"Haruki, what are you doing here? All the cities within a hundred miles have been taken over by the foreign tribes and the Revolutionary Army. It's way too dangerous for you to be here."
Cornelia had fully recovered, and the heavy atmosphere that had weighed on everyone lifted completely.
Haruki was now speaking with Gozuki in a corner of the room, while the others rested near the bed.
They had been under constant stress, barely eating or sleeping, so their condition wasn't great. To help them recover, Haruki pulled out a generous amount of food from the storage ring on his hand. Since the ring could preserve items indefinitely, he always kept it stocked with food for emergencies.
Akame and Cornelia—who had just recovered from her near-fatal injuries—were now fast asleep on one bed, while Najasho, Green, and Guy rested on another.
Thanks to her successful confession, a soft smile lingered on Cornelia's lips. Seeing her fully healed after nearly dying to protect him, Akame was in a much better mood. When Haruki had brought out the food, she'd eaten a feast—and judging by how she devoured it, Haruki figured she alone had probably eaten more than the rest combined, not counting Kurome, of course. Now she lay beside Cornelia, sleeping soundly, with a crumb still stuck to the corner of her mouth—an oddly adorable sight from Haruki's angle.
Gozuki and the others were tactful enough not to ask Haruki about Tenseiga. They understood that a weapon's secrets were a warrior's most guarded asset—often unknown even to those closest to them.
"I came here with Esdeath and Najenda as part of the main army," Haruki said. "Originally, I planned to bring Kurome, Tsukushi, and Pony with me to visit you all. The three of them have missed you a lot over the years. But the moment we arrived at the camp, we got word that your Assassination Unit's base had been taken by the rebels—and there was no news about any of you. So, I brought them with me to find out what happened."
"Sir, you really shouldn't have come. If something happened to you, how would I even begin to explain that to the higher-ups?"
Gozuki was genuinely moved knowing Haruki had left the main army just to rescue him and his unit, but he still couldn't hide his concern over Haruki's arrival.
"It's fine. I know you're worried about our safety, but I'm not as fragile as you think. The Revolutionary Army and those few stray mutts from the southwestern tribes? I don't take them seriously. Honestly, if I hadn't come, Cornelia would probably be dead by now. And hey, I even gained a wife out of this trip. Since Cornelia is now my woman, she's staying with me from now on. I'll be taking her back to the Imperial Capital, and I'll deal with the Prime Minister myself—no need for you to worry about it."
Gozuki didn't argue with Haruki's words. Deep down, he figured Haruki was just trying to comfort them. In Gozuki's eyes, while Teigu Users were undeniably strong, they were still just human. Maybe someone like Great General Budo could take on thousands of soldiers alone, but even he had limits. No matter how powerful, a single person couldn't fight endlessly under the siege of tens or even hundreds of thousands. Until now, the Empire had yet to produce someone who could shift the tide of a large-scale battle on their own like in the original tales—so Gozuki wasn't exactly wrong to think that way.
But when it came to Haruki's comments about Cornelia, Gozuki could only respond with a bitter smile.
There were four girls in the elite seven-member team, and somehow, Haruki had managed to win over three of them. One of those three being his own daughter—Pony.
When Haruki was saving Cornelia earlier, Tsukushi and Pony had already explained to Gozuki a bit about their lives in the Imperial Capital. Of course, they left out the truth about Haruki's identity and anything to do with vampires. They just said they'd been doing well and were now Haruki's women. As for their unchanged appearances and lack of physical aging, they simply claimed Haruki had given them some miraculous medicine to save them back then.
Back when Haruki had taken Gin, Kurome, Tsukushi, and Pony from the Assassination Unit, Gozuki did report it to the Prime Minister. The reply he received was just one sentence: "Let Haruki do as he pleases." With that kind of backing, what else could a subordinate like Gozuki say?
In truth, Gozuki fully approved of the girls staying by Haruki's side. Haruki was young, handsome, immensely powerful, held a key position in the capital, and from what he heard, treated those around him with great care. By any standard, he was every girl's ideal prince. People might say assassins are heartless, but after spending so many years together, Gozuki had long regarded Akame and the other girls as if they were his own daughters, just like Pony. And what father doesn't want his children to have a good life?
Haruki didn't dwell on Gozuki's reaction and instead pressed on.
"Tell me everything. What exactly happened the day you were attacked?"
The girls who had come with Haruki perked up, all listening intently. The massacre at the Assassination Unit's village was something they still deeply cared about.
"This… Alright. Here's how it happened…"
Gozuki clearly wasn't eager to talk about that day, but since it was Haruki who asked, he slowly began to recount the events.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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