— — — — — —
"Your Majesty! What's going on with Kurome?" Run asked with a puzzled expression.
From what Renzo had said, it sounded like Kurome's condition had something to do with the Empire's assassination division.
He'd heard rumors about that division before…
But to think this quiet little girl actually came from there?
In that moment, the way they looked at Kurome shifted completely.
Some felt pity. Others couldn't help but feel a bit of unease. Regret. Sadness…
"She's been overdosed with stimulants and enhancers. Her body's been pushed to the limit. She's almost dead," Renzo replied calmly.
"What?!" Everyone around him gasped. Their eyes turned toward Kurome, now filled with sympathy.
"Alright, enough with the panic," Renzo said, waving his hand dismissively. "She's not dead yet. And even if she was, I could still bring her back. Now back up—I'm going to use Holy Healing."
"Huh?" They blinked, stunned again.
"Holy Healing!"
Renzo raised a hand and pointed at Kurome. A palm-sized magic circle formed at his fingertip.
A moment later, a radiant white-gold light burst forth, descending over Kurome and wrapping her entire body in a soft, glowing aura.
"...Mm…" Kurome immediately felt like she was being bathed in a warm spring. The pain that had been tormenting her vanished in seconds. Her body began rapidly recovering—healing at an unbelievable rate.
She felt better than she had in years.
In less than a minute, Renzo could sense that she was completely healed. Even her depleted life force had been fully restored. Satisfied, he retracted the magic.
"All done," he said with a smile. " Kurome, check yourself. All your injuries—internal and external—should be healed. You're going to be just fine from now on."
Kurome sat up slowly, pressing a hand to her chest. She could feel it—her body was whole again.
Her eyes immediately welled up. With a rare flicker of emotion, she rose to her knees and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Your Majesty… for saving my life. I'm fully recovered. I swear my loyalty to you—until death!"
She knew. She knew her body was no longer broken.
And it was all thanks to Renzo.
She wanted to live. She always had.
She'd always wanted to stay by her sister's side forever.
But when her sister betrayed the Empire—betrayed her—and with her body deteriorating, her thoughts had grown darker and more extreme. She had welcomed death.
Now that she'd been pulled back from the edge, something inside her shifted. A spark of hope returned.
More than anything, she wanted to find her sister again. To bring her back.
Because his plan—his reform—wasn't just for the Empire's benefit. It would change everything for the common people too.
Wasn't that why her sister had rebelled in the first place? Because of the Empire's corruption?
But if that corruption was going to be purged… if the Empire was going to change… then maybe she and her sister weren't so different after all.
Of course, if her sister still refused to listen, she'd just have to slap some sense into her herself.
"It's alright now," Renzo said gently, using his psychic power to help her to her feet. "You've got a second chance. Make it count. As for your sister—I know a bit about her situation too. When the time is right, I'll make sure the two of you are reunited."
"R-Really? Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Kurome bowed deeply again, overwhelmed with emotion.
How could she possibly deserve this kind of kindness?
'Big sister… I swear, I'll bring you back.'
She made the vow silently in her heart.
"Wait, that's it? She's healed already? I thought she was on death's doorstep?" Seryu tilted her head in confusion.
"It's hard to believe, I know," Run said, his expression serious. "But I could feel it—the power His Majesty used… That light was filled with divinity and life energy. It felt like it could heal any injury."
"His Majesty must be a holy monarch," Run said with admiration blazing in his eyes.
Someone like that—that's the kind of leader worth following.
"His Majesty keeps getting more and more mysterious…" That was the shared thought on everyone's minds—Bols, Kurome, and the rest.
But none of them dared to ask Renzo about that Holy Light. That kind of thing was probably taboo.
"Alright, that's enough for today!" Renzo announced. "More Teigu users will be arriving from all over the Empire soon. When they do, I want you to welcome them properly—and fill them in on what we're doing."
"Once the group leaders I've assigned return, that'll mark the official start of the reform plan. That's when your real work begins."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Everyone answered in unison.
"Oh, and one more thing," Renzo said, turning to Run. "I want you to help me manage some of the administrative tasks for now."
"I want to see how capable you are. If you do well, I won't hesitate to give you a serious promotion."
The reform hadn't even started yet, but Renzo already had his hands full with state affairs.
He was burning through shadow clones just to keep up.
If he remembered correctly, in the original storyline, Run was actually a competent political figure. Might as well test that here—if the guy's got talent, Renzo was happy to use him.
After all, every ruler needs a reliable… admin tool.
"M-me? Are you sure?" Run looked a bit surprised.
"You'll show me if you're ready or not. No need to ask." Renzo turned and walked toward the conference room doors.
Run nodded to the others, then quickly followed.
In the days that followed, the capital was abuzz with activity.
Officials scrambled to prepare behind the scenes. Meanwhile, the Empire's military forces began shifting under the firm hand of General Budo.
Those corrupt old-timers and lazy, deadweight soldiers? Budo wasted no time cleaning them out.
The military didn't need trash.
And so, like a storm on the horizon, change began to brew. Tension gripped the capital's noble class—most of them had no idea what was really going on, but they could feel something big was coming.
...
Meanwhile, far from the capital, nestled deep in a remote and hidden mountain region, stood a towering fortress.
Inside one of its meeting rooms, Najenda sat with Leone, Bulat, Akame, Mine, and the others.
"I'm sure you've all seen the latest intel from the capital," Najenda said, glancing around the room. "Thoughts?"
The Revolutionary Army's spies had been working nonstop recently. All signs pointed to something huge stirring in the Empire.
But what exactly? That part was still a mystery.
The Prime Minister's faction had suddenly gone quiet, keeping their heads down. Something was happening behind the scenes, but no one could figure out what.
Even the military had started reorganizing.
Najenda didn't like the feel of it—none of it added up.
Leone was the first to speak. "Yeah, something big's definitely brewing. But no one seems to know what. Even the nobles are in the dark."
"Boss, want me to sneak into the palace and dig up some intel?"
After all, intel gathering was her specialty. Thanks to her Teigu—The King Of Beasts Transformation: Lionelle—she had speed, agility, and sensory abilities that made her perfect for the job.
Najenda thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Don't. The palace might be more dangerous than usual. Whatever's going on, it's probably centered there. I'd rather not risk it."
"And here's something else—we just got word that Esdeath's on her way back to the capital, leading a massive army."
"I've got a bad feeling. Once she returns, whatever's been bubbling under the surface is going to explode. When that happens, we'll finally know the truth."
"Until then, Leone, focus on digging around the rest of the capital. Try to gather whatever intel you can—but don't take unnecessary risks."
"Alright, Boss. You're the one calling the shots," Leone replied with a shrug.
Honestly, she thought she could probably get in and out safely, but she wasn't going to argue.
"Boss, what about tomorrow's mission? Are we still going through with it?" Lubbock chimed in.
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