Chapter 119: First Meeting with Esdeath
Late at night.
When everyone should be fast asleep, Mahiro found himself unable to sleep.
It wasn't for any particular reason—simply because a girl who resembled a small animal was currently lying on Mahiro's chest.
Mine had curled her soft, petite body into a ball, resting against his chest. Her undone pink twin tails cascaded like silk down her back and spilled over both sides.
Her small nostrils quivered faintly as she breathed out the slow, steady breaths of slumber.
She truly looked like a sleeping kitten.
In such a large mansion, Mine should have had her own room—and indeed, that had been the arrangement. After cleaning out what used to be Aria's room, it had been designated as Mine's bedroom.
Yet, this girl had used the excuse of being afraid to sleep alone to come over and share his bed.
The result was the scene before him.
Mahiro felt somewhat helpless.
How could he not understand what Mine was doing? It had nothing to do with being afraid of sleeping alone.
She simply wanted to act spoiled in this way, to spend as much time as possible by his side on their last night before parting—afraid that he might leave and never return, abandoning her here all alone.
"What a silly girl."
Mahiro smiled helplessly.
He then slowly rose, carefully picked up Mine, and gently laid her on the bed, tucking her in to prevent her from catching a chill.
As for himself, he moved a comfortable chair next to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The bright moonlight spilled down from the night sky, its pure radiance even brighter than candlelight.
After gazing at the moon for a while, Mahiro retrieved a katana broken into two pieces from his ring.
It was the Teigu he had forcibly shattered—the one-hit kill "Murasame."
"What a pity..."
His fingertips lightly traced the blade, as if he could sense the emotions emanating from the broken edge.
It was a curse named resentment—the unvoiced cries of the souls who had died by the blade, mingled with the venomous curse of ancient spells.
The blade itself radiated a profound sorrow.
"You're unwilling, aren't you?"
He sensed that Murasame seemed resentful at having been broken.
"How fascinating. So even Teigu are alive... But do you wish to be repaired?"
Under the moonlight, he sat there alone, holding the broken blade and talking to himself.
"Alright, I'll give it a try. It's my first time, so I'm not sure if it'll work."
With that, he placed both halves of the broken blade on his lap, a faint glimmer flashing in his dark pupils.
"Eye of the Spirit," activate. Begin analysis.
That's right—he intended to use "Restoration" on an object. Neither Tatsuya nor he had ever attempted this before. Or, as Tatsuya would say, the information backtracking of Restoration seemed to only work on living beings?
He didn't believe that.
After all, his Restoration ability had far surpassed Tatsuya's.
Tatsuya could only go back 24 hours, while he could now trace back an entire year.
Soon, Murasame had been fully analyzed, inside and out.
The forging technique was indeed unique. Not only was it infused with the venomous curse of ancient spells, materials from a super-class Danger Beast, and a large amount of orichalcum, but after its creation, it had become a demon blade!
"Now then, let's begin the backtracking."
[Initiating backtracking of individual information body change history.]
[Confirming restoration point...]
At this step, Mahiro's brow furrowed slightly.
[Beginning restoration.]
Restoration took effect.
Using the copied information body as a magical formula, he attached it to the individual information body.
With the pre-damage information, he overwrote and restored the target's damaged state, using information to alter reality.
As if by the grand power of the world's correction, the Murasame in his arms rewound through time, returning to its pristine, undamaged state.
The restored Murasame emitted a joyful hum in his embrace, as if delighted.
"You're happy now, but my head is killing me."
Mahiro flicked the blade of Murasame with his fingertip.
Just as Tatsuya experienced when using Restoration—reading the information body and overwriting it—he felt the compressed experiences of others in a fleeting instant.
This time, he also felt the sensation of Murasame slaying its enemies—the reverberation and imagery of tearing through flesh.
He also heard the wails of vengeful spirits, looping in his mind like a broken record, nauseating to the extreme.
After repairing Murasame, he sheathed the long blade back into its vermilion-red scabbard and stood it upright beside him.
Then, he rubbed the ring on his finger.
This time when he crossed over, the ring had gained a new function, but he had been too busy with matters to pay attention to it until now.
Upon careful examination, he discovered it was actually summoning!
This summoning wasn't about calling beings from other unknown worlds, but rather summoning people from worlds he had experienced and those familiar to him.
The number of summons was three.
The duration of stay was one month.
These were the messages the ring conveyed to his mind.
"You really are mysterious, aren't you? What exactly is your origin? A benefit cheat for a transmigrator?"
Mahiro gently stroked the ring, a subtle curve slowly forming at the corner of his mouth.
The next day.
When he arrived at the recruitment point from yesterday, he noticed someone was already waiting for him as soon as he entered.
"Yotsuba Mahiro?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Your information has already been filed in the Empire's database. Come with me, I'll take you to meet your superior."
