— — — — — —
"Boss, what about tomorrow's mission?" Lubbock asked.
Najenda nodded firmly. "Of course, we're going through with it. That family needs a purge. Every day we delay is another day some innocent outsider might die. We can't afford to wait."
"That said… we need to be extra careful this time." She glanced around the room, her tone serious. "We've already taken the job—there's no backing out now."
Night Raid had always stood by one rule: 'Once a mission was accepted, it had to be carried out.'
"But I'm a wanted man now," Bulat said with a shrug, arms folded. "I can't show my face. Otherwise, I'd head over to the army's side and try to dig up some intel."
"Don't even think about it!" Najenda cut in sharply. "Budo is in the middle of a massive military purge. If you go anywhere near the army right now, you might as well walk into a cage and lock the door yourself."
Bulat could only smile wryly. "Yeah… good point."
---
Meanwhile, deep beneath the imperial palace, the underground chamber had undergone a total transformation.
Renzo had turned it into a massive, high-tech base.
Lab after lab had been built, and he'd even managed to bring out Red Queen and a fully operational quantum computer system.
Just half a day ago, he had personally flown into orbit and deployed several state-of-the-art surveillance satellites.
This was just the beginning. He was laying the foundation for a powerful satellite surveillance network that would serve as the backbone of his upcoming reform.
"Red Queen," Renzo commanded, "begin connection to the satellites and run a systems diagnostic."
"Yes, Master! Beginning checks… connection established…"
"All the Satellites are online. Test phase initiated…"
"Systems are running smoothly. Diagnostics complete. Master, shall I begin full deployment?"
Red Queen reported back with precision.
"Activate them now," Renzo ordered. "Then begin sorting and collecting relevant data according to the plan I uploaded."
"Prioritize intel on noble movements, revolutionary activity and whereabouts, and anything regarding super-class Danger Beasts."
"And once the reform officially begins tomorrow, coordinate with Esdeath, Budo, and the Minister. Make sure they get the intelligence support they need. Understood?"
Renzo's voice was calm but full of authority.
Red Queen was still new. She needed detailed commands to avoid making mistakes.
"Understood, Master!" Red Queen gave a sharp nod.
Interestingly, if anyone had seen her, they'd notice she was designed to look like a chibi-style version of Esdeath.
Renzo's taste? Totally exposed.
---
The next morning, Esdeath returned to the capital, leading hundreds of thousands of troops. Her forces were stationed in a newly constructed military camp just outside the city.
Budo arrived not long after, flanked by a dozen elite guards. He walked straight into the command tent, where Esdeath was waiting.
The moment their eyes met, Budo stared at her without a hint of emotion and said coldly, "Welcome back, General Esdeath."
"Oh? What an honor," Esdeath replied with a playful smirk. "The great General Budo himself, here to welcome me? That's a surprise.
Everyone knew the two of them didn't get along.
But to be fair, Budo had never tried to actually fight her—probably because he knew just how powerful she was, both on and off the battlefield.
"No need for honors." Budo's voice was as cold as ever. "If it weren't for the fact that His Majesty specifically needs your strength for this reform, I would've advised him to eliminate you long ago."
"Remember this: I'll be watching you. One wrong move, one misstep… and I won't wait for the emperor's orders. I'll take you out myself."
With that, he turned and walked off without looking back.
"Oh? You'll take me out?" Esdeath chuckled, watching his back with interest. "You'll have to be able to beat me first."
She noticed his steps falter slightly—but just for a second—before he kept walking.
Still, she was just teasing. She had no intention of crossing Renzo.
"Master, wasn't General Budo being a bit too arrogant just now?" Liver, one of Esdeath's most loyal subordinates, grumbled.
He had served her faithfully for years. Of course he was upset seeing someone speak to her like that.
"It's fine. That's just how he is," Esdeath said calmly. "Right now, the priority is supporting His Majesty's reforms."
"I'll leave this camp to you and the others. I want the army ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. Don't disappoint me."
"I'm heading to the palace to report in."
With that, she waved them off and walked out of the tent, leaving the camp behind and heading straight for the royal palace.
...
