"Heh, Minister, it seems like you're very familiar with the entire palace. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were strolling through your own garden!"
Following the minister through the palace, turning left and right, Sora couldn't help but feel a bit envious as he watched the minister move around with such ease and familiarity.
"Hahaha, not at all, not at all. It's all thanks to His Majesty's trust, hahaha…"
The minister was in a great mood and didn't mind at all. He took a bite of meat and laughed heartily.
Sora curled his lips, feeling the urge to kick this fat bastard.
Trust? Trust my ass! It's just that you've done a great job brainwashing the young emperor since childhood, turning him into a puppet without him even realizing it. You've been given vast power, immense wealth, and even control over the treasury, such an important place.
Damn it, you're just a fat guy who only knows how to eat meat, yet you've managed to climb so high!
Well, even though he said that, Sora still had to thank the fat minister. It was because the minister had paved the way that it would be easier for him to fish in troubled waters later. Tsk tsk tsk…
The palace was huge, with paths leading in all directions. It was more like a maze than a palace. If it were just Sora, he might not have been able to find his way, but fortunately, they had the fat minister as an excellent guide. It didn't take long for the three of them to arrive in front of a bronze door—the imperial treasury, where the Teigu were sealed.
Click!
As the minister inserted a key into the lock, the bronze door made a crisp sound and slowly opened.
"Hahaha, General Sora, come in!"
Pulling out the key and putting it in his pocket, the minister called out to Sora with a smug expression.
Nodding, Sora didn't hesitate and followed in, carrying Esdeath.
Normally, a nation's treasury is an extremely important place and not easily accessible. But as Sora walked in, he noticed that the surroundings were spotless, and even the bronze door was smooth and free of dust, clearly indicating that the minister frequented this place often.
Alright, Sora admitted he was a little jealous!
He secretly wondered if he should borrow the minister's key later to make a copy for himself. If he ever ran out of anything at home, he could just come here for a stroll. With so many girls at home, all of them spending lavishly without a hint of frugality, Sora was under a lot of pressure!
"General Sora, this is the place."
Stopping at the end of the treasury, the minister turned to Sora.
"Esdeath, we're here!"
Nodding, Sora shook Esdeath gently. The girl had been sleeping soundly, a faint smile on her face, clearly having some sweet dream.
"Mmm… Darling, are we here already?"
After a short nap, Esdeath felt much more refreshed. Remembering that she was about to obtain the powerful Teigu that her beloved had mentioned long ago, she felt a surge of excitement and immediately stood up from Sora's arms.
"Generals, aside from the ones currently in use, these are all the Teigu the empire has left. Take a look and choose whichever you like."
Chewing on some meat, the minister spoke to Sora and Esdeath, acting as if he were being generous.
Although Teigu are exceptionally precious, to the minister, they were nothing special. As long as he controlled the young emperor and the legendary Supreme Teigu, these things were just trash!
Ignoring the cunning minister who treated the emperor's possessions so carelessly, Sora and Esdeath focused their attention on the table where the Teigu were displayed.
Originally, there were 48 Teigu, but many were lost during the empire's civil war 500 years ago. As the minister had mentioned earlier, only a few remained in the empire.
On the table, there weren't many Teigu: a large axe, a flute, a mask, a ring, and something that looked like a magic wand. If others saw this, they might have pounced on them with fervor, but Sora and Esdeath frowned, clearly not finding what they were looking for.
"Minister, I think there should be more Teigu than these, right? After all, we exchanged two tokens with you. Don't be stingy!"
Seeing that the item he wanted wasn't there, Sora couldn't help but express his displeasure to the minister.
"Ahem, General Sora, don't misunderstand!"
Seeing Sora and Esdeath both staring at him with unfriendly expressions, even the cunning and powerful minister couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He had personally witnessed the terror of these two demonic individuals and didn't want to provoke them at this moment, so he quickly explained.
"Well, there is indeed another Teigu. But are you sure you really want to choose it?"
The minister was well aware of the terror of that particular Teigu. Looking at Sora and Esdeath, who seemed indifferent to the other Teigu, he asked with some uncertainty.
"Alright, you fat bastard, hurry up and bring it out. If you keep dawdling, I'll kill you!"
Under Sora's influence, Esdeath not only fully embraced her sadistic tendencies but also became much more short-tempered. She couldn't stand the minister's dithering and dilly-dallying. With a cold glare, she spoke icily.
"Uh… General Esdeath is really impatient, hahaha…"
Shaken by the powerful aura emanating from Esdeath, the minister quickly regained his composure. He didn't seem angry at all and instead laughed heartily.
"Alright, Minister, stop beating around the bush and bring out the item."
Pulling Esdeath back, Sora spoke with a look of exasperation.
The minister was still useful for his future plans, and Sora couldn't let Esdeath lose her temper and kill him now.
"Well, alright, since both generals are so insistent."
Feeling extremely frustrated, the minister thought to himself, "I was just trying to be kind and warn you, but you're all so arrogant! Hmph, if you can't tame that Teigu and end up dead, it serves you right!"
With a mix of frustration and annoyance, the minister pressed a switch nearby.
Click! Click, click, click!!
Under the expectant gazes of Sora and Esdeath, the sound of metal grinding echoed, and a hidden compartment appeared on the wall, revealing a beautifully crafted container.
"The Teigu— Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract, said to be the blood of a super-dangerous beast from the far north. Legend has it that if you drink it and your body is compatible, you can gain the beast's ice-controlling abilities!"
Although the minister wasn't a fighter and wasn't particularly fanatical about Teigu, he couldn't help but show admiration when speaking of this Teigu's power.
"But—"
"So far, everyone who has drunk it has lost their minds and gone insane. It's not to be underestimated!"
Changing his tone, the minister looked at Sora and Esdeath with a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Heh… that sounds quite interesting!"
After hearing the minister's explanation, Esdeath knew this was the Teigu Sora had been talking about. Licking her lips, she walked forward with excitement.
"Wait, you're not really going to drink it, are you? Even if you're a sadistic general, it might not suit you!"
The minister had thought his words would scare Sora and Esdeath, but he didn't expect Esdeath to choose it without hesitation, and Sora didn't seem to be stopping her at all!
"Hahaha, Minister, you're really underestimating my woman! We came here specifically for this!"
With a loud laugh, even without knowing the original story, Sora had extreme confidence in Esdeath. It was impossible for the blood of a super-dangerous beast to drive this strong-willed woman insane!
"Although I don't know why, I can feel that blood calling to me!"
"Indeed, my dear was right. This is my destined Teigu!"
Ignoring the stunned minister, Esdeath reached out with eyes full of fervent light…