You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Although he looked pot-bellied, he was knowledgeable and capable, and had even read through the royal library. Therefore, he knew that the empire a thousand years ago had some contact with the eastern island nation, and that the warriors there were indeed dressed in this way.

In addition, he had received intelligence that a ronin samurai who had crossed the sea had committed a massacre in a certain place, causing a lot of trouble. It seemed that this was the masked man.

To be able to recruit such a murderer, it seems that my useless son isn't entirely useless after all... Oh well, at least he can still give me an heir, so I'll keep him.

"Hurry up and fetch Mr. Fashion to treat my son! Waaah, you're suffering so much!"

"..."

Iori continued to observe the minister's performance with a cold eye, filled with the urge to criticize, but forcibly held back from speaking.

Can we please cut down on these exaggerated performances and get down to business?

I specifically got the brainwashing device back from Akame and used the precious modification drug on Sheila, not to play house with you guys!

Chapter 53: I, Iori, am utterly loyal to the Empire!

In the dimly lit audience, armored figures, resembling steel cans, lined both sides. Thick, soft, luxurious carpets covered the cold marble floor, and at the end of the carpets stood a towering, cold throne.

The young emperor sat there, dressed in magnificent robes and wearing a crown symbolizing power, but his face, which should have been majestic and imposing, was childish and innocent. At the tender age of thirteen or fourteen, he had ascended the throne and seemed to lack the necessary courage and charisma to match it.

He had no name because "Emperor" was a unique title in this world. In order to highlight the emperor's divinity, everyone who inherited the throne would abandon their previous name and would not allow anyone to use any other title to refer to them. Even their parents, brothers, wives, and children could only respectfully address them as "Your Majesty the Emperor."

This rule was established from the first emperor, which meant that he would become a true loner and no longer live as a "self," but as the master of the crown and the ruler of the empire.

Thus, although the first emperor did not achieve immortality, his will endured and profoundly influenced the empire...

However, as things stand now, no matter how prestigious the title, it cannot withstand the power of time and will eventually decay and decline.

Anyone who sees that frail body struggling to hold up his robes on the wide throne would probably feel a sense of impending doom!

If this young emperor had wise ministers to assist him, things would be fine, but unfortunately, there's no Zhuge Liang in "Akatsuki," not even Yi Yin or Huo Guang, or even Cao Cao? Instead, there's only a Dong Zhuo-like Ernest...

The most tragic thing is that the young emperor didn't even know that Ernest was Dong Zhuo, and actually trusted him as if he were Zhuge Liang!

"Your Majesty, please allow me to introduce two people to you."

In the version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," Grand Tutor Dong bows his head politely and places his hand on his chest to show his loyalty to the emperor.

It was far too simplistic in terms of the etiquette for meeting the emperor, but Ernest did it as a matter of course. After all, after the previous emperor was murdered by him... well, died unexpectedly, he killed the other competitors and supported the late emperor's orphan, the young emperor, to ascend the throne.

In recognition of his service in supporting the emperor, the young emperor granted him many privileges, elevating his status above that of other nobles.

In simpler terms, it means "to praise and worship without naming one's name, to enter the court without hastening one's steps, and to wear a sword and shoes in the palace."

As we all know, apart from Xiao He, those who received this treatment were all "great loyal ministers," which shows Ernest's loyalty!

At least that's what the young emperor thought, so he looked at his trusted minister with a smile and said, "What kind of person could you possibly recommend? He must be an extraordinary hero, right?"

"I dare not act or take the blame. In fact, it is my son Sila and his close friend Izang. The two of them have been traveling abroad to gather intelligence on foreign peoples and enemy countries. They risked their lives to protect the empire and His Majesty. They are truly loyal and brave."

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Sheila and Iori spoke in unison, and simply bowed their heads without any further courtesy.

The young emperor didn't take it to heart. In his view, the minister's son must be loyal and might even become his right-hand man in the future. It was good to get closer to him in advance.

However, he gave the two of them a strange look: "You two certainly don't look like ordinary people, but why... are you dressed so strangely?"

His words were quite conservative, because Sheila and Iori's appearances were more than just strange:

Iori was wearing a loose trench coat, and her face and hands were wrapped in bandages, making her look like a newly unearthed mummy or a patient walking out of the intensive care unit.

Sheila is even more outrageous, with metal frames on both arms and legs resembling exoskeletons, making her look like an unconventional cyborg.

"These are all sacrifices that had to be made for the sake of the empire!"

Ernest said with grief, “Those despicable rebels attacked my son and tortured him severely, trying to make him betray the Empire, but my son’s loyalty to His Majesty is as clear as day! Even with his limbs broken, he still did not yield!”

Later, it was this Mr. Yizang who voluntarily disfigured himself and infiltrated the revolutionary army to successfully rescue him!

