"Greetings, Lady Akame. You've worked hard."
"Mm."
"Please go in. His Majesty has given instructions that you may enter the palace at any time, without the need for any announcement."
"Oh?"
Akame nodded in surprise and stepped forward through the tall, imposing archway. As expected, the fully armored knights on both sides did not stop her, they even turned a blind eye to the demon sword hanging at her waist.
Half a year had already passed since the decisive battle in the Imperial Capital. It sounded like a very long time, but from Akame's perspective, it felt like the blink of an eye.
Because from that very day onward, under Najenda's command, she and the members of Night Raid had been striking all over the place, uprooting one by one the intelligence agencies left behind from the old Empire, while also taking out quite a few spies from foreign races along the way.
These enemies weren't particularly strong in direct combat, but they were extremely good at hiding and well-versed in all kinds of shady methods.
Just finding them alone took a great deal of effort, not to mention the constant covert interference from Revolutionary Army forces during the process…
By the time everything was finished, half a year had slipped by in a daze. During that period, she had met Iori fewer than five times, and this was also her first time coming to the newly built palace.
Ah, no, according to the current terminology… it was called the "Divine Palace."
After the Empire's collapse, the old nobles who had supported the ministers and the emperor naturally became the losing side.
Forget about coming out to fight for power, even staying quietly at home made them fear being purged.
As a result, the postwar distribution of power was mainly decided by the two major camps, Iori and the Revolutionary Army.
They were called the "two major camps," which made it sound like they could contend on equal footing, but in reality that description greatly flattered the Revolutionary Army.
Their most elite troops had already been crushed by the Supreme Throne, and the survivors had personally witnessed the final battle.
Deeply shaken by Esdeath's and Iori's overwhelming strength, those who had narrowly escaped with their lives simply did not dare oppose Iori under any circumstances.
Although the Revolutionary Army still possessed large-scale regional forces and enjoyed the support of many provincial governors, and had even secretly absorbed quite a few former nobles, so that, in name, the territory they controlled was larger than before… anyone with clear eyes could see that their military strength had been severely weakened.
By contrast, Iori's side had elite guards directly under his command, Esdeath's formidable frontier army, and numerous Imperial Arm users and extraordinary individuals.
In the Imperial Capital, he could suppress any dissent; outside, there was the Path of Peace responding from afar, soothing and stabilizing the regions on his behalf. If any special situation arose, he could use Shambhala to teleport squads of Imperial Arm users directly to the scene.
Even from a purely military perspective, the Revolutionary Army was absolutely no match for Iori. And if one were to compare high-end combat power… just thinking about it was enough to make one despair.
As a result, the "game of power" ended before it had even gone two rounds. The upper ranks of the Revolutionary Army expressed their willingness to submit to Iori, but at the same time, as meritorious contributors to overthrowing the Empire, they hoped to retain their current status and their most core territories.
Naturally, Iori agreed without hesitation, he accepted everything, and even went so far as to offer to promote one person from the Revolutionary Army's leadership into the cabinet, allowing her to represent the Revolutionary Army in participating in state affairs,
That person was Najenda.
As a heroic woman accomplished in both civil and military matters, and with the Revolutionary Army having suffered heavy losses, Najenda's possession of Night Raid, a pure Imperial Arm-user unit, caused her status within the Revolutionary Army to rise sharply. She could be considered one of its top figures.
Bringing her into the cabinet was undoubtedly good news for the Revolutionary Army. It proved that Iori was indeed safeguarding their interests, and for a time, everyone was delighted.
Really, she wanted to see their expressions once they learned the truth.
The newly established cabinet consisted of five ministers in total, Foreign Minister Najenda, Military Minister Esdeath, Finance Minister the former prime minister (the predecessor of Honest), Religious Minister the leader of the Path of Peace, and Technology Minister Stylish.
In the future, there would also be ministers of agriculture, education, and health, but for now, it was just these five.
From the backgrounds of its members, the new cabinet encompassed the Revolutionary Army, remnants of the Empire, religious figures, technical specialists, and soldiers. Although three of them were Iori's subordinates, in terms of stance they seemed more like collaborators.
Drawing up such a list appeared to prove that Iori did not intend to rule by one man's word alone, but rather planned to pursue the traditional approach of balancing ruler and ministers. This genuinely made the Revolutionary Army's upper ranks breathe a huge sigh of relief.
What they feared most was that Iori would leverage the authority of founding a new state to slaughter indiscriminately, prosper those who followed him and destroy those who opposed him. If that really happened, they would have had no choice but to resist to the death.
But now it seemed that this person was reasonable!
Thus, the Revolutionary Army's leadership had basically given up the idea of armed rebellion. After all, that would be little different from seeking death, unless driven to absolute desperation, there was no need.
Instead, they planned to actively participate in state affairs, showcase their advantages, and strive to make Iori rely on them, thereby obtaining more power.
Their thinking was rather beautiful.
