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

Therefore, she had already made up her mind that she would rather commit suicide than let Iori control her!

However, Iori's next words were completely unexpected: "Put down your weapons and become my subordinate, Esdeath!"

"……What did you say?!"

The female general's first reaction was that it was impossible. Although she had chosen to join the imperial army and nominally pledge allegiance to the young emperor, she was actually an independent armed leader with the characteristics of a warlord. Her relationship with Minister Ernest, who held real power in the empire, was merely a cooperative one, not a master-servant one.

She does believe in the survival of the fittest, and she agrees with the basic logic of "the weak follow the strong." In fact, many of her subordinates were subdued by her force and then completely conquered by her charismatic leadership.

However, she herself does not intend to follow this law of the jungle, because the only inherent right of the weak in this cruel world is to choose "death".

If you are not afraid of death, you can simply refuse Iori's invitation.

Esdeath was certainly not afraid of death, and was about to mock Iori, but the boy spoke up first: "Don't you want to go further and gain even greater power?"

"—?!" The hunter took a deep breath, clearing her mind of all thoughts, leaving only Iori's words in her mind.

Greater power—of course I want it!

That was exactly what Esdeath had been desperately pursuing!

"Although we have different positions, I have no ill intentions towards you personally."

Iori said seriously, "Because in this era where beasts eat people and monsters run rampant, it is already very rare that you can always keep your interests on the battlefield, only inflicting cruelty on your enemies and never targeting unarmed civilians."

It's ironic that Esdeath, a ruthless warlord, should have been eliminated, but unfortunately, her peers made her stand out... In "Akatsuki: Red Dead Redemption," she's actually portrayed as a relatively conscientious noblewoman!

At least, this guy really has no interest in bullying ordinary people, and he won't suddenly say "I don't eat beef." He always has a legitimate reason for killing people (from his perspective).

In fact, her military leadership skills also show that a general who can inspire his men to be willing to die for him could not be a scumbag like Sheila. He might be a villain, but he would be a villain with great personal charisma!

“After all, talented people are rare… I can give you a chance.”

Iori looked down at Esdeath from her high position, their eyes meeting: "Put aside your pride, follow behind me, and clear the obstacles in my path!"

As a reward, once you've accomplished something truly great, I'll give you another chance to challenge me!

"……Really?"

Surprisingly, Esdeath actually fell for him!

To outsiders, Esdeath, who had reached the pinnacle of the world at the young age of twenty, was undoubtedly an enviable and fearsome prodigy. But Esdeath herself knew that as she grew stronger, the number of worthy opponents she could fight became fewer and fewer.

Before meeting Iori, it had been a long time since I had experienced a battle that could get my blood pumping.

Perhaps, for the next two years she can still consider General Bud as an opponent, and she has no doubt that she can defeat him... but what about after that?

For a practical genius, the lack of suitable opponents to hone their skills is undoubtedly a source of despair.

Top-tier Imperial Arms users are extremely rare, and super-dangerous species are almost extinct, with only a few remaining that are elusive and difficult to find...

She is far too powerful for this world!

But today, Esdeath has a new option:

The man in front of her who could easily defeat her definitely possessed strength surpassing that of General Bud or a super dangerous species, and would be a peak that she would find difficult to surpass in the short term!

Isn't this a trial given to her by God?

One defeat means nothing; a warrior is truly defeated only when his heart is broken!

And the only price to pay for this opportunity is loyalty—it's an incredibly good deal.

Submitting to the other party is nothing, because as long as she surpasses Iori in the future, she can turn around and "tame" her own lord.

When that time comes, Esdeath will be even more domineering and powerful than Iori, turning this man into her dog and making him regret it!

"it is good!"

Esdeath laughed with smug satisfaction, having no doubt about her choice.

Iori smiled slightly behind his mask: he could guess Esdeath's thoughts, but he wasn't worried about it. After all... the gap between them would only widen. If Esdeath was too persistent, she would probably fall into the abyss of despair!

-

"see it?"

"I see her, it's Lady Esdeath... Ah, Lady Esdeath actually lost!"

"What? This is impossible!"