"What?! Such a thing actually happened! Those despicable rebels, they've become so arrogant!"

The young emperor was immediately enraged: "If I cannot even protect my most loyal subjects, what face do I have to defend the empire? I will arrest all these traitors and execute them!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Leave this matter to me. It will also be a good opportunity to avenge my son. However, the rebels are powerful and have many skilled fighters within their ranks, including many lurking around the capital. I propose that we form an elite force specifically to guard the capital."

“That makes sense… but will General Bude agree?” The young emperor hesitated.

“General Bud is responsible for guarding the palace, a glorious mission passed down through generations of his family. I would never dare to overstep that responsibility. However, the force I am forming will only operate within and outside the capital and will not interfere with the garrison within the palace,” Ernest explained.

"Oh, then there's no problem. This way, the defensive pressure on the Imperial Guards can be relieved, and General Bud will be happy to see it happen."

The young emperor nodded, then had a flash of inspiration and said to Sheila and Iori, "Sheila, you are of noble birth and so loyal to me, while Izang, though a commoner, has the spirit of a knight and is also brave and righteous."

Both of you are pillars of the empire's future and deserve promotion. I have already decided that you two will command this new army!

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will certainly not disappoint you."

"Very well, I hereby bestow upon you the rank of 'General,' and you shall go forth specifically to deal with the rebels!"

As the saying goes, when the country is in trouble, it thinks of good generals. Seeing such loyal and brave ministers at such a difficult time, the young emperor felt that the situation was very good and the suppression of the rebellion was just around the corner!

-

"The overthrow of the empire is just around the corner!"

Najenda never imagined that just a few days later, Iori would transform into an Imperial General.

Thinking back to how hard she worked to climb up the ranks, and then looking at the dramatic transformation of Iori, a wanted criminal... even though she had long since given up on the Empire, she couldn't help but say, "The Empire is doomed."

Ernest and the young emperor probably never imagined that the trusted general, who was being appointed in the palace during the day, would move to a secret stronghold in the wilderness at night and make contact with the rebel cadres.

All I can say is that Shangri-La is really great!

"What are you doing?"

Najeta was puzzled: "Entering the army to reform from within? Or going undercover? I don't mean to discourage you, but that probably won't work."

Having risen through the ranks of the Imperial Army herself, she knew all too well how difficult internal reforms were and how utterly corrupt the army's discipline was, so she didn't have a high opinion of Iori's choice.

"Who said I wanted to reform? I just simply want this position." Iori smiled slightly. "After all, having a title makes things easier."

"I don't understand... your actions are always so unexpected."

Najenda shook her head. Although she didn't understand what Iori's plan was, she was certain that Iori was not a lackey of the Empire and that their positions were aligned, which was enough.

What do you want to trade this time?

"Intelligence and heads."

Iori stated without any attempt to conceal his intentions: "I need information on local powerful landowners and corrupt officials, and my reward is their heads."

"Assassination?" Najenda considered for a moment. "There are quite a few of them, and you're alone—"

"It wasn't an assassination, and it wasn't done by one person."

Iori interrupted her with a slight smile: "It is as an Imperial General that I lead the army openly and honorably to suppress potential enemies who are colluding with the rebels!"

"...Are you kidding me?" Najenda asked, looking bewildered. "Your official position was granted by the ministers and the emperor. How could they possibly allow you to do such a thing?"

"Because they colluded with the revolutionary army."

Najenda was speechless: "It's not like you can just collude like that."

“If it were just me talking, that definitely wouldn’t work, but don’t you have an assassin who can transform into anything?”

"……what?"

"If the minister's son, Sheila, receives intelligence, Imperial General Izang discovers the evidence, the traitor himself (Chelsie) confesses, the revolutionary army attempts to break him out of prison, and all my recruited men (island samurai) keep their mouths shut, and half of the confiscated money is sent to Ernest—"

So, do you think anyone will believe that?

Najenda: "...Huh?"

Chapter 54: Akame: My female boss is really something!

The residence of a local prefect was unusually noisy today. Squads of soldiers with serious expressions and peculiar hairstyles surrounded the prefect's mansion, blocking all four gates and preventing anyone from entering or leaving. They also disarmed all the guards and took control of everyone in the mansion.

The prefect was already considered to be at the top of the ruling class in the empire, and in the local area he was considered a powerful regional official. How dare they besiege the prefect's mansion in broad daylight? Such arrogant behavior was no different from rebellion!

Strangely, apart from the guards of the prefect's mansion offering some resistance, the troops stationed inside and outside the city remained silent and did not come to their aid, collectively watching as the highest-ranking local official was captured.

There are two reasons for this:

First, the force that raided the governor's mansion was extremely elite. Each of the mere hundred men was a highly skilled swordsman, and more than ten of them possessed the "Minister's Gear".

