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

The changes in this small town show that those intractable problems that the imperial court and the revolutionary army found difficult to eradicate, and the evil party that the people saw as incredibly powerful, were like pebbles on the roadside to you. They didn't even need to be cleaned up; you could just kick them aside.

The reason you speak so easily is because it's not difficult at all, right? Is this... the composure that only true strength possesses?

The girl was silent for a moment. She subconsciously looked at Iori's face, but because of the mask, she could not judge Iori's expression at this moment.

She was really curious about how Iori had done it; it seemed impossible to explain it simply with force.

Seriously speaking, in terms of strength, both Esdeath and General Budo are capable of leading an army on their own; in terms of status, the combination of a minister and a young emperor is impeccable; and in terms of popular support and influence, numerous churches, represented by the Anning Path, can penetrate almost every village and town.

However, despite having so many capable people gathered together, not one of them could do what Iori did.

Even from a broader perspective, the empire's overall national strength remained formidable. Despite internal divisions into several factions, it was still able to steadily suppress the surrounding foreign tribes.

There haven't been any large-scale natural disasters or anything like that in recent years...

But the world continued to deteriorate day by day!

Farmers grow grain but cannot feed themselves; craftsmen build magnificent palaces but live in simple shacks; local treasuries are empty, while officials' own coffers are overflowing.

Emperors, ministers, generals, religious leaders, revolutionaries... these powerful figures, whether righteous, powerful, or violent, watched helplessly as similar phenomena flourished... It wasn't that they lacked the ability to change it, but they rarely put their hearts into it.

Isn't that strange?

She thought about it seriously for a moment, and then came to a conclusion:

Iori is an exception!

"Sometimes I suddenly realize that you are a great person."

Akame's usually sharp gaze softened, replaced by a pure and innocent smile.

"It's as if there's nothing in this world that you can't do if you're willing!"

"Perhaps that really is the case."

Iori deliberately put on a serious expression: "So why don't you hurry up and cling to my coattails? Serving someone is very valuable!"

"It would be even better if it could be more serious."

Ignoring Iori's nonsensical ramblings, Akame, having spent so much time with him, was already used to these inexplicable short sentences, and her tone remained gentle.

"It would be best if there were more towns like this. When the empire is full of similar places, we can truly retire from the front lines."

"That will require a lot of effort; I don't have enough manpower." Iori turned to her and asked, half-seriously, "Are you interested in switching jobs?"

Akame didn't take it to heart. She and Iori were old friends, and there was even a little bit of ambiguity between them in private. Although this topic was sensitive, given their relationship, there was nothing to worry about.

So she casually countered, "To be your subordinate? Not really—"

"I'm here to be the boss's wife."

"--It's not that we can't consider it."

Akame blinked after speaking, then suddenly realized, "Huh? What did I just say? No, that doesn't count!"

Ding~ Your friend Akame has retracted a message~

Iori slowly curled the corners of her mouth under the mask, revealing a rather wicked smile, as if she really enjoyed the feeling of teasing people.

"You seem to be really resistant. Do you hate me that much?"

"Hate? No! I definitely don't hate you, rather... it has nothing to do with that!"

The girl with long, straight black hair was a little incoherent, but she quickly calmed down and realized that she had fallen into Iori's "trap" again.

"Is this really funny? Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?"

"I can't help it, your panicked look is just too funny~"

"You bastard..." Akame never thought she would be so angry that she laughed, but before she knew it, her hand was already gripping the hilt of the sword.

But then Iori said something that suddenly made her tense up—

"Since you object, I'll go ask Esdeath."

Chapter 74: It's a pity I don't have a cane with me.

As if by conditioned reflex, Akame felt a sharp pain deep in her head after Iori said the name "Esdeath," and her mood immediately turned gloomy, which also affected her complexion.

She realized that Iori was joking, but she still felt a strange sense of unease.

"Seriously, can you be serious for once? I'm discussing something very serious with you."

"No, I'm quite serious."

