"Yo-ho, how do I look, Najenda? Does Mama look good like this?"
Tohsaka Rin, having adopted Najenda, was unconsciously immersed in a strange joy of first-time motherhood. Having changed back into her military uniform, Tohsaka Rin instinctively showed herself to Little Najenda, asking for her opinion.
The simple yet majestic military uniform, with Black as its main tone and gold thread outlining its decorations, displayed a charm of both solemnity and allure on Tohsaka Rin. The imposing and dazzling General's cloak and the shining General's rank displayed the young girl's extraordinary military achievements. The Seventh Legion's emblem, a reversed cross personally carved by Tohsaka Rin from Black Qilin jade, with a ferocious and eerie winged snake coiling around the inverted cross, exuded an aura of mystery and strangeness, causing anyone who saw it for the first time to feel a deep chill from the bottom of their heart.
Tohsaka Rin in her military uniform presented a complete transformation from her usual casual attire. Perhaps Najenda was born with an innate inclination towards military matters, as her eyes were full of little stars upon seeing Tohsaka Rin in her beautiful and majestic military uniform, nodding repeatedly with immense longing.
"Beautiful, so beautiful! I like Mama best like this."
"Hahahaha, Little One, your mouth is so sweet. Am I not beautiful in casual clothes?"
"Hmm... you're beautiful then too, but not as beautiful as you are now."
"Hehe, I love you. Wait for me at home, Mama and Auntie Suzaku have work to do now. I'll play with you after work is finished and I come back."
Tohsaka Rin picked up Little Najenda and instructed her, then placed her on the large bed in her room, telling the maids responsible for the villa to take good care of her. Afterward, she took Suzaku and headed to the Imperial City to attend this morning's court audience.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
In the solemn and spacious deliberation hall, the assembled officials loudly proclaimed the sacred name. This morning's court audience had significantly more people on the military official's side. The Legion Commanders from various legions, normally scattered across the Empire's north and south, had all returned to the Imperial Capital with their Vice Army Commanders. Even the legions responsible for border defense had their Vice Army Commanders temporarily in full charge.
The General's duty report and the Military Department meeting could be said to be the most important annual events for the Imperial Military Department, concerning the Empire's military deployment and operational planning for the coming year. Unless their respective defense zones were actively engaged in warfare, all Legion Commanders were required to attend the meeting.
The Old Emperor still sat high on the throne. The civil official side, still led by Minister Qiaoli as usual, looked no different from the court audience Tohsaka Rin attended a year ago when she was crowned General. On the military general's side, those who usually stood behind Grand General Black now all stood in the back row. Behind the Grand General, thirteen Legion Commanders, clad in General's cloaks, stood in sequence.
Although the Empire had sixteen legions, the First, Second, and Third Legions were actually under the command of Grand General Black, and thus had no Legion Commanders. Therefore, there were thirteen people standing behind Grand General Black. Tohsaka Rin was ranked fifth in the military general's column, the only female General. Her stature was the smallest among a group of big men, yet she stood out like a crane among chickens, truly unique.
After the reverberating shouts subsided, the Old Emperor spoke calmly:
"Unknowingly, it is once again the day when the Empire's generals gather in this hall. Generals, you have led your soldiers, shedding blood and sacrificing your lives on the battlefield for the peace and stability of the Empire. You have all worked hard."
"Thank you for your Majesty's concern! (x13)"
All returning Legion Commanders responded in unison, including Tohsaka Rin. Court and officialdom always required some formalities.
Subsequently, all Legion Commanders briefly reported their respective situations for the year to the Emperor: the battle conditions of the front-line legions suppressing the border, the status of the legion soldiers stationed and recuperating within the Imperial Capital, and Tohsaka Rin's achievements as the only legion guarding the Forest of Dangerous Species, as well as the legion's rebuilding efforts.
In short, this court session primarily focused on various military affairs. The civil officials only stepped forward to speak when matters related to the military's operations arose; all other issues were postponed.
It can be said that ever since the last time the Seventh Legion's defense line was breached, the war on both the northern and southern fronts has been extremely grim. Although vigilance was increased due to past lessons, preventing another fall, casualties were several times higher than before. Continuing like this would only necessitate mobilizing inland legions to strengthen defenses.
After the last Legion Commander briefly summarized the year's situation, Tohsaka Rin was about to step forward with her proposal when a gloomy-looking individual from the civil official side suddenly stood out. The moment this person appeared, all civil and military officials in the hall frowned in disgust.
The Chief of Intelligence.
The department this person controlled held a position in the Empire akin to the Eastern Depot during the Ming Dynasty in Tohsaka Rin's past world, monitoring officials and gathering intelligence. The Imperial Assassination Squad's information sources originated from his agencies. In his hands, he also held the Teigu of books: World Encyclopedia - Longolongo, which recorded maps of various countries in the world, especially within the Empire, detailing everything from products to locations without omission, all with detailed data. Furthermore, the last pages even contained prophecies of potential large-scale natural disasters in the future.