The person handed him a captain's rank token along with related documents.
However...
"Superior?"
Shouldn't his superior be the chief of the Imperial City Guard? It seemed there was someone else?
"Yes, that's right."
For some reason, when mentioning this superior, the person's expression briefly darkened for a moment before quickly returning to calm, continuing:
"She will be the training officer in charge of your daily drills."
"She? A woman?"
Faced with his confusion, the person didn't respond and instead quickened their pace.
The appearance of female officers in the Empire wasn't uncommon, just like Esdeath and Najasho he knew—both were women, and generals at that... oh wait, Najasho was actually a vice-general.
However, the person seemed to be in a great hurry, leading him swiftly through multiple heavily guarded checkpoints until they reached an iron door.
This area separated the secret military zone from the residential district—a restricted military area.
"Alright, take your documents and report in by yourself from here."
The person smiled and patted Mahiro's shoulder before turning and quickly walking out of his sight, almost as if fleeing in haste.
Was it really that terrifying?
Could the training officer be some kind of monster or demon?
And he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but that person's smile seemed somewhat forced, even somewhat malicious?
Almost as if pitying him.
But it didn't matter. Mahiro was already contemplating how much money it would take to bribe this so-called superior. Maybe he could even secure another position within the military?
Perhaps take on multiple roles simultaneously.
However, the situation unfolded somewhat unexpectedly.
Knock, knock—
Mahiro reached out and knocked on the door before him.
"Who is it?"
Sure enough, a cold voice came from inside, though it sounded somewhat youthful?
But he didn't think too much about it and directly replied, "New training recruit, Yotsuba Mahiro."
"Come in!"
Mahiro pushed the door open with force, and the entire scene inside the room unfolded before his eyes.
The first thing he saw were five or six people in uniforms, kneeling neatly in two rows, with several heavy bricks placed on their legs.
The moment he dared to relax, a whip would immediately lash down from above.
However, what most caught Mahiro's attention was the figure sitting at the very front, crossing her long legs with an air of superiority...
A young girl?!
That's right, a young girl—she looked about the same age as him, probably eighteen or nineteen, but her appearance was strikingly eye-catching.
Her features were delicate, with icy-blue hair cascading down to her knees, emitting a faint glow.
Her chest wasn't particularly large, but it was perky and firm, straining against the white uniform shirt. Her graceful figure seemed impossible to conceal, sparking endless imaginations.
While he was observing her, she was also studying him with her large, shimmering eyes, the same icy-blue as her hair.
She exuded an arrogant and icy aura, like a girl born from frost.
(PS: Think of her as slightly more mature than this, not yet a full-grown woman, somewhere between a maiden and a mature woman.)
But this person—Mahiro knew her, even intimately familiar.
"...Esdeath?"
No way, what a coincidence?
He had imagined many scenarios of meeting this woman, but he never expected her to be the superior who would train him next!
Damn bastard, you call this just going through the motions?
Try going through the motions in front of Esdeath and see what happens!
If the Security Corps captain could hear his thoughts at this moment, he would probably cry injustice. Usually, it really was just a formality with casual training, but who would have known that this sadistic woman, Esdeath, now promoted to Deputy General, would suddenly come down to take over the training!
But it didn't matter; Mahiro was just venting.
Deep down, he genuinely wanted to see what it would be like to play with this sadistic queen—it was bound to be interesting.
"Call me 'Sir'!"
Just as he was lost in thought, a fierce whip, carrying a sharp whistling sound, lashed out from a distance.
Crack!
A crisp sound rang out.
Esdeath paused for a second, then a wantonly alluring smile curled at the corners of her lips.
"Oh~ Not bad. Finally, they've sent someone decent."
For no other reason than that Mahiro had merely taken two steps back and easily dodged her casual whip strike—something no one else in the room could do.
With just this first encounter, Mahiro left a favorable impression on Esdeath.
"Heh, welcome. My name is Esdeath. You may call me Deputy General Esdeath. For the coming period, I will be in charge of all related training."
Esdeath picked up the file, glanced at it briefly, and tossed it aside. When she looked up again, her beautiful face broke into a captivating smile, like a snow lotus blooming quietly atop a mountain.
The others kneeling in the room all cast pitying glances at Mahiro.
But he himself felt nothing amiss, merely studying Esdeath with a curious gaze.
"What, do you have a problem?" Noticing his persistent scrutiny, Esdeath asked with a smile.
"Nothing, I'm just surprised that the Empire's Deputy General would personally come down to train new recruits."
"You've asked an interesting question."
Esdeath tilted her head back slightly, looking down at him—or rather, at all of them—with a domineering attitude, and said:
"I might as well tell you—the reason I'm taking over this new recruit training is to identify a few promising individuals to mentor. But don't worry, even if you don't meet my standards, I'll still train you to become the Empire's finest soldiers."