Right now, Iori dominated the era and could not be challenged, so they might as well hitch a ride on this big ship. While he was alive, they would lie low a bit. Once he died… heh, the good days would return.
To curry favor with Iori, they even joined forces with certain lords and foreign tribal leaders, planning to bestow upon him the title of "Sacred Emperor" in the near future. Along with that, the palace had come to be called the "Divine Palace" among the populace.
With everything waiting to be rebuilt, the country now presented a scene of vigorous growth and flourishing vitality, inspiring yearning in the hearts of many~
Akame had no intention of commenting on this.
First, she didn't really understand politics. Second, she knew just how badly the Revolutionary Army was being fooled…
They probably thought that through appeasement, they could corrupt Iori, draw him over to their side, and mold him into the "benevolent sage ruler" they desired, yet that guy was simply fishing.
Akame had personally heard Iori say that the country had just gone through a major war. Although it hadn't lasted long, the casualties were extremely severe, so it was imperative to stabilize the situation as soon as possible and allow the people to recover.
Thus, he deliberately showed a very easygoing side, relying on the good reputation he had previously accumulated to make the Revolutionary Army believe he was a relatively "normal" emperor.
However, this was only temporary. As the Revolutionary Army continued to stir up trouble in secret, Najenda would act as his eyes and ears to gather a list.
When the time was ripe, he would carry out a decapitation operation and take them all down in one stroke.
If all went smoothly, Najenda could seize the opportunity to rise up, absorbing the Revolutionary Army at the lowest possible cost.
Even if localized unrest broke out, leaderless rabble posed no real threat and could be pacified quickly.
After all, most soldiers came from civilian families. They had no political stance, they had joined the army simply to survive…
It wasn't that Iori couldn't use thunderous methods to carry out a complete purge, but at this point, with the overall situation firmly in his grasp, there was no need to be so hasty. To spill a little less blood, he was willing to put in extra effort and act alongside these vermin~
He was Death itself, with a very long lifespan, he had plenty of patience and energy.
…Akame didn't know Iori's specific plans, but that didn't stop her from guessing that a pit lay ahead, waiting for the Revolutionary Army.
Of course, none of that really had anything to do with her anymore, because this time she had come to see Iori in order to "retire and return home".
"Hah..."
Taking a deep breath, Akame pushed open the ornate door and entered the emperor's workplace. As she stepped onto the soft carpet, another faintly expectant thought suddenly arose in her heart, 'I wonder if he'll try to keep me?'
After opening the door, what came into view was a spacious room flooded with bright sunlight. It was larger than an ordinary study or workshop, and there was none of that cramped feeling caused by clutter.
Whether books, documents, maps, or other tools, everything was neatly placed in its proper position, making the interior look clean and orderly.
Iori probably wouldn't waste his precious time on this, so it seemed someone was specially assigned to maintain it.
Aside from being neat and spacious, there was nothing particularly special about the room. There were no famous paintings, no valuable works of art, and hardly even simple decorations like gold or silver trim.
The most valuable thing in the entire room was probably the antique desk Iori was leaning over.
Akame finally turned her gaze to Iori himself, watching the black mask with gold edging with mixed feelings.
For the long-haired girl who had already seen Iori's true face, the sight of him, forced to wear a mask at all times in daily life, unable to communicate with anyone otherwise, sitting there with such seriousness and focus, undeniably carried a sense of loneliness.
Shinigami, to this day, Akame still wasn't very clear about Iori's origins, only having a rather vague explanation, and she had no intention of probing deeper.
The person she knew had both a frivolous side and moments of extreme seriousness. He never hid his pursuit of personal gain, yet at the same time would consider the feelings and interests of the people, making choices accordingly.
Akame didn't care what kind of existence the "Shinigami" truly was. She only knew that the boy she had met years ago was a complex and interesting fellow, and that their various entanglements had, without her realizing it, turned into solid bonds.
No matter what, under his rule, the people's lives really were getting better day by day, and that mattered more than anything.
Precisely because of that, even after victory, Akame had accepted without regret the task of continuing to eliminate destabilizing factors… it was exhausting, but everything was worth it.
Protecting the people from the shadows while also repaying some of Iori's kindness, there was no job more meaningful than that.
It was just that… this was the end of it.
"Io… Your Majesty?" Akame called out softly.
Iori was examining a stack of documents, his body almost completely still, clearly deeply absorbed.
This made Akame feel an inexplicable sense of awe, 'Iori must be pondering extremely important matters of state!'
'Clearly, bo*bs are more important.'
Iori was seriously staring at the black-and-white outline on the paper, pondering a very grave question, 'Between bo*bs and b*tt, which one actually excites people more?'
In his previous life, when he was still a teenage brat with a head full of filthy thoughts, he had naturally been drawn to bo*bs, and obsessed with large ones, believing them to be the ultimate treasure.
As he gradually matured, he also filled in his understanding of large, medium, small, flat, poor, average, and zero, gaining a bit of insight, one could say.
