"You're right. We should be wary of that Prime Minister."
Great General Budo nodded slightly.
Due to a series of changes, his thoughts differed greatly from those in the original story.
For instance, in the original, Budo had no idea that the so-called Night Raid responsible for assassinating Chouri and the others was actually the Three Beasts in disguise. This misunderstanding only deepened his hatred for Night Raid.
So even when he eventually lost patience with Honest, his priority remained wiping out the rebels first before personally eliminating the Prime Minister and other internal threats.
But in the end... before he ever got the chance, he fell at the hands of Night Raid.
"By the way, I feel like I've heard your name somewhere before," Budo suddenly asked.
The name Blayn seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite recall where he'd heard it.
"Maybe because I've held some minor yet somewhat well-known positions in the past," Blayn answered casually.
He didn't mention Akatsuki, nor did he bring up Night Raid. With someone as stubborn as Budo, mentioning either would only backfire.
To him, cooperating with the Revolutionary Army—essentially rebels—was utterly unacceptable. As a general, he couldn't tolerate those trying to overthrow the Empire right under his nose.
Chelsea also understood this to some extent, which was why she refrained from revealing her identity in front of Budo.
Trusting Chouri's judgment, Budo no longer doubted the identities of the three.
After a brief exchange, Blayn and Budo reached a tentative cooperation.
"However, when it comes to Esdeath, I want to handle this myself," Blayn stated his condition.
"No problem, as long as you can deal with her," Budo agreed with a nod.
Hearing this, Kurome puffed her cheeks slightly.
The Commander sure seems concerned about Esdeath...
...
Chouri and Spear were temporarily staying at the general's mansion under the protection of Great General Budo. For now, their safety wasn't much of a concern—no matter how bold Prime Minister Honest was, he wouldn't dare send people to storm Budo's residence directly.
Meanwhile, with the Three Beasts halting their operations, Akame and the others found themselves with unexpected free time. Of course, having a bit of peace wasn't a bad thing—it meant they weren't in immediate danger.
"The Three Beasts haven't made any moves since then, and Akame's group hasn't been attacked either," Chelsea remarked.
"It could just be the calm before the storm," Blayn said in a low voice.
The recent silence from the Three Beasts made sense. Chouri had survived, and from Honest's perspective, Budo was an unpredictable factor. Naturally, that meant he wouldn't act recklessly.
"Aren't the Three Beasts under Esdeath's command? Some of our people have been keeping an eye on her mansion, but it seems like she hasn't left her residence much these past few days," Chelsea noted.
"That is suspicious. I'm planning to go see her. You guys stay here at the mansion for now," Blayn said.
"You're going to see her alone? You know, I can't help but feel like you care a lot about General Esdeath," Chelsea observed keenly.
"Do I? Maybe it's because I still owe her a favor," Blayn replied.
He had yet to fully repay that debt. He had agreed to be Esdeath's short-term lover, only to disappear less than a day later. When he left, he had told her he'd return. He wasn't the type to break his word.
And now, it was time to settle things with Esdeath once and for all...
"Oh~" Chelsea stared straight into Blayn's eyes, as if trying to read him completely.
"Alright, I'll wait for you here. But be careful," she said, dropping the matter despite her suspicions.
Standing nearby, Kurome looked like she wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.
Blayn gave a brief nod before heading off—to Esdeath's mansion.
After he left, Chelsea found herself feeling a bit bored. Her gaze shifted to Kurome.
"Kurome, do you have someone you like?" she asked casually, though there was clear intent behind her words.
"Yes," Kurome answered calmly and without hesitation.
"Eh? Who is it? Don't tell me it's Blayn?" Chelsea pressed.
"That's right. I like the Commander. Why?" Kurome responded just as directly, showing no trace of embarrassment.
Chelsea blinked in surprise. She had expected Kurome to at least be a little flustered, but instead, she was completely straightforward.
"So… you actually like him too, don't you?" Kurome countered.
Chelsea was caught off guard for a moment, then let out a small, amused laugh. "...Looks like you turned the tables on me. Yeah, I'm interested in him too. I guess that makes us rivals~."
However, due to Esdeath's involvement, Kurome wasn't particularly concerned about this.
She simply shook her head. "There's a bigger problem. You probably don't know this yet, but word has already spread across the Imperial Capital—Esdeath and the Commander are lovers."
Chelsea genuinely hadn't heard about this.
Night Raid didn't have spies in the capital, and aside from Leone, who occasionally roamed the city for fun, the rest of the team rarely set foot there. Coincidentally, Leone hadn't been around that day, leaving Night Raid completely unaware of the situation.
"He and Esdeath are together? No wonder he seems so invested in her affairs..." Chelsea muttered, momentarily stunned.
She had been confident in her chances—only to find that, in the blink of an eye, Blayn had become Esdeath's lover. It had happened so suddenly that she hadn't even seen it coming.
"So, you really didn't know until now," Kurome remarked.
"In that case, I can't just sit around doing nothing," Chelsea declared, unable to stay still any longer. "Let's go take a walk around the city. And, well… maybe we'll just 'happen' to end up near Esdeath's place. Completely by accident, of course~."
...
Imperial Capital—Esdeath's mansion.
"This ability is finally perfected. Now I just need a test subject… Who should I pick? If only Blayn would show up on his own…" Esdeath muttered to herself.
She could already feel that she had fully mastered her new power.
She had spent the past few days secluded in her mansion, focused entirely on refining this ability, which she had named Mahapdama. She had considered other names but ultimately settled on this one.
And just as she spoke of him, as if summoned by fate—Blayn arrived at the entrance of her mansion.
...
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