"It seems Honest's agents have returned with their intelligence... Honestly, if I hadn't absorbed most of the residual radiation when I left, every last one of them would've died collecting that data."
As for the small trace she hadn't managed to recover, that had naturally dissipated after irradiating the bodies of the Revolutionary soldiers.
Selene watched Kinshasa's departing figure as she finished her breakfast, her thoughts wandering. So this is Honest's latest gesture of goodwill, huh? By spreading word of her victory, he was actively raising her prestige. After annihilating the southern rebel army, her rank would almost certainly be elevated once again.
"Let it be. As long as Honest doesn't act up, I can continue gaining experience as a ruler."
Then she remembered—the relative of Honest's that her subordinates had killed about a week ago. The man hadn't even flinched. Instead, he had promptly severed ties with that branch of his family.
"As expected of a career politician," Selene muttered with mild amusement. "Flexible to the bone."
"Alright then," she said to herself, stretching lightly. "Another day full of energy."
After finishing her breakfast, she began her usual rounds of military administration.
...
Meanwhile, as time passed, the news of Selene's complete annihilation of the southern rebel army began to spread across the Empire.
In the southern provinces, where the Imperial Assassination Unit had deliberately leaked the story on their return journey, the news circulated even faster than in the Capital.
Sparc County — Imperial Political Academy.
With the governor's order to celebrate, classes were temporarily suspended. The academy's manor-like campus was filled with students relaxing across the sunlit lawns.
"Did you hear? The southern rebel army's main force was completely wiped out! They say it was done by a single Imperial general from the Capital's Guard."
"Yeah, I heard... but could that really be true?"
"It's official! The Imperial government already released the announcement—with photos! I saw them myself. It's terrifying!"
"I think her name was Selene—apparently a noblewoman too."
"Wow... lucky her. Maybe things will be peaceful for a while now."
"Maybe, but who knows? Those rebels are like cockroaches—give them a few years, and they'll crawl back again."
"Can't argue with that... huh? Hey, Chelsea, where are you going?"
"The library," came the curt reply.
The girl, with elegant auburn hair and refined features, wore the academy's signature British-style uniform. Known as Chelsea, she didn't even look back as she walked away.
She hadn't enrolled in the academy to gossip or daydream—her goal was clear. To rise into the upper class, to someday become a refined lady of noble standing.
"Selene, the Imperial General..." she murmured to herself as she walked. "Someone like her... we'll never even meet. We're not from the same world."
Chelsea had no interest in fighting or bloodshed.
...
Western Empire — Komodido Mountain Range.
After trudging through a rain-soaked valley thick with mud, a small hidden mountain village came into view. Inside one of the rough-hewn wooden huts, a group of ragged Revolutionary soldiers huddled together.
"The headquarters has fallen! Our leaders—all of them—are dead! If it weren't for Commander Timothy's escort mission, none of us would have survived!"
The courier's voice trembled as tears streamed down his face. His comrades, his superiors, his lover—everyone who had stayed behind was gone.
"The attacker was just one person," he said bitterly. "The Imperial Guard's Upper General—Selene von Habsburg!"
"Lord Daniel, please be careful. The Empire is hunting down the remaining rebel forces. You and the members of the Oarburgh must remain in hiding."
The man addressed—Daniel, a silver-haired gentleman in a tailored black suit—helped the courier to his feet and spoke calmly. "Rest assured. The Imperial spies in the western front are idiots. They're running in circles—I made sure of that. They'll never find this place."
He turned to his servants. "See that he gets food and rest."
"Yes, sir."
As the messenger wiped his tears and left, Daniel's expression hardened. He turned to the elderly woman standing beside him. "Barbara, what do you think? Is he really just a lucky survivor who happened to be on an escort mission... or did he buy his life by selling out headquarters?"
Hunched over, her crooked frame exuding a sinister aura, Babara Oarburgh let out a derisive snort. She had long grown used to Daniel's indecisive nature—so much so that she no longer bothered to comment on it.
"If you suspect him, deal with him directly. What's the point of all this hesitation?"
Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "You're still as blunt as ever... Let's keep him under observation for a while."
Babara only rolled her eyes. Daniel was a good man—too good, too soft. It was precisely that gentleness that had made her reject his affection all those years ago.
"Forget that," Daniel continued, tone softening slightly. "To think we managed to survive this time..."
He let out a long breath, his voice tinged with gratitude. "Babara, it's all thanks to you. If you hadn't insisted on training proper Oarburgh assassins out here in this godforsaken place, dragging me along... we'd probably be dead with the rest at headquarters."
"Hmph. You didn't want to come, remember? If you'd stayed, there'd be no one left to collect your corpse," Babara snapped back, as merciless as ever.
Daniel chuckled quietly. "You haven't changed. But yes... we'll have to lie low for now. General Selene, was it? Hah... what a terrifying woman."
His eyes darkened. "Babara, I've found a few promising recruits recently. I'll leave them to you."
...
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital — within the royal palace, Minister Honest's private chambers.
"The southern rebel headquarters has indeed been wiped out. These are the photographs I took myself... of the, ah, phenomenon General Selene caused."
Even as part of the same Imperial faction, Gozuki couldn't bring himself to call it a 'massacre.' After much hesitation, he settled on the word phenomenon—a poor but safe choice.
Honest took the photos with a glutton's hand, his beady eyes scanning the grotesque images. Silence filled the chamber. Even for a man as ruthless and unfeeling as he was, the air seemed to grow heavy with unease.
The intelligence gathered by the Imperial Assassination Unit was far more detailed than what Selene herself had reported. And as Honest examined each image—bodies melted, fused, or reduced to incomprehensible forms—even his own hardened nerves faltered.
For the first time in a long while, Honest felt something he'd nearly forgotten: fear.
"What a terrifying woman..." he muttered. The corners of his eyes twitched, his face darkening with every passing second. His mind raced, calculating, re-evaluating. His fear of Selene now surpassed even that of Great General Budo.
After a long pause, Honest asked, voice low and hoarse, "Your assessment... is there any chance of victory against her?"
"With Murasame's curse and a surprise attack—if I can land even the smallest cut. That's the only possibility I can think of," Gozuki admitted. "But the odds are slim. Very slim."
"A chance is still a chance," Honest said at last, dismissing him with a wave of his pudgy hand. "That'll be all. You may go."
As Gozuki departed, Honest leaned back in his chair, his gluttonous face twisting into something between rage and obsession.
"So it comes down to that, then..." he muttered under his breath, staring toward the palace's central tower.
"The Empire's ultimate power... Let's hope the thousand-year legend doesn't disappoint me."
Grabbing a slab of meat from the table, Honest tore into it savagely, his face contorted with frustration. The feeling of being outmatched—of losing control—was intolerable.
And Minister Honest hated nothing more than being reminded that, before monsters like Selene... he was just another mortal pig.