But after his body and mind matured, in his youth he had accidentally discovered the value of b*tts, or rather, the waist-to-hip ratio. His original worldview was overturned, moving him as deeply as Columbus reaching the New World.
Compared to bo*bs, b*tts had far fewer factions. Their evaluation standards were relatively unified, regardless of size, perky is perky, good is good, no need for further explanation.
However, now that life and death had turned and he had been reborn as Iori, his realm was more transcendent. After rational and objective consideration, he ultimately had to admit,
'Perhaps bo*bs are still slightly superior~'
'Decision made. Next series, I'll draw Tsunade, hm?'
Hearing Akame's call, Iori snapped back to awareness. Without realizing it, he had become so immersed that he hadn't even noticed a guest arriving, something quite rare for him.
On the white sheet of paper in his hand were just a few simple lines outlining a graceful figure. Though not finely detailed, it was vivid and expressive, and anyone who saw it would marvel at his superb drawing skill.
Still, to avoid misunderstandings, he calmly flipped it over and covered it on the desk, then looked openly at Akame.
"Sorry, there are some diplomatic matters that needed handling."
"No, it was I who was abrupt in visiting today."
"There's no need to be so polite. We're not just in a simple ruler–subject relationship," Iori said with an easy smile.
As for those "works" of his, Iori had no intention of sharing them with anyone. They were a personal hobby, not something to be discussed with outsiders.
Writing erotic novels in the Soul Society had been out of necessity, while in Akame ga Kill it was simply a way to balance work and rest, he viewed artistic creation as a means of relaxation, emotional adjustment, and mental refinement.
He had always believed that if more people in this world liked lewd things and fewer liked fighting over power, the world would become incomparably beautiful.
Back to the main topic. After Iori told Akame not to be so formal, the black-haired female assassin hesitated for a moment, then finally agreed with a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
"This is pretty sudden. Did you catch some big fish?" Iori thought she was here to report on work progress.
In fact, it was more or less the same, "This is what Najenda asked me to pass on. Night Raid's work results during this period, as of now, thirteen underground organizations with spy-like functions have been destroyed… for a long time, there won't be any large-scale rebels appearing."
Akame took a deep breath and spoke seriously to the mask. "On a personal level, the mission has been fully completed. I came specifically to bid you farewell this time. From today onward, I am resigning from all duties in Night Raid."
"Mm-hm, this matter can just, farewell? Resigning?" Iori raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased, having been caught completely unprepared.
"Why? Are you too tired? I can let you rest for a while."
"No, please forgive me. I'm not saying this to negotiate better treatment!"
Akame smiled helplessly. "I want to take Kurome and live in seclusion."
"Over the past half year, I've often been out on missions and haven't had much time to be with her. You know how serious her psychological issues are…"
"Didn't you once say that favoritism toward one's family is also a form of justice, with nothing shameful about it?"
"So I've decided, to lay down my current position here and accompany Kurome to live quietly in the countryside, hoping the natural scenery will help her recover more quickly… I'm sorry. I hope you can agree."
"…I see. In that case, resigning really is appropriate." After listening, Iori pondered for a moment, then spoke in agreement.
Akame's heart leapt with joy, yet as she turned away, she felt a vague sense of loss, 'So you won't stop me at all…'
"I have no reason to stop you. But Akame, for the sake of the new empire's long-term stability, you've silently given so much in the darkness, unseen by others. If I let you resign like this, all alone, that would be far too unfair."
Iori said seriously, "Since you're going into seclusion, let me provide a residence for you. I'll find a villa in the countryside, I guarantee it'll be a beautiful place with no disturbances."
"Really? Thank you!" With her request smoothly approved, Akame was naturally very happy.
"There's no need for anything else. We'll find a place to live ourselves."
"No! A mere villa is nothing. This is just a small token of repayment. Please don't refuse."
After thinking for a moment, Iori stood up and walked out of the office, gesturing for Akame to follow.
After walking some distance, the long-haired girl saw that Iori still hadn't explained anything, and couldn't help asking curiously, "Where are you taking me?"
"To find you a place to live~"
"Oh, there's no need to be so rushed. I already said, hm? Wait, what do you mean?"
Before Akame finished speaking, Iori had already stopped, nodding in satisfaction at the breathtaking scenery ahead.
"How about this place? Kurome will definitely love this sea of blooming flowers."
"It really is beautiful…"
Akame nodded in agreement.
It truly was a good place, flat ground with an open view, lush green grass, flowerbeds like shy beauties, a fountain carved from pure white marble, and tall, straight trees standing in all directions like loyal guards.
If a house were built here, enjoying such scenery every day, it would practically be a heavenly pleasure on earth, wouldn't it?
"But isn't this the palace's back garden?!"
Akame finally couldn't help complaining.
"Yes. Abbreviated as the 'harem,'" Iori said innocently. "Don't worry, I won't charge you rent, at worst, you can pay with your body."