Inside the palace…
Esdeath dropped to one knee the moment she saw Renzo. "General Esdeath reporting in, Your Majesty."
"Enough of that formal nonsense," Renzo said with a smile, waving his hand casually. "I'm just glad you're back. Now we can finally launch the next phase of the plan."
"For starters, head over to Royal Villa No. 2. I've gathered a group of Teigu users there over the last few days. From now on, they're under your command."
"Their unit title is the Empire's EmberlightForces. I'm counting on you—don't let me down."
The long-awaited plan was finally about to begin. Renzo could barely contain his excitement.
He was sick of the rot festering in the capital. It had gotten so bad, he didn't even dare use his mental sense to scan the city—afraid he'd lose control and trigger the purge right now, going on a killing spree before things were in place.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Esdeath said with a confident nod. "Don't worry. I won't let you down."
Then she blinked and tilted her head at him. "By the way… about that thing you promised me back in the North? The ice powers and the techniques—can I have them now?"
"Of course." Renzo smiled knowingly.
He floated up off the ground and gently drifted to her, stopping right in front of her. Before she could react, he reached out and touched her cheek, looking straight into her eyes.
"You really are an extraordinary beauty," he said softly.
Esdeath's usually stoic face flushed a bright red—an extremely rare sight.
If Liver or the others had seen it, their jaws would've hit the floor. To them, General Esdeath was the definition of cold and unshakable. Blushing? That just wasn't something she had.
Renzo continued, "I've compiled a set of ice-make magic, along with a physical enhancement method known as Breathing Styles. Study them well—I look forward to seeing how much stronger you'll become."
As he spoke, he reached out and touched the center of her forehead. In an instant, the knowledge of some magic, along with a wealth of supplementary information, was transmitted directly into her mind.
Esdeath immediately closed her eyes, too excited to care about being flustered. She dove into the data, absorbing everything she could.
Renzo floated back down and took his seat again, watching her quietly.
He had actually been planning to give Esdeath all the ice magic—not just some of it, but everything, including the Ice Release kekkei genkai and more.
But in the end, he decided against it. If he gave her everything now, what would he have left to reward her with after she did a good job… or when he married her?
After a long pause, Esdeath finally opened her eyes, awestruck. "This is incredible… what a unique method of gaining power. Thank you, Your Majesty. This knowledge is priceless."
"I have no doubt I'll become even stronger. I'm honestly excited for what the future holds."
"And when that time comes…" she grinned, her eyes glinting with challenge, "I want to face you again. I hope you'll accept my challenge."
She added playfully, winking at him, "You're already pretty cute for a little guy. I can't wait to see how handsome you'll be when you grow up."
Her heart had been racing ever since he touched her cheek. It was a feeling she'd never experienced before.
She wasn't even trying to hide it—Esdeath knew exactly what she was feeling.
For the first time in her life… she'd caught feelings.
And honestly? She didn't mind one bit.
She was ready for a relationship now. And the young emperor? Other than being a bit too young at the moment, he ticked all the right boxes.
She made up her mind. In a few years, once Renzo matured, she was going to defeat him and make him submit.
Even if she couldn't beat him, it didn't matter—whether she made him marry her or she married him, the outcome was the same.
He was hers.
And in the meantime? Nothing wrong with a little imperial romance.
"Glad you found it useful," Renzo said with a warm smile. Then he gave her a once-over, voice full of amusement. "Honestly, Esdeath, you're pretty amazing yourself. I like you too. So keep working hard."
"As for that challenge—you're on. Whenever you feel ready, come find me. I'll be waiting."
"But for now, go take command of the Emberlightsquad."
He waved his hand, and a scroll materialized in the air beside him. It floated into Esdeath's hands, carried by psychic energy.
"This is the latest operations plan. Take a look. If everything looks good, you can begin immediately. I'll let the Minister and General Budo know to coordinate with you."
Esdeath opened the scroll and flipped through it quickly. Then she gave a small bow.
"I'll take my leave, then. Your Majesty, wait for my good news—I won't disappoint you."
With that, she turned and walked out of the hall, a confident smile on her face, already planning her next move.
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