The sound of gurgling water.
Mixed with the sounds of farmers talking and laughing.
Esdeath opened her eyes, feeling a moment of daze, slightly bewildered.
The sun was scorching, birds chirped, and frogs and insects chirped in the fields.
Ripples shimmered like fireflies in the sunlight.
A small river wound its way past their legs.
Although it was hard to imagine, she had instantly traveled from the northern border to the hellish outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
In the distance, the Imperial Capital's tall buildings stood, especially the castle where the royal family resided, which was the most prominent landmark of the Imperial Capital.
"Let's split up here. Esdeath and I will go directly to the Imperial Capital, while you, Gabriel, search for Night Raid's whereabouts in the deep mountains on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital," Rosen quickly assigned the tasks, not giving Gabriel a chance to be embarrassed.
"Okay, but Esdeath, where is the mountain where Night Raid is located, as you saw in the anime?" Fubuki asked after nodding.
The Imperial Capital was surrounded by mountains on all sides. Although Night Raid's base appeared in the anime, it only gave a rough location.
"If I remember correctly, it should be on the east side. It's sparsely populated there, and even hunters rarely venture into it," As a tribal member from the border, Esdeath remembered geographical information very clearly, so she quickly gave an answer.
"Then let's go. This close distance means we don't need Godspeed," Fubuki said, and then his body floated up, pulled by his emerald green psychic power.
Frieren also nodded to the group members and used flight magic with her staff.
"Let's see who finishes faster!" Gabriel flapped her wings barefoot, her eyes full of defiance.
After the three left, Rosen also followed Esdeath to the Imperial Capital.
Marcille and Saeko Busujima also stayed close to Rosen, to ensure Rosen could act in time if an emergency occurred.
This worry only slightly eased when the group arrived at the Imperial Capital's gate.
After all, no matter where, the bustling and noisy scene would infinitely suppress one's negative emotions.
Marcille looked at the nearby crowd.
Ordinary citizens, merchants, the poor, prostitutes—even before entering the city, the sheer volume of people was far livelier than the isolated island where the dungeon was located.
There were many vendors hawking their wares in the open space near the city gate, and the atmosphere of daily life completely overflowed.
"It looks even livelier than my hometown. I can't see any of the anime's plot here at all," Marcille exclaimed in surprise.
To avoid suspicion, Marcille had made a simple disguise before taking action, wearing a hat to cover her distinctive pointed ears.
"It's even livelier than Tokoname City's downtown before the apocalypse. It's already comparable to some international metropolises," Saeko Busujima also nodded in agreement.
"It's an empire that has stood for a thousand years, after all. Its foundation is still there, no matter how much it declines, it won't happen in an instant," Rosen explained.
However, not just them, even Rosen himself was surprised by the Imperial Capital's vibrancy.
In fact, before the events of the Akame ga Kill anime began, in the few months after Minister Honest and the young emperor took office, the already decaying empire began its descent into ruin.
But a hundred-legged worm dies but never stiffens; those citizens who had not yet been crushed still needed to live.
However, behind the facade of prosperity often lay an illusion.
Otherwise, the Revolutionary Army would not have appeared.
"You are... General Esdeath?!"
"It's really General Esdeath!"
"How are you here?!"
"General Esdeath, do you... do you still remember me? Last time you returned in triumph, you even made eye contact with this humble servant!" The soldiers guarding the city gate were originally staring at some merchants trying to enter the Imperial Capital, hoping to extort some money.
But Esdeath's figure truly stood out.
Her iconic pure white military uniform and silver-blue long hair were as eye-catching as gold in sand among the common people.
And after they recognized Esdeath, the nearby citizens also erupted in cheers, excitedly surrounding Esdeath.
"Esdeath-sama!"
"I finally get to see you in person!"
"Esdeath-sama, last time you said you liked my family's cake, I can give it to you for free!"
·······
They were even more frantic than fans seeing their idol.
The excitement in the eyes of these commoners didn't seem fake.
This showed just how popular Esdeath was among the common people.
At the same time, the commoners inside the city were also attracted by the commotion, and upon learning that General Esdeath had appeared, they excitedly surrounded her.
Only those noble merchants showed a faint, almost imperceptible trace of fear and disgust on their faces when they heard Esdeath's name.
As the Empire's most renowned general, Esdeath was naturally someone others sought to curry favor with.
However, all those who tried to send money or gifts were turned away.
Being so impervious to bribes naturally earned her the resentment of wealthy merchants and nobles who had favors to ask.
"What's going on up ahead? It's so lively?"
A noble carriage stopped in the street.
A blonde girl curiously pulled back the curtain from the window to look out.
"Miss Aria, those commoners are saying it seems General Esdeath has returned."
As he said this, a look of longing also appeared in the guard's eyes.
As a former soldier and commoner, he naturally held great respect for Esdeath.
"Oh, alright, let's go back."
When Aria heard that name, a look of disgust, completely opposite to that of the guard, appeared in her eyes.
Compared to others who had favors to ask but were rejected, Aria's reason for disliking Esdeath was quite simple.
"How can someone from a poor border region be so beautiful?! Her hair color is so unique?! And so smooth?!
We're both women, so why is her hair not split, dry, and dull yellow?"
The raging jealousy in Aria's heart transformed into hatred.
But she could only fantasize about trampling Esdeath.
After all, let alone her, even her father was just a small fry in front of the current Esdeath.
But it didn't matter.
Anyway, her father had said.
As long as Esdeath could pacify the Revolutionary Army, in a few years, people would naturally become dissatisfied with her, and then everyone, including Grand General Budo, would rise up against her! 0.