Lifting the girl whose faith had shattered, Akuto returned to the Governor's Mansion in an instant.
He held Seryu gently; their lips met for a quiet moment as he guided her to the bed and steadied her breathing. Perhaps because she was an intensely single-minded girl, the moment she shifted her faith toward Akuto, a system chime rang in his ear.
Ding!
Congratulations to the host for seizing Fortune.
Source of Fortune: Seryu Ubiquitous.
Blank Initial Ability Slot +1. Total initial ability slots: 14.
Seryu became the second girl to meet the "clear" condition without any consummation.
Unlike Saeko Busujima, whose feelings were pure affection, Seryu… chose to regard Akuto as faith itself.
Love. Safety. Fulfillment.
With Akuto's promise and closeness, those needs were soothed.
Seryu's emotions surged; her face flushed and her temperature rose as she clung to Akuto, seeking strength. Akuto held her from behind, keeping her steady.
[Fade-to-black: intimate content removed]
"Th… thank you… Akuto-sama," Seryu whispered, eyes bright with spirit as tears of gratitude slid down her cheeks.
She had earned the right to remain by Akuto's side — to keep helping the people and to continue carrying out justice.
Under Akuto's "adjustments," a new iron law was engraved in Seryu's heart:
"Akuto is justice itself."
Twisted? Perhaps. But far saner than her former creed of "the Empire is justice; I am justice."
At the very least, Akuto nominally acts "for the people." In a sense, it bordered on religion. Empowered by such faith, Seryu endured her first pains of growth; what she cared about more than discomfort was whether Akuto was at ease.
Akuto stroked her cherry-colored hair and chose to talk her through some things — to focus her mind on knowledge instead of pain.
"Seryu, let me give you an intro to some bio-and-mech basics today," he said. "You've seen my proposal on biomechanical modification, right? Even with special drugs to suppress rejection, implanting machinery into the body will shorten your lifespan. In my view, choosing that route just to get stronger quickly is the most foolish option."
Akuto's tastes were broad, but he disliked deep fleshcraft. The blood-and-meat science of the Akame ga Kill world was far too grotesque for him.
The IS world's external close-fit armor, though… that hit his preferences squarely — elegant, beautiful frames worn over the body, used to full effect.
Seryu, whose eyes had almost rolled back from earlier strain, steadied at his voice.
"Akuto-sama, I… I only wanted to get stronger as fast as possible."
"Strength, hm?" Akuto nodded. "Back then, you didn't have many options. But now that you're with me, you don't need to damage your body."
"Here — take this."
He produced a finely made Extra-Rank Piece.
"Yes. Thank you, Akuto-sama."
Her trust in him was absolute. Even without knowing what it was, she accepted it without hesitation.
Scarlet energy poured in; Seryu's aura surged by leaps and bounds. She could feel it: after multiple bloodline infusions, her life state had begun to evolve. Even a light press of her toes now carried piercing force.
Meanwhile.
General Budo was on patrol.
Before long, his route brought him before the young Empress's chambers. He stopped for a long moment, then, remembering the late Emperor's entrustment — and thinking of Akuto's performance — finally made up his mind and stepped forward decisively.
On the dais, the young Empress, Furina, had one socked foot propped against the table as she popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. She looked up to see Budo's less-than-genial expression.
"Yo~ General Budo. You only come by when you have advice, huh? What's up?"
Flustered, Furina put her dangling foot down and sat properly.
Budo sighed inwardly. Truly, a nation should not be placed in the hands of a young girl. Yet all of the late Emperor's children had perished in the succession struggle; only the little princess — backed by the Grand Minister — remained. Like it or not, she was now Empress.
Budo dropped to one knee. "A report for Your Majesty."
Even if he doubted her ability to rule, it did not prevent him from pledging loyalty to the sovereign on the throne.
"If there's business, speak," Furina said, straightening up.
"What I must raise… is Your Majesty's marriage."
"This year, Your Majesty will reach fourteen. By the First Emperor's decree, upon turning fourteen, an Emperor is to take a Consort-Emperor (title for the spouse of a reigning Empress, akin to an Emperor-Consort, with distinct prerogatives)."
"Does Your Majesty have someone in mind?" Budo asked gravely.
"Uh… you want me to pick? It's not like anyone I pick can just… be it," Furina muttered, scratching her head.
Normally, an Emperor's marriage is decided in childhood by the previous sovereign. But Furina had acceded too young; her parents died before anything was set. In such a case, candidates are combined and presented by several powers:
— the Imperial Clan,
— the Great General's line that has guarded the Empire for generations,
— and the sitting Grand Minister.
"You're correct, Your Majesty," Budo said. "You may only choose among presented candidates, not from the entire Empire."
"However… hearing you speak, could it be that Your Majesty already has someone in your heart?"
"Someone… in my heart?" Furina's mind conjured a hazy silhouette.
Though the face was indistinct, the outline was clear.
…Could it be…
Realizing she perhaps wished for Akuto to be her Consort-Emperor, a delicate blush spread over Furina's ears. A heartbeat later she shook her water-blue curls, tossing the thought from her mind.
Budo noticed — the look of someone with a favored choice. He'd long seen Akuto as the type women would find highly appealing; it was precisely why he had insisted on sparring before the Empress — to draw her attention to the man. And now, Akuto's abilities far surpassed expectations: not only in martial prowess, but in governance.
(End of Chapter)
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