As Selene absorbed more and more of the extracted memories, the curve on her lips grew harder to conceal.
"Liver, I have some amusing news for you—General Najenda actually met and conspired with those traitors. She even forged official documents. That reeks of treason..."
Having obtained the information she wanted, Selene waved her hand to cover the body again, then rose to her feet and led Liver out of the warehouse.
"Milady, should this old servant..." Liver made a subtle gesture across his throat.
"No, no... just deploy the Shadowkhan to keep watch."
"As for everything else... let Honest deal with it. Even if she isn't one of his direct subordinates, Najenda was still someone he personally promoted. He can take responsibility for this mess."
Walking down the corridor, Selene couldn't suppress the smile on her face. "I'd love to see what kind of ridiculous performance he puts on this time."
"Oh... right, where's Arisa?"
"Lady Arisa should be at the dining hall... pestering Susanoo to cook for her," Liver replied uncertainly.
"Figures. I see." Selene sighed, pressing her hand to her temple with a wry smile. "One glutton in this household is enough. Of all my habits to imitate, she had to copy my appetite... I'll never understand her."
She waved for Liver to stop following and turned down another corridor toward the dining hall. "Liver, have the bodies and materials processed in the meantime."
"Yes, Milady!"
...
"Mmm~ sooo gooood!"
Before even stepping into the dining hall, Selene could already hear Arisa's gleeful, satisfied voice.
As the servant opened the doors, the sight that greeted Selene made the corner of her eye twitch uncontrollably.
Such... enthusiastic eating. Truly a spectacle.
"Arisa... did you forget something?" Selene asked with a pleasant smile, sitting gracefully across from Arisa, who was happily gnawing on what appeared to be the leg bone of some Danger Beast.
"Mmph—cough! Queen, I completed the mission! Rescued the Imperial Assassination Unit, brought back the corpses of the Oarburgh Syndicate members—everything's done!" Arisa blurted out, snatching a napkin from a maid and hastily wiping her mouth.
"And the Bat Khan?"
"Uh..." Arisa froze mid-motion. "I... might've forgotten to give the retreat order..."
...
Meanwhile, at the White Wolf River.
Smoke and fire filled the air—not from war, but from a massacre that chilled the blood.
With all high-ranking combatants already wiped out, the remaining Revolutionary soldiers stood no chance against the Bat Khan soldiers. Resistance or surrender, it made no difference—the order Arisa had given was absolute: eliminate all enemies.
"Monsters! You—argh!"
"Please, spare me! I beg you—ahhh!"
The Bat Khan soldiers ignored all pleas, tearing through the camp with merciless precision. Blood dripped from their black claws; their faces, uniforms, even their bat wings were soaked in crimson.
Within the large Revolutionary camp, where Chelsea and Taeko had once teased each other by the bonfire, there were now only corpses.
Blood stained every tent, tree, and table. The bodies were mutilated beyond recognition—limbs torn apart, others obliterated into chunks of flesh by the soldiers' dark energy blasts.
All of it was witnessed by Chelsea, currently in her cat form.
After that thunderous explosion earlier, the insect-type Danger Beasts their leader had left behind had all died instantly...
And with her teacher, senior, mentor, and leader all failing to return, there was only one possible conclusion—death.
She wanted to cry. She wanted revenge. But Chelsea knew her place. In close combat, she couldn't even defeat a single Imperial Guard soldier—let alone these black-winged monsters.
She had to endure. She had to survive—for the chance to one day overthrow this cruel empire.
Then, suddenly, a wave of black mist swept through the area.
When Chelsea reopened her eyes, all the dark, winged creatures had vanished.
Only blood remained across the camp. Not a single living soul.
Without daring to return to human form, Chelsea bolted away into the forest—still a cat, still trembling, but alive.
...
"Uuuh... Queen, I know I was wrong! I've already dismissed the Bat Khan soldiers!" Arisa whimpered pitifully, crouched beneath the dining table with her hands over her head.
Selene sighed, shaking her head. She reached down and gently patted Arisa's head—a soft headpat of forgiveness. "There, there... stop crying. I'm not angry with you. I just wanted to remind you."
Pulling Arisa back to her feet, Selene pinched her soft cheeks. "Remember this—don't be so forgetful next time. You should at least know how much power you're commanding at any given moment."
"Mm..."
Seeing Arisa smile again after being coaxed, Selene couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Why does this feel like raising a daughter... She looks like Bella, has that loyal-dog energy too, but her personality—why does it remind me so much of Theresa...
Tap, tap~
Just then, Liver entered the dining hall.
"Milady, Instructor Gozuki of the Imperial Assassination Unit has arrived with his disciples. Shall I announce them?"
"Of course—why wouldn't I see them? Bring them straight to the dining hall. They can join us for the meal."
...
Moments later, a flurry of footsteps echoed as Liver led Gozuki and his group into the grand dining hall of the Habsburg Mansion.
"Great General." This time, Gozuki's tone carried even deeper reverence.
"Sit," Selene said simply, gesturing for him to take a seat before shifting her gaze to the five standing neatly behind him. "Introduce yourselves."
"Great General Selene, it's an honor to meet you. I am Cornelia, assassination rank No.3," said the young woman confidently. As the strongest among the surviving Elite Seven, she naturally stepped forward first, her demeanor neither arrogant nor timid.
"I'm Poney, rank No.4."
"I'm Green..."
...
"I'm Akame, assassination rank No.7." The last to speak was a girl dressed in a high-collared white coat with red trim, armored gauntlets reminiscent of ancient Japanese armor, and a sheathed katana at her waist. Her long, straight black hair framed a pair of striking crimson eyes.
Ah, the main one. Selene studied her closely. Akame—her name fit her perfectly. Like her name, her eyes gleamed a deep, wine-red hue.
But unlike Selene's own scarlet eyes, whose crimson glow could chill the soul, Akame's were warmer—like aged red wine, deep and quietly resolute.
"Our eyes share the same color," Selene remarked lightly. "Tell me, Akame—are you called that simply because of your eye color? Such a straightforward name. What's next—someone with purple eyes named Purple-Eye, or black eyes named Black-Eye?" she joked with a teasing smile.
Akame, ever the honest type, replied earnestly, "No one named Purple-Eye, but... I do have a younger sister. Her name is Kurome."
"Akame, mind your manners—" Gozuki began, but Selene waved him off.
"It's fine. She's an interesting girl. Come, have a seat. I saw you eyeing the dishes earlier—you were practically drooling."
As the group settled awkwardly at the table, Selene's gaze lingered on them, a new thought crossing her mind.
"Tell me—do you know why the Western Defense Army completely ignored your pleas for reinforcements?"