What does this mean? Let alone the increasingly corrupt local troops, even if you bring out the most elite Imperial Guards, they couldn't possibly win in equal numbers!

With only a few hundred copper coins a month, why risk your life? Just shout a few words to the heavens, and you'll be doing right by the salary the court provides.

Secondly, they were not bandits or rebels; on the contrary, they were a regular organization!

They are the legitimate garrison troops of the capital!

Just by hearing his name, you can tell he's much better than us country bumpkins. Since he's been ordered to arrest the prefect, that old guy must have offended some big shot and is about to step down.

At a time like this, instead of distancing ourselves, are we supposed to try and climb the social ladder ourselves?

Not to mention the soldiers, even the prefect himself, who had been arrested, was filled with anxiety and looked panicked, clearly having something to hide.

—If it weren't for the ghost, why would Iori have approached him?

"Hmph, old man, you've been caught red-handed—cough, you've been colluding with rebels and traitors. What else is there to say?!"

"Rebels and traitors?"

The prefect, who was being held captive, was stunned for a moment, then suddenly shouted, "I'm innocent! I've never colluded with traitors!"

"You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! What do you have to say about all these letters we found in your mansion?!"

"How could this be... It is indeed my handwriting, but I... No, you are framing me! Why, why would Lord Ernest do this?"

We agreed on a 30/70 split of taxes! I only wanted 30%, I didn't dare to offer a single penny less!

The governor seemed to believe it was political persecution, since he knew he hadn't actually colluded with the traitors... or rather, hadn't had the chance yet.

In fact, the revolutionary army did contact him, but the governor righteously and sternly refused, because the empire remained powerful and the revolutionary army seemed to have no future. If the revolutionary army were to gain power one day, it would be perfectly feasible to join them then.

But if it's political persecution, then the mastermind behind it can only be Ernest—didn't you see that his son is the one leading it?

But the governor couldn't understand why Ernest wanted to kill him... Although he did tamper with the taxes, claiming it was a 30/70 split, he actually took more than he paid to Ernest.

But if you're unhappy, you can tell me. It's just about money, why do you have to go to this extent?

"I want to see the ministers! I want to see His Majesty! I have rendered service to the empire, I have shed blood for the court, you cannot do this—uh-uh-uh!"

Iori waved his hand impatiently, and the samurai from the island nation immediately stepped forward, gagged the man, and dragged him away.

What an incorrigible fellow... He has done so many things like bullying men and women, murdering and arson on a daily basis, but when it comes to the crucial moment, all he thinks about is taxes. This proves that he doesn't care about the lives of ordinary people at all, and subconsciously thinks that it's not a big mistake, far less important than sharing the spoils with the ministers.

The governor was arrested, and his family members were also placed under centralized management. Iori glanced around and pointed out a few people, including the governor's son and first wife. These people were specially detained, while the others were released on the spot and allowed to come and go freely.

Iori wasn't afraid of wronging innocent people, because he had spent a whole day observing the governor's mansion in spirit form, and with the information he had gathered, he already had a good understanding of who deserved to die, who was just going with the flow, and who was completely innocent.

As for why he still personally investigated despite having intelligence about the Revolutionary Army—it's simple: he didn't want to become anyone's "knife"!

He only targets truly evil people, as this leaves him with the least psychological burden and prevents him from developing inner demons that could affect his future Bankai.

Iori cannot fully trust the Revolutionary Army; who knows if they might add a few innocent political enemies to the list?

He can cooperate with others, but he will never be foolish enough to be taken advantage of!

After a while, under Iori's orders, Sheila summoned all the prominent figures in the city to the central square, and more than ten prisoners, including the governor, were also brought there.

Such a grand spectacle naturally attracted many ordinary people to watch the excitement. After discovering that those kneeling in the square were important figures, the crowd grew even larger, quickly becoming so dense that it was impossible to move.

Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Iori stepped forward and briefly read out the charges against the governor, including treason, embezzlement, and murder. The pale-faced governor confessed without hesitation, causing a huge uproar on the spot!

The people were in an uproar. They had suffered a lot of oppression in their daily lives, and now that they saw the governor was about to fall from power, they were naturally extremely excited, and shouts and curses rose and fell.

The officials looked at each other, their legs trembling, and none dared to utter a word.

Although they didn't know what conflict existed between the minister and the governor, judging by their own experience... they felt that the minister wouldn't mind killing a few more, so they absolutely couldn't show their faces at this time!

Furthermore, no one doubted that the mastermind was the minister, after all, it was Sheila who was leading the team, so what was there to ponder about the obvious fact?

Once the people's clamor subsided slightly, Iori waved for his men to take the governor, or rather the assassin Chelsea, away, and then brought in the other key criminals.

They were all accomplices of the prefect, some from the underworld and some from the legitimate world. They "managed" the city for the prefect on a daily basis, and who knows how many heinous things they had done.