Things had been going smoothly these past few days—or so I thought—until Najenda summoned me with urgent haste.
I stepped into her quarters and sat across from her. She wore a tense expression. In the corner, Akame lounged silently, tearing into a large piece of grilled meat with quiet focus. I couldn't help but smirk.
Smart. Najenda was cautious enough not to meet me alone. Having Akame here erased any fear of being fucked by me.
"Can you at least stop being so paranoid?" I whispered, leaning forward with a teasing grin.
"S-Shut up. You're the one who caused it," she snapped, her cheeks faintly flushed. She glanced at Akame, who was now watching us with mild curiosity, and quickly cleared her throat. "Anyway, let's be serious."
Najenda straightened, her single eye sharp and commanding. "I called you here because there's an important mission. As far as I can tell, you're the only one suited for it."
She slid a sheet of paper across the table. On it was a detailed sketch of a beautiful yet terrifying woman—ice-blue hair, sharp features, and an aura of absolute dominance even in still ink.
My eyes widened for a split second before I schooled my expression into one of ignorance. "Who's this?"
"This is Esdeath," Najenda said gravely. "She's currently the strongest fighter in the Empire. What makes her truly terrifying is her brutality, her ruthlessness, and her insatiable thirst for violence. She's a complete sadist. Right now she's stationed in the North, tasked with crushing the barbarian tribes the Empire has labeled as rebels. She's already slaughtered over two hundred thousand of them, and the death toll keeps climbing. This is where you come in."
I let out a low chuckle. "What the hell do you think I can do against someone like her? Or are you just trying to get rid of me indirectly?"
As expected, Najenda's expression softened. She reached across the table and clutched my hand, no longer caring that Akame was in the room.
"Okun… I'm the leader of Night Raid for a reason. From everything I've seen, you're the strongest member we have. We haven't even witnessed your full power because you keep holding back." Her voice grew quieter. "I would never send you on a mission meant to harm you. Because I… I love you."
Her face turned pink the moment the words left her mouth. She quickly looked away.
I furrowed my brow, unsettled. Things had been taking strange turns lately. I never expected to get dragged into the Northern Tribes mess. Did she find out about my secret?
"How can you be so sure I'm the strongest? Isn't that a bit of an overstatement?"
"As I said, my eyes don't deceive me," Najenda replied firmly. "My suspicions became certainty when Bulat told me you damaged Incursio with an ordinary sword. I don't know what your real goal is, but I know you care about us. That's enough."
I leaned back in the chair, pulled out two cigarettes, lit them both, and passed one to her. She accepted it gratefully. We smoked in silence for a moment, the hazy cloud curling between us.
"Even for me… at my current level, that woman is on another level entirely," I muttered, shaking my head.
"You won't have to face her head-on," Najenda said. "Your mission is to save the Hero of the barbarians—Numa Seika—and help his people retreat and change tactics. Drag the war out long enough for the Empire to eventually recall Esdeath."
"Recall her?"
She nodded. "I have reliable intelligence that the Prime Minister plans to summon her back soon, within days, or a few weeks at most, to deal with the Revolutionary Army. That's why I need you to go north immediately. Save the tribes from annihilation and convince them to ally with us when the time comes for our final offensive."
I stared at the sketch of Esdeath for a long moment, then exhaled a thick plume of smoke.
"Fine. I'll go. But I have a few things to settle first, so I'll leave in two days. In exchange, you have to promise me the Night Raid will stay low-profile and hidden while I'm gone. No big operations. No risks."
Najenda's eyes widened slightly, then softened into a warm smile.
"I promise."
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