stirring sugar into her coffee with slow, deliberate motions.
"'The Ghost General of National Defense!'"
Selene nearly choked. "Cough—what?"
"'The Ghost General of National Defense!'" Kinshasa repeated proudly, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
"What a ridiculous name... and do they even know what a 'ghost' is supposed to mean?" Selene muttered dryly, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Uh... doesn't it mean... scary?" Kinshasa replied weakly.
To be fair, she had impaled rebel spies in Patripol City, crushed the southwestern tribal revolt, and now completely obliterated the southern rebel army. To the common people, she was the Empire's terrifying yet invincible guardian.
"The Ghost General who protects the Empire."
Selene frowned. "Am I really that scary?"
"..." Kinshasa wisely chose silence. Of course she was terrifying—but saying it aloud would be suicide.
"Alright, I get it. Return to your camp and reassure the troops. I don't want any unnecessary commotion."
"Yes, General!" Kinshasa saluted and quickly retreated.
Left alone, Selene leaned back in her chair, swirling her coffee thoughtfully. 'The Ghost General,' huh... She couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh.