"No matter how many times I see it, I can't help but be shocked by the sight of the Empire. How much manpower and resources did His Majesty the First Emperor have to obtain to build the Imperial Capital into such a magnificent and grand form!"
The two girls held hands intimately, walking on the bustling streets of the Imperial Capital. Although it wasn't her first time, Zhi Feng had always been busy with affairs and studies in the past. This was her first time truly relaxing and appreciating the scenery of the Empire, and she was immediately captivated by the prosperous scene within the Imperial Capital.
"Indeed, that is true."
Rin nodded in agreement. It had to be said that the Imperial Capital, as the Empire's capital, was truly massive, three to five times larger than an average large city in the Empire. The central Imperial City palace alone was no smaller than a city, and its ground level was fifty meters higher than the streets of the Imperial Capital. The Imperial Armament known as the first and strongest, the God-Protecting Mechanical God: Supreme Throne, was housed beneath the Imperial City.
For the rest of the morning, Rin and Zhi Feng thus put aside their identities and responsibilities as Imperial Generals, fully immersing themselves in shopping and playing. They bought snacks and crepes at street stalls, chose new clothes at clothing stores, and went to lingerie shops... "Haha! I told you, Zhi Feng, you should switch to a cup size larger! After all, I massage them very diligently every night. Hmm, this lace butterfly-edged one suits you perfectly. Paired with these matching panties, wow! Let's just do it right here!"
"E-enough, Big Sister, this is too embarrassing! I can't accept a half-cup, and this is a changing room, Big Sister, please behave yourself!"
"Well, it's precisely because it's a changing room that it's exciting!"
"..."
In the changing room of the Imperial Capital's largest high-end lingerie store, a scene of "X-Closet Love Slash, Red-Eyed Otherworld Yuri Version" almost unfolded. Fortunately, it didn't happen.
"Zhi Feng, you're so mean! You actually hit my head with the weapon I gave you. What if I become stupid?"
Tohsaka Rin sat teary-eyed at a delicate dining table outdoors, shaded by a parasol, her slender, exquisite jade-like hands constantly rubbing her forehead. Across from her, Zhi Feng's forehead was furrowed with an angry cross.
"If this really makes you dumber, Big Sister, then please allow me to hit you a few more times. After all, you've already devastated everyone who knows you. Without giving up the idea of comparison, it's impossible to communicate with you. So, Big Sister, please become a bit dumber. Even if you become so dumb that your IQ is permanently 9, I will still take care of you for the rest of your life."
"Although receiving such a passionate confession should be a happy thing, please, please remove the prerequisite of becoming dumber."
After a morning of playing, frolicking, and shopping, it was now midday. Rin and Zhi Feng sat under the parasol, enjoying a leisurely lunch.
The Seventh Legion, leveraging its geographical advantage, hunted down a large number of high-grade and special-grade Danger Beasts. Their hides, flesh, bones, and blood were all processed within the legion. However, the Danger Beast gems, which had the highest monetary value but no practical use, were all collected by Rin. She specifically acquired a jewelry store to sell them throughout the Empire. This zero-cost jewelry business quickly earned Rin a large sum of military funds and a substantial private treasury in less than a year.
A portion was distributed to her subordinate officers and soldiers as legion benefits, another portion was given to Onesis for him to continue operating in court, and a considerable portion naturally went into Rin's own pocket. Now, Rin could be described as a standard wealthy and beautiful woman, rich enough to rule a region.
At this moment, a pair of young beggars walked up to Rin's table and knelt, pleading.
"Beautiful and noble lady, please have mercy and give us a few copper coins. We haven't eaten anything all day." The boy pleaded, bowing to Rin.
Both young beggars were very dirty, and their clothes were very thin and tattered, with many places exposing their skin. Although it hadn't snowed yet in early winter, the cold wind blowing from the north was not something these clothes could cope with.
This pair of young beggars consisted of a boy and a girl. The boy was older, appearing to be less than ten years old, while the girl was probably only one or two years old. Pulled along by the older boy, she couldn't even walk steadily. She was tiny and looked at Rin with pleading eyes.
Rin saw Zhi Feng looking at this beggar brother and sister with pity, but she said nothing, knowing that Rin's consistent style was never to sympathize with the weak. Her generosity was never given to those unrelated to her.
Rin said nothing, nor did she refuse. With a calm expression, she looked at the tabletop in front of her, then picked up the fruit cream cake, from which she had just cut a slice, and placed it in front of the siblings.
The boy's eyes widened, then blinked. He stared blankly at the cake, which was only enjoyed by the wealthy children and nobles of the upper class, placed before him. After coming to his senses, he immediately handed it to the Little Girl beside him who couldn't yet speak clearly. "Here, eat quickly. Thank you for your kindness, miss. You are the kindest and noblest lady I have ever seen."
Rin said nothing to the boy who was bowing to her in gratitude, but simply placed a freshly served grilled steak in front of him.
"This is for you."
Zhi Feng, meanwhile, looked at Rin with an incredibly surprised expression. She remembered a hilarious joke that was still circulating in the Seventh Legion:
"Hey, let me tell you a joke: our general says she's a good person."
When Zhi Feng accidentally heard this joke from a soldier, she immediately ran back to her dorm, clutching her stomach and rolling on the floor with laughter. She finally stopped only after being dragged by a furious Rin, whose veins were bulging on her forehead, into a duel drill until her bones felt like they would fall apart. It truly showed that Rin was not associated with the word 'kindness'.
Watching the two small, grateful figures depart, Zhi Feng sighed with emotion:
"I never imagined that our iron-blooded General Tohsaka Rin would have such a side to her. It truly exceeds my expectations."
"What did you think I would do? Be indifferently silent, or directly tell them to get lost?"
"I wouldn't be surprised by either, but reality is truly more fantastical than imagination. I never thought you, Big Sister, would even pity those helpless, weak, poor children."
"Pity? Perhaps. Rather than pity, it's more like aid for a future strong person."
Rin calmly watched the direction the two children left. They went to beg in front of another hotel across the street. Zhi Feng was somewhat confused and asked:
"Future strong person?"
"Hmm, whether it's that boy or the Little Girl who can't even walk steadily, their eyes haven't despaired despite their suffering. I can see the forbearance and hope in their eyes. That boy must be thinking that once he grows a bit older, he can find a job, and then through continuous hard work and struggle, he will eventually live a satisfying and happy life. That kind of hopeful and passionate gaze won't stay on a beggar forever."
Rin silently picked up the teacup on the table, gently savoring the taste of the black tea, speaking while waiting for her newly ordered steak to arrive. She had given her portion to the boy earlier.
Zhi Feng rubbed her forehead, feeling confused but impressed. She found Rin's words a bit difficult to understand, but although her Big Sister sometimes did unexpected things, the direction of events was never wrong.
Since Big Sister said so, it must be true.
"Then, Big Sister, why didn't you just give them a few Empire gold coins? That should directly help them escape their predicament, especially if you secretly slipped it into their hands without being noticed by passersby. If they truly are as Big Sister says, they would surely be able to use a few gold coins to change their lives."
"It's no use, look there."
While Rin drank her tea, her other free left hand pointed towards a dark, narrow alley between two buildings across the street. A shifty-eyed Delinquent Youth had just been looking in Rin's direction with ill intent. As if sensing Rin's sidelong glance, he immediately shifted his gaze, scanning his surroundings as if admiring the scenery, but no matter how his gaze shifted, he always kept the siblings within his line of sight.
"Is that...?"
"It's not time yet. After dinner, let's go explore what the shadows of the bustling Imperial Capital truly look like."
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