Esdeath's tone was resolute, her smile sending chills down one's spine.
At the very least, the few people kneeling on the ground couldn't help but tremble uncontrollably.
To be honest, they really didn't want this kind of assurance.
After being trained by this sadistic woman, would they even survive?
"Is it like that kind of training?" Mahiro suddenly asked, pointing at the people with several large stones pressing down on their thighs.
Is this even training, or are you just indulging your sadistic desires?
"Heh heh."
Esdeath suddenly stood up, her long, straight legs stepping forward in pure white knee-high boots. The slender heels echoed crisp sounds throughout the cramped room.
Step by step, she approached him. As her tall figure fully came into view, she spoke softly:
"I am a person who clearly distinguishes rewards and punishments."
"If you can endure my training, I will grant you rewards. But likewise, if you fail to meet my requirements, I will naturally administer punishment."
"These people are just too useless, so I'm merely giving them a light punishment as discipline."
Esdeath spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Naturally, some felt wronged and timidly raised their hands, saying, "G-General... is this really the lightest punishment...?"
Their knees were pressed so hard it hurt, almost to the point of losing sensation. It might even leave them disabled.
"Of course, this is the lightest among my hundreds of punishment methods—just an appetizer. If you continue to make mistakes, you might get to taste them all, one by one."
Esdeath chuckled lightly, her ice-blue eyes seeming to hold a hint of anticipation.
Her gaze lingered on Mahiro longer than on the others.
"Good. Since everyone is here, I'll give you half an hour to rest and get to know your teammates. Then we'll begin the first day of training."
With that, she tossed her long hair and walked past Mahiro, leaving only a faint, elegant floral fragrance in the air.
"I'll be waiting for you in the interrogation room!"
As her scent faded, the room fell into silence once more.
"She's quite a remarkable general..." Mahiro couldn't help but murmur in admiration.
Beauty and strength combined, and her personality was to his liking. One could even say Esdeath was the most dedicated and responsible general in the entire empire, far more reliable than Grand General Budo.
The others thought so too.
Despite being physically punished and looking rather disheveled, they deeply admired Esdeath from the bottom of their hearts.
Esdeath's fame and reputation had even surpassed that of Najasho, who was also a general.
Even though Esdeath was known to be extremely sadistic, they had also heard that she treated her subordinates very well, personally helping them solve their problems, and was beloved by the common people.
If they could serve under Esdeath, even enduring hellish training would be worth it.
Afterward, Mahiro chatted briefly with the others in the room. They said a lot, but only one name stuck in his memory:
That incredibly petite, delicate, and pretty one who looked like a beautiful girl—Nyau.
It was said he came from a noble family and intended to pursue a career in the military, and his delicate, pitiful appearance made people unable to resist feeling protective of him.
Unfortunately, he was a man, equipped with the usual parts.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group helped each other up from the ground. As soon as their bodies had mostly recovered, they hurried toward the interrogation room without delay.
They were afraid that if they were even a step too slow, they would face Esdeath's punishment again.
Since Mahiro was new here, he could only follow slowly behind them, taking the opportunity to familiarize himself with the surroundings.
However, as soon as they stepped through a pitch-black cast-iron gate, they heard agonizing screams echoing through the corridor—one after another.
It was as if the end of this dark passage led straight to the eighteenth level of hell.
Inside the interrogation room, various kinds of torture instruments were arranged all around. Although Mahiro recognized and could name some of them, the vast majority of the rest were a mystery to him.
All he could see were the dried, mottled bloodstains left on them.
And in the center of the interrogation room stood Esdeath.
In front of her was a large cauldron filled with boiling water, above which several people were hanging upside down.
Following Esdeath's instructions, the interrogators scooped up the boiling water and poured it slowly over the suspended individuals, much like drizzling hot oil while cooking to prevent burning too quickly.
"Good, just like that. Remember to keep the water at exactly one hundred degrees Celsius, but don't pour it too quickly, or you'll easily scald the prisoners to death."
Esdeath was instructing the interrogators in a professional tone.
Among their group, only Mahiro watched all of this with a calm expression; the others were almost on the verge of vomiting.
Especially since the interrogation room was filled with a nauseating, putrid smell, combined with such a brutal scene—it was almost unbearable.
Only the fat man accompanying Esdeath couldn't help but praise:
"Haha, Vice General Esdeath, this 'cauldron punishment' you invented is truly fascinating."
The man had a face covered in grizzled beard and looked very obese, a noble around fifty years old.
Most strikingly, he continued to tear into the steak in his hand without batting an eye.
Watching the dozen or so death row inmates struggling and screaming in the boiling cauldron, his plump, fleshy cheeks instead broke into an extremely happy smile.
"Prime Minister Honest?!"