"Alright! I'm going to comfort Seryu!"
"I don't think you'll be able to do it, Wave."
Wave glanced back at Kurome, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"My mother told me that if a girl is sad, a man must help her. And that time is now!"
"Seryu, I'm coming for you!"
Wave marched in with high spirits, but what met his eyes was Seryu—who was supposed to be in a state of weakness—leaning against the Commander's chest. Esdeath was stroking her gently like a little kitten.
Kurome sighed and patted the shoulder of the petrified Wave. Asahi, who was hiding in a corner and hadn't had a chance to leave yet, mentally scoffed at the guy's intelligence.
Asahi returned to his private room and began to map out his next steps.
First, regarding Stylist. He had likely caught on to some opening left by Asahi; the "knight" guarding the hallway earlier had been his preparation. The opening he caught was most likely the brief conversation Asahi had with Tatsumi in the corridor.
But for some reason, Stylist hadn't dealt with Asahi first, instead targeting Tatsumi. Since Tatsumi had regrouped with Night Raid, Stylist was counter-attacked; the hunter became the hunted and was killed instead. This was entirely Stylist's spontaneous plan, so the Jaegers knew nothing about it and no evidence was left behind. Thanks to Stylist's arrogance, both Asahi and Tatsumi's identities remained safe.
There was one more thing, though it felt a bit unfair to Seryu. Stylist's closeness with her was primarily because she was one of his few successful experiments. Asahi had also secretly broken into Stylist's laboratory and witnessed the horrors within. In Stylist's eyes, all living creatures, whether human or beast, were merely test subjects.
"Drink some coffee; it will help clear your mind."
"Thank you... sir."
Despite being comforted by Esdeath and finding a new emotional anchor, Seryu still couldn't overcome the shock immediately. She remained somewhat dazed.
Looking at the warm, steaming cup of coffee in her hand, Seryu hesitated before taking a sip.
Asahi wasn't a brand-new employee, so Seryu had already had the coffee he brewed a few times. She simply felt it was delicious, but today, as she drank it, she seemed to have a different, strange sensation.
Seryu looked up to see that Asahi had already walked away with the coffee tray.
Dismantling Seryu's concept of "absolute justice" was not something that could be done overnight. Today was only the first step; he didn't need to be overbearing.
Asahi's work was quite leisurely; aside from brewing coffee for everyone, he only assisted Bols with cooking and cleaning. He spent most of his time training in his private room and resting. At night, he would turn into a "ghost," slowly scouting the imperial palace.
"Here is your coffee, Seryu. I hope it helps you feel better."
"Thank you! You are..."
"Just call me Asahi."
"Brother Asahi, thank you for brewing the coffee. I feel a bit better now."
"It's my duty."
Seryu took a sip of coffee. Having been continuously comforted by everyone over the past few days, she felt better. This sign told Asahi that his plan for brainwashing—no... "realigning" her perception—could begin.
To clarify, this wasn't about turning an evil person into a good one. Seryu wasn't an evil person to begin with; she was simply blinded by that "absolute justice," combined with the influence of people like Orge or Stylist. That was the only thing this girl needed to change.
"Here is your coffee for today."
"Thank you. But Asahi, why... aren't you afraid of us?"
Seryu had wanted to ask this for a long time, starting from when she led the guard team to search Asahi's house. And now, she met him again at the Jaegers. He still maintained that calm, unhurried demeanor.
Although the Jaegers had saved many people, those people feared them no less than they feared monsters. Even the imperial soldiers harbored a hidden wariness of them.
That was also why Asahi faced no resistance when he applied for the service position at the Jaegers. Because no one dared to join, there was no competition.
That's why he said the Jaegers and Night Raid were very similar. Both protected the people, both were feared by the world—one feared in the darkness, the other in the light. It was simply a difference in opposing factions.
Except for Esdeath, of course.
"Fear? Why should I be afraid? Anyway, why did you join this force, Seryu?"
"I want to destroy evildoers and protect good people! My father died while fighting evil, as did my master, Orge, and my benefactor. I... don't want to lose anyone else."
Asahi glanced at Seryu's dim pupils, feeling a bit of internal conflict, wanting her to open her mind. The true nature of Orge and Stylist needed to be exposed before her eyes. That would undoubtedly be a massive shock.
He didn't know what to say; correcting Seryu's biased view of the world would require a price to be paid.
"So Seryu, in your eyes, what is a 'good person' like?"
"A good person? That would be my father, Master Orge, Dr. Stylist, everyone in the Jaegers... oh right, and you too!"
"And what about 'evil people'?"
"That would be the assassins of Night Raid! They have killed many imperial citizens and disrupted social order! And the rebels as well—they are all evildoers!"
"Then..."
"Hey, hey, what are you two talking about? Let me join in! Seryu, if you're sad, just come find me!"
Wave charged in with enthusiasm, interrupting Asahi and Seryu's conversation. Asahi's lip twitched; words failed him. This idiot had ruined his progress!
"Well, I'll get back to work then."
"Ah... talking to you is very comfortable."
"Thank you."
Asahi left. As he walked out the door, he faintly heard phrases like, "It's okay, I'm fine, Wave." Following that, the young man sounded dejected, with Kurome patting his shoulder from behind.
During the rest of his active hours, Asahi continued to act as a normal servant. After being discovered by Stylist, he had become more careful. This group didn't just have Stylist who was smart, or rather, "keen."
Bols was relatively quiet. Wave didn't even need to be discussed. Kurome didn't pay much attention to anything around her except for fighting, food, and teasing her friend Wave. Seryu was in the process of being "realigned." Esdeath was very dangerous, but she was too arrogant; even if she noticed a slight abnormality in him, she wouldn't bother to care.
However, there is an exception to every rule, and that was Run. Although this man had joined the Jaegers, Asahi felt his stance was quite ambiguous; he was the type of person who looked friendly and approachable but was very difficult to read.
"This guy... is hiding something."
Run cast a brief glance toward Asahi, who was working away in the kitchen. He had guessed correctly—Run had been targeting and suspecting him for quite some time, and that suspicion had grown more intense after Stylist's death.
Run even speculated that Asahi might be hiding his true self and was actually the one who killed Stylist. But it seemed logically inconsistent considering the scale of the battle that must have occurred. Asahi had always been right here at the time Stylist disappeared.
Suppose he had secretly killed him here and disposed of the body. Then where did the modified army go? it didn't make sense.
For some reason, even though Run knew Asahi was abnormal, he let him do as he pleased. That was why he was so hard to predict