Iori asked in surprise, "If you get rejected, you should move on to the next target. Why do you think I'm joking?"

"..."

"Do you expect me to keep bothering you after I confess my feelings?"

“This…” Akame’s eyelids twitched slightly, and she suddenly realized that she had fallen into a trap. Unknowingly, she had been driven into a desperate situation by Iori’s words.

Next, should we explain her attitude?

"Wait a minute, I really don't understand... why did you choose Esdeath? You've only met her once!"

"It's love at first sight, is that wrong?"

Akame narrowed her eyes: "I think I've heard someone say something similar."

Where the girl couldn't see, Iori laughed nonchalantly: he had teased Akame with similar words before.

“It’s the same situation.” Iori said matter-of-factly. “Although her personality is… well, Her Majesty is indeed quite beautiful, isn’t she?”

"...I have to admit that." Akame mentally compared Esdeath's image with her own and made an objective assessment.

Facial features are a matter of personal preference, so we'll skip that for now.

In terms of temperament, Esdeath is undoubtedly the clear winner. While Akame is not bad either, she is indeed slightly inferior compared to the queen who stands above all others.

As for their figures... well, the contrast is just too stark!

Akame isn't flat-chested, but she's just at the normal level for a girl her age. Esdeath's development... is totally like that of a supermodel: upright posture, full bust, perky buttocks, and long, straight legs.

Akame felt that even if she had good nutrition and grew to be twenty years old, she would most likely still not be able to catch up with that queen.

No way! Why should I worry about this?

I wasn't planning on agreeing anyway, so what does it matter to me who he goes to? This is such an absurd thing, let others worry about it!

Akame quickly reaffirmed her resolve, but the words that came out of her mouth took a different tone: "You like Esdeath that much? What is it about her that you see in her?"

Perhaps feeling that her behavior was too much like jealousy, and to avoid Iori misunderstanding, Akame added, "What reason did you have... to fall for Esdeath?"

Busty, uniform, long legs—several labels flashed through Iori's mind in an instant.

But given who he is, he couldn't be so blunt, so he embellished it slightly:

"It's a little embarrassing to say, but it's sexual desire."

"..."

Akame was dumbfounded and it took her a while to recover. She was filled with shame, anger, and a hint of disappointment. Her eyes reflected Iori's image, as if saying, "Look at how pathetic you are!"

"There are other benefits as well."

Iori listed them off as if they were old friends: "Firstly, it can build a stronger alliance. Although we won her over a few days ago, it is obvious that only verbal promises seem too weak."

Secondly, it can increase the stability of the army. When the soldiers know that their leader and the rebel leader have an extremely good relationship, like being in cahoots, then the unease caused by the 'uprising' will naturally disappear.

Thirdly, she's also a huge... cough, a very excellent spouse candidate, isn't she?

After listening, Akame actually found it quite reasonable; at least on the surface, she couldn't find any reason to refuse Esdeath.

"No, no... I still can't imagine Esdeath getting married and having children like a normal woman." The girl with long, straight black hair frowned. "I always thought she would live like a lone wolf for the rest of her life..."

"Putting aside her identity as an Imperial General, Esdeath is still a normal person, a young girl just beginning to experience love, and naturally she has considered the possibility of getting to know and fall in love with someone."

Perhaps you all see her as a monster, but beneath her formidable achievements and style lies a soft, girlish heart; you just haven't noticed it.

"Girlish heart? Heh, you were joking after all." Akame chuckled casually, clearly not believing her.

"She's only interested in challenging strong opponents. I don't think she'd blush and get butterflies in her stomach like a normal girl would for someone she loves."

"Being too confident isn't a good thing. People are complex. How do you know what Esdeath is like in private?"

"Don't talk like you know everything!"

Akame secretly rolled her eyes at Iori: You've only met him once, so why are you acting like you have everything under control?

"Besides, even if you pursue her, Esdeath might not necessarily like your type, right?"

“Yes, that’s definitely a problem.” Iori reached out and touched the mask. “It’s inconvenient in every way…”

Akame gave him a deep look, paused, and then looked away.

