At the long table, Esdeath and Honest sat opposite each other.
Esdeath's expression was far from pleasant.
Her sharp gaze fixed firmly on Honest as she said coldly,
"Minister, I do not wish to see an incident like that happen again."
Honest casually tossed the chicken bone in his hand onto the plate.
"Of course. Syura had only just returned and wasn't aware of the situation. He has already received the punishment he deserved."
The bone struck the ornate porcelain plate with a crisp clink.
Honest frowned.
"However, the Jaegers have been established for nearly a month now, and you haven't even caught a glimpse of Night Raid."
His massive body cast a shadow across the table like some enormous beast.
"Four members, three Teigu users. Were they all just lounging around at headquarters?"
Perhaps sensing that his words had been a bit too harsh, Honest laughed twice to ease the tension.
With a teasing smile, he added,
"General Esdeath, that's rather hard to justify, isn't it?"
"If this continues, His Majesty will be displeased."
Esdeath clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Honest was speaking the truth.
Up until now, the Jaegers had not engaged Night Raid even once.
For some reason, Night Raid's intelligence network seemed exceptionally powerful.
The Jaegers could not even catch their shadow.
Failure was failure, and Esdeath had no intention of making excuses.
She turned to look out the window and said calmly,
"The Imperial Capital's security has largely been stabilized. From now on, I will devote the Jaegers entirely to hunting Night Raid."
Honest nodded.
Then his face suddenly twisted with anger.
"Good. That old fool Chouri is becoming more and more arrogant!"
He grabbed a handful of bloody meat strips and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing noisily.
"So many troubles lately that I've gained even more weight."
As he devoured the meat, he continued complaining.
"I had originally planned to gather all those rebels together and wipe them out in one stroke."
"But now that seems impossible. A civil war is no longer out of the question."
Using the corner of his eye, he observed Esdeath's reaction.
Holding his forehead, Honest sighed with feigned regret.
"If that old man Chouri takes power, there won't be any wars left to fight."
"General Esdeath, I need you to take this seriously."
The corners of Esdeath's lips curled upward.
She nodded slightly to show that she understood.
Picking up the military cap beside her, she placed it on her head and rose to leave.
"Civil war. How exciting."
Esdeath pushed open the doors, the brilliant sunset illuminating the corridor beyond.
She looked up toward the distant sky and murmured to herself,
"Though that would be somewhat dull, I suppose it can't be helped."
............
On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, inside a lively tavern.
The second floor was packed with people.
A stripper danced wildly in the center.
A huge crowd of patrons gathered around, cheering and drinking, while the house band played energetic music nearby.
Tatsumi sat near the window.
He held a cocktail in his hand, taking occasional sips.
Even Tatsumi could not help feeling excited by the explosive atmosphere.
He had rarely experienced the Imperial Capital's true extravagance.
After arriving in the city, he had been recruited by Night Raid within days, and afterward had spent most of his time living at their rural base.
"As expected of the Imperial Capital. It's really... really... impressive."
Tatsumi stared unblinkingly at the fiery dancer.
He swore that he had absolutely no interest in seductive dancing.
He was simply trying to blend in and avoid drawing suspicion.
After taking another sip of his cocktail, Tatsumi subtly adjusted his position.
He had been waiting so long that his body was starting to stiffen.
"Why aren't they here yet? Seriously."
After muttering a few complaints, Tatsumi began examining the tavern's decor.
At that moment, a staff member in a black suit approached him.
With a slight bow, he gestured toward a room not far away.
"This way, sir."
"Oh."
Tatsumi nodded and stood, following the direction indicated.
Click.
The door opened softly, and Tatsumi walked alone down the corridor.
Since Tatsumi had no Teigu, even if he were caught, it would not be a major loss.
Naturally, he was the ideal candidate for this transaction.
Among Night Raid, his strength was near the bottom.
He could only really beat Mine if she did not have her Teigu.
With the Jaegers now active, the danger of carrying out assassinations in the Imperial Capital had increased dramatically.
As a result, Tatsumi had spent the past several days training at their hideout.
Living under everyone else's protection left him feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Aside from not possessing a Teigu, volunteering for this exchange had been his own decision.
Tatsumi wanted to learn more about Uesugi Ryu.
And perhaps, if possible, recruit him to their side.
At the end of the hallway, the door to a room stood slightly ajar.
Tatsumi knocked before stepping inside.
Uesugi Ryu was gazing out the window.
Hearing the sound, he set down his whiskey.
The glass touched the wooden tray with a soft clink, the amber liquid swirling gently.
Uesugi Ryu slowly turned around and got straight to the point.
"Where is it?"
Tatsumi pulled out a thick stack of antique-looking documents from his satchel and handed them over.
"These are the follow-up materials you requested."
Uesugi Ryu took them and flipped through them quickly.
His true objective was the remaining information regarding the Incursio Ritual.
However, to avoid revealing his intentions and to prevent Night Raid from driving up the price, he had requested a large number of other documents as well.
Tatsumi carefully observed Uesugi Ryu's expression before suddenly saying,
"There are still some of the black parchment left, but the originals are kept at headquarters."
"Help us with one thing, and they'll be yours."
Whatever Uesugi Ryu truly wanted had to be hidden among these materials.
And among them, the black parchment was by far the most unusual.
The Revolutionary Army headquarters could decipher most of the other documents to some extent.
But not the black parchment.
No one understood the language written on it.
If Uesugi Ryu's real target was the parchment, they could raise the price and extract greater benefits.
Tatsumi was probing him, hoping to glean something from his reaction.
Uesugi Ryu was not surprised in the slightest that his objective had been exposed.
Still, judging by Tatsumi's demeanor, this was clearly a bluff.
Uesugi Ryu sneered inwardly, though his expression remained perfectly calm.
He did not even need to equip Observer.
He could already guess exactly what Tatsumi was thinking.
Such a boring little mind game.
This had Najenda written all over it.