"Damn it... Look, that guy beat Lady Esdeath to her knees, he's probably going to take her back to be his sex slave—"

Chapter 67: I have always been happy to hear criticism.

"As a lackey of the Empire, Esdeath's crimes are numerous and unforgivable. However, the world is in chaos, surrounded by villains, and the people are in dire straits. Therefore, it is said that in times of chaos, severe punishments should be used to punish those who are extraordinary and do the impossible!"

"For today's matter, I'll cut off my hair as a substitute for my head, and see what happens next."

Iori let out a long breath and glanced at the stunned crowd: "I've finished speaking. Who agrees and who disagrees?"

"...Me...me?"

"Ok?"

The boy's eyes sharpened instantly, but his tone remained gentle: "Speak freely, I am always pleased to hear your criticisms."

It's not that I have any objections.

The one speaking was the current owner of [Possessed by Evil Spirits], the muscular man Bright. He glanced at the short-haired Esdeath standing proudly beside Iori, then looked back at Iori.

"I just...didn't quite understand what you just said. Could you repeat it? What does 'cutting hair to replace the head' mean? I've never heard of that!"

"That's a story about a famous person from my hometown, the specific meaning of which is..."

Iori thought for a moment, then chuckled and said, "To translate it, it means—"

What, you're not convinced?

"..."

Everyone fell silent. Brad turned to look at the icy hell several hundred meters away. The battle, which had lasted less than three minutes, had completely altered the terrain. The two people before him appeared human, but were inexplicable monsters at their core.

"No, I'm convinced."

Even Brad, who is known for his strong principles, did not want to clash with Iori at this time, especially since the two sides were allies and there was no need to push such a powerful ally to the opposite side.

As for him bringing the imperial henchmen under his command... understand this clearly, that's called abandoning darkness for light!

In this way, even the strongest Teigu users have become allies. What could be more reassuring than this?

"You have the bigger fist, so I'll listen to you."

—Brad gave the final summary, and after witnessing the battle scene firsthand, neither the members of Night Raid nor the Teigu users under Iori dared to raise any objections.

Especially Bruce and others, who were recruited by Iori through various means. If they had previously regarded him as their superior, benefactor, and mentor, now they were looking at him as if he were some kind of "inhuman" being.

As for whether it was a yearning for the gods or a reverence for demons, Iori didn't care at all... maybe it was a mixture of the two.

The three beast warriors were initially unconvinced, but after Esdeath officially announced that she had joined Iori's ranks, the three Teigu users, led by Vali, lowered their proud heads.

They are Esdeath's private army, and they have little loyalty to the empire. Some admire Esdeath's power, while others are conquered by the Ice Queen's aura, but in any case, they will completely obey the Huntress.

Iori didn't pay much attention to the Three Beast Warriors. Although he had already subdued Esdeath, he didn't intend to directly manage her military forces—he had neither the relevant experience nor the energy.

In military matters, Iori has always believed that professional tasks should be left to professionals.

This is, after all, a supernatural world where individual strength can crush an army. As long as Iori ensures that his power is above Esdeath's, he can control the overall situation without worrying about his subordinates conspiring to rebel.

“Esdeath, you don’t need to go to the capital. Go back to the North and consolidate your army. Keep the foreign tribes in check. The chaos in the interior doesn’t need your intervention for now.”

Iori didn't shy away from the Revolutionary Army members and directly ordered Esdeath, "However, you must be prepared at all times. When necessary, I will transfer you to the Imperial Capital."

"what?"

"Wait a minute, Iori, you—"

"...You're just going to let me go back like this?"

Everyone was shocked, and Esdeath was also surprised: "What if I change my mind after returning to the army? Shouldn't we take some precautions?"

"Precautions?"

Iori shrugged: "Drugs or a blood oath? Don't be ridiculous, are you the kind of person who would be bound by such methods?"

Our master-servant relationship is based on the difference in strength. As long as you do not give up the idea of ​​surpassing me, you will never betray me.

If that's the case, why should I need to guard against anything?

"You're really confident."

Esdeath pulled down her hat brim, a slight smile playing on her lips: "That's certainly true."

"...Iori, I have something to discuss with you. Would you do me the honor?"