She was very curious about what Iori looked like under the mask. Even if he was completely disfigured and unrecognizable, she still wanted to see him... But she wouldn't bring it up herself, so as not to touch on Iori's painful memories.

"Well then, since you're so opposed, I won't ask Esdeath anymore."

"Varied--"

Akame exclaimed anxiously, "Why do you make it sound like I have ulterior motives!"

"Hahaha……"

The two continued walking through the market, and Iori mischievously teased Akame several times, leaving the valiant female assassin exhausted both physically and mentally.

As the conversation was about to end, Iori mentioned Esdeath again, but instead of dwelling on personal feelings, he focused on her war against the northern barbarians.

The conversation then turned to the recent institutional reforms spearheaded by the minister, and the growing unease among all parties caused by the rapid expansion of Anning Province's power...

"The situation is becoming increasingly tense. The empire is now beset by internal and external troubles. Although the revolutionary army has occupied a lot of territory, it has no spare capacity to restore people's livelihoods, and the lives of the lower classes are still difficult."

"No spare capacity?" Iori suddenly scoffed. "Do you think they really did their best and had no other choice, or are they simply unwilling to invest resources outside of the war at this critical juncture?"

"..." Akame remained silent for a moment, already having made up her mind.

The revolutionary army was not some grassroots force that suddenly rose to prominence. They had been secretly preparing for a long time before raising their banner, and they had also existed as a separatist force for a long time. It's impossible that they had no spare capacity all along.

Judging from their ability to provide remote logistical and intelligence support for the "Night Raid," allowing them to wreak havoc in the capital, the Revolutionary Army clearly has plenty of resources to spare!

Did the revolutionary army ever pay attention to the livelihood issues of the people in their own territory before?

The answer is that they had paid attention to it, dealt with it, and tried to address it, but ultimately gave up. They realized that a complete reform would create many enemies, and local governors would fiercely resist during expansion... greatly impacting their strategic planning.

In order to win over more fence-sitters, they naturally have to make certain promises and reserve certain benefits for those people.

For the same reason, they were even able to form alliances with other ethnic groups!

Let alone the revolutionary army, isn't the empire the same?

Many people can see where the problem lies, but few are willing to offend others or take the risk to change it, and of those who succeed…

On the contrary, Iori, a bounty hunter of unknown origin, has only been doing this for a few months, yet he has already made a name for himself.

Big names like Ernest, Esdeath, and Bud certainly had the ability to do the same thing, but I've never seen anyone actually do it...

Akame wasn't a politician, and her education level was relatively average. She only developed doubts because she had seen a lot of things with Najenda and Iori, but she couldn't really put her finger on it.

She only knew one thing:

Iori is indeed very special; he can truly see ordinary people!

Despite his unpleasant personality and apparent lechery, even if Iori and the Revolutionary Army were to become enemies one day, Akame would probably still choose to support Iori.

Just like Najenda, who swore allegiance to Iori that day!

As for lust... as long as it's not too outrageous... it's not unacceptable... just consider it a sacrifice for the people!

Chapter 75: A Sudden Turn for the Better

Like a spark falling into an autumn forest, the wildfire of rebellion instantly engulfed the entire empire, developing so rapidly that it even exceeded the expectations of everyone who considered themselves a "chess player," including Iori.

Some things can only be decided how they begin, but not how they end.

Iori did nothing more, but proceeded with his plan step by step. He originally thought it might take some time to prepare, but within a short month, he witnessed how this huge country collapsed.

Once the anger of the people is ignited, neither the revolutionary army, the ministers, nor even the Anning Road can resist the tide that destroys everything.

Iori originally intended to guide and interfere in the process of changing dynasties, in order to preserve as much of the country's vitality as possible and to minimize the harm to the people.

But as it turned out, no matter how much he prepared, he couldn't control everything. The empire collapsed even faster than Iori and the Revolutionary Army fought for territory...

A fleeting prosperity takes a thousand years to build, but its destruction can happen in a single night.