It had been nearly half a month since Haruki and the others returned to the Imperial Capital, and during that time, life had been unusually peaceful for him.
Although the Revolutionary Army still coveted Haruki's Tenseiga, they hadn't sent anyone else to seize it. The loss of three Teigu Users at once—including Lubbock—had been more than they could handle.
After all, there were only forty-eight Teigu in total, and true Teigu Users were extremely rare. In many cases, they could even influence the tide of an entire war.
Rock's death, in particular, left the Revolutionary Army leadership riddled with anxiety. As their unofficial top fighter, Rock had been their guardian at headquarters. Without him, several upper-tier members had drastically cut down on unnecessary travel, fearing for their safety.
Now, all they could think about was how to stay alive. As for Haruki's so-called "resurrection Teigu," they decided it was better to wait until the day they took the capital. When their army marched in, they figured even Haruki would be worn down eventually.
...
It was dinner time at Haruki's residence.
"Kurome, eat some meat."
Akame gently placed a large piece of meat into Kurome's bowl, her voice soft.
For Akame—canonically a massive foodie—to willingly give up her food was almost unthinkable. But no one at the table looked even remotely surprised.
This wasn't the first time. Ever since returning with Haruki, Akame had done everything she could to win Kurome over. Her frequent meat offerings had become routine.
Kurome's response? She ate the meat without hesitation, without a word, and without so much as a glance at Akame.
That's right—she'd been sulking for half a month. She accepted Akame's gestures, but refused to forgive her.
In truth, Kurome was just being stubborn, like a child throwing a tantrum. Haruki hadn't stepped in. Watching these two somewhat awkward sisters sulk at each other had its own charm. Especially whenever Akame, clearly heartbroken, forced herself to hand over her prized food—Haruki couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face.
...
Meanwhile, at the other end of the dinner table—
"Lady Esdeath, are you going to interrogate prisoners again today?"
Aria, Chelsea's blood servant, asked with an expression full of admiration.
Speaking of which, something else had changed recently. Since Chelsea first fed on Aria at her estate, it was as if something had snapped in her. Whether it was pent-up craving or the addictive rush of the experience, Chelsea had become obsessed with the feeling. She'd turned into the most bloodthirsty among Haruki's vampire companions, constantly looking for a chance to feed.
Aria, naturally, couldn't refuse her mistress. She now had to eat massive amounts of food every day just to replenish her blood—her appetite was catching up to that of the infamous gluttons, Akame and Kurome.
As for Esdeath, her strength had only grown. With the help of the Ice Phoenix—a contract beast Haruki had helped her acquire—she had quelled the rebellion in the North in half the time it had taken in the original timeline.
When people thought of Esdeath, it wasn't just her overwhelming combat power that came to mind. Her infamous sadistic streak was just as well-known. Her love for torturing prisoners was common knowledge in the Capital.
Most of the girls around Haruki avoided Esdeath's interrogation chambers like the plague. The gore was just too much. But Aria? She was the exception.
Once, when Haruki brought Chelsea to visit Esdeath in the torture chambers, Chelsea had requested to bring Aria along. To everyone's surprise, Aria—despite being a young girl—wasn't the least bit repulsed by the cruelty. Instead, she developed a fanatical admiration for Esdeath and began trailing after her in her spare time, acting like a loyal little minion.
It seemed Aria's twisted tendencies ran deep in her very bones.
"Yeah. Want to come along?"
When Aria asked, Esdeath not only gave a definite yes but even extended an invitation. She'd developed quite a fondness for this girl who shared her... particular interests.
"Really? Thank you so much, Lady Esdeath!"
Aria immediately accepted, beaming with gratitude.
...
While Esdeath, Aria, Kurome, Akame, and a few others chatted among themselves, the rest of the group were also happily engaged in conversation.
"Chelsea, want to go shopping tomorrow?"
Yuki asked excitedly, her tone full of anticipation.
As Haruki had predicted, the fun-loving Yuki had quickly hit it off with the equally sociable Chelsea. The two were practically inseparable now, heading out together almost every day.
Haruki didn't mind. He had full confidence in both their abilities—especially Yuki, who was now arguably the strongest among them besides Haruki himself. Chelsea, on the other hand, clearly wasn't cut out for martial training, so he let them enjoy themselves.
Over the past few weeks, Yuki had worked hard to adapt to human society and had finally picked up the essential skills for daily life. She no longer made the clumsy mistakes she did when she first arrived.
"Seryu, how have you been? Getting used to handling those documents?"
After finishing his meal, Haruki set down his chopsticks and looked over at Seryu, who was playing with her Teigu, Koro. Her face was lit up with a smile—a far cry from the wild-eyed fanatic she used to be.
"It's going well. I just didn't expect the Empire to be hiding so many dirty secrets."
Seryu looked up and responded earnestly.
Since running into her during his visit to the security forces, Haruki had taken Seryu in and given her a place at his estate. He'd even reassigned some documents originally meant for Taeko—dossiers detailing the Empire's corruption—for Seryu to process.
Through that experience, Seryu gained a brand-new perspective on the Empire. Her rigid view of "absolute justice" had long since crumbled.
Living under Haruki's roof, surrounded by people who genuinely cared for one another, Seryu had come to understand what it meant to feel warmth—what it meant to have a home. She'd grown enamored with that feeling.
Now, she no longer dashed out on crazed patrols yelling about eradicating "darkness." She was just an ordinary girl longing for kindness and connection.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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