Najenda, who had remained silent throughout but had been watching Esdeath intently, suddenly spoke up and invited Iori to sit down and talk in detail.

Iori readily agreed and didn't let anyone get close, giving Najenda the opportunity to be alone.

"This is truly beyond my expectations. Defeating Esdeath is already an unparalleled feat, but to make her truly submit... I'm afraid even if the first emperor were to be resurrected, it would be difficult to achieve."

Najenda started by complimenting Iori, but she was telling the truth. She was genuinely shocked by Esdeath's strength, and Iori, who was even more powerful... was an exceptional existence.

She, who had always believed that the gap in combat power could be reduced or eliminated through strategy and deployment, realized for the first time that there was a truth in this world:

Some monsters are so powerful that it's simply unreasonable!

"You already recruited many Imperial Arms users and commanded a very elite army. Now you have Esdeath as an ally... Although you are nominally just a general, your actual influence has already surpassed that of General Bud. You are truly the number one person in the Imperial Army!"

Najenda, being a former soldier, knew very well that the garrisoned legions in various places only appeared large in scale, but were actually bloated and mediocre in combat. The only ones that could truly fight were the Bud and Esdeath units.

Among them, the Esdeath Legion, which frequently fights on the border, is the best.

It can be said that gaining Esdeath's allegiance is equivalent to simultaneously possessing the strongest general and the most elite army!

Minister Ernest acted perversely, murdered the previous emperor, installed a puppet emperor, and used all sorts of despicable means to eliminate dissidents, but why did he always remain in power?

Because he has Esdeath as a powerful ally!

Holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords was only part of the reason; "fairness and popular support" lay in strength!

With control of the central government internally and a large army supporting him externally, who among the opposition can shake his power?

For the same reason, although Ernest was always defiant and confrontational, he never laid a hand on General Bud, because Bud was also the strongest Teigu user and held military power.

Strictly speaking, Bud has the ability to overturn tables, but... a gentleman can be deceived by reason.

Najenda is an exceptionally talented military and political individual. Although she has been repeatedly shattered of her worldview today, she astutely recognized an opportunity after reviewing the available intelligence:

"Your series of crackdowns on local power brokers have created a huge rift between them and Ernest, and now Esdeath has jumped ship to your side, supporting the minister's three main allies:"

Bureaucracy, military power, and the emperor—you've already severed two of them!

If you wanted, you could wipe out Ernest's faction almost instantly!

“Oh,” Iori nodded, then asked, “And then?”

“…we can complete the revolution at a lower cost, and the country can develop in a better direction, right?” Najenda frowned.

"maybe."

Iori held up five fingers and explained to Najenda as if listing a familiar list: "In terms of size, the only ones who can truly influence the situation right now are the Revolutionary Army, Ernest, General Bud, Esdeath, and the Little Emperor."

The young emperor was essentially a puppet, possessing only mere prestige. However, as a symbol of the thousand-year-old imperial system, many nobles and officials were actually loyal to him, with General Bude being a prime example.

Now that Ernest can no longer cause any trouble, if Esdeath agrees to cooperate with the Revolutionary Army, I will kill Ernest and stage a 'return of power'.

In other words, ostensibly recognizing the young emperor as the supreme ruler, with myself, Esdeath, the Revolutionary Army, and General Bud leading the royalists—the three parties jointly governing—could indeed quickly stabilize the country and prevent too much turmoil.

"……yes!"

Najenda only had an idea; she didn't see things as clearly as Iori. But now that he had spoken, she suddenly felt that the situation was much clearer.

"In that case, the country and its people will—"

"Then nothing can be changed."

Iori said without any emotion, "There was no real 'revolution,' it was just a redistribution of power at the top."

So-called peace is merely a way to hide the contradictions; it doesn't actually resolve them.

Sooner or later, the people will find that their lives have not changed at all. The nobles and bureaucrats still rule and oppress them. The only difference is that this time the higher-ups have absolute military power, and their hope of resistance is zero.

In the end, it was nothing more than building a more robust birdcage.

"Najeta, do you really think that kind of future would be good for the country... no, for the people at the bottom?"