In short, this was the most informed person in the entire Empire. Generally speaking, every time this person showed his face before the Old Emperor, it was to complain, or in more official terms, to impeach someone. He would only go before the Old Emperor when the target's position was too high for him to directly eliminate them through the Imperial Assassination Squad based on intelligence. Who would like such a person?
"Reporting to His Majesty the Emperor, your subject has a matter concerning General Rin Tohsaka, the Legion Commander of the Seventh Legion, which I wish to report to you."
Tohsaka Rin immediately looked at the somewhat sleazy-looking Chief of Intelligence with surprise. She wondered who he had colluded with to target her.
"Speak."
The Old Emperor permitted.
"Your subject received reliable intelligence reporting that General Rin Tohsaka suppressed a Danger Beast riot in the Forest of Dangerous Species approximately nine months ago, and single-handedly slew the Super Danger Beast entrenched in the forest, removing a thousand-year-old hidden danger for our Empire. This should have been a great merit, but..."
The real point came next, but hearing his words, Tohsaka Rin had pretty much guessed what he was going to say.
"However, the intelligence reported back to your subject stated that General Rin Tohsaka used the ability to manipulate and control ice when slaying the rampaging Super Danger Beast. To my knowledge, this ability does not belong to either of the two Teigu General Rin Tohsaka possesses."
As he spoke, everyone in the court subconsciously looked at the demons extract and yatsufusa, which were placed in Teigu sealed boxes on Tohsaka Rin's person. Teigu were generally present in most legions, with one to two pieces. More than half of the Legion Commanders present held Teigu, but Tohsaka Rin was the only one who could simultaneously hold two Teigu.
Using two Teigu simultaneously would result in the mental and physical collapse the moment they were equipped. Therefore, the inability to use two Teigu had been a consensus in the Empire for a thousand years. But now... manipulating ice, could she use three Teigu simultaneously?!
Tohsaka Rin didn't even move her head, her gaze still fixed on the Old Emperor on the throne, and she said casually, uncaringly:
"Manipulating frost is an ability I acquired from a Danger Beast in the Great Snow Mountain before coming to the Empire. It's just that I hadn't encountered an opponent worthy of me using it before facing that Super Danger Beast. It's only natural that your intelligence department wouldn't know. I wonder if this explanation satisfies you, Chief of Intelligence?"
Of course not. Would he have jumped out for such a seemingly perfunctory explanation?
"Hmph, so you mean General Rin Tohsaka was born with the ability of a Danger Beast? This is truly unheard of in the Empire's thousand-year history. However, if one were to obtain the ability to control ice, only the Teigu Demon God's Descent - Essence of the Devil could achieve it!"
These words were very clear; they were explicitly accusing Tohsaka Rin of deceiving her superiors and secretly stealing a Teigu. This was an indefensible grave crime in the Empire... But Tohsaka Rin showed no concern about being exposed. If she had been afraid of this outcome, she wouldn't have taken it in the first place. Both Onesis and Tohsaka Rin herself had the ability to conceal it.
At this moment, there was no need for Tohsaka Rin to say more. Onesis's plump figure jumped out from the ranks of civil officials and loudly addressed the Emperor on the throne:
"Your Majesty, please be aware! Your subject accompanied General Rin Tohsaka when she went to the Teigu secret vault to select a Teigu. Your subject can vouch for General Rin Tohsaka; General Rin Tohsaka did not secretly take any Teigu. If any of you do not believe it, please allow Your Majesty to permit us to retrieve the Teigu Demon God's Descent - Essence of the Devil for inspection. At that time, I request that Chief of Intelligence personally verify its authenticity."
Now it was the Chief of Intelligence's turn to be stunned. He hadn't expected Onesis to voluntarily step forward and demand proof. Could it be that the intelligence was truly mistaken? Can humans really obtain extraordinary abilities directly from Danger Beasts?
"Granted."
The Old Emperor approved, handing the imperial ring to Onesis to retrieve the Teigu. In a moment, Onesis returned to the main hall, holding a pure gold, grotesque bird-faced flask with both hands. Opening the lid of the flask, a chilling aura immediately spread, and the temperature in the entire main hall instantly plummeted. Some civil officials with weaker constitutions couldn't help but shiver.
Inside the flask was a full pot of dark blue-green liquid, resembling some kind of blood but showing no signs of evaporation or stickiness. Wisps of frosty cold air emanated from the mouth of the flask.
"This..."
The Chief of Intelligence was immediately stunned. The liquid in this flask was undoubtedly the genuine Demon God's Descent - Essence of the Devil, exactly as described in the historical records. If one wanted to expose whether it was fake, there was only one way... Onesis thoughtfully brought a matching pure gold wine cup, and with a fat, fawning smile, he filled a cup of the "Blood Teigu" and presented it to the Chief of Intelligence, saying:
"Chief of Intelligence, please, would you verify whether this Teigu is real or fake?"
The cold air that assaulted his face seemed to almost form a layer of frost, making it as real as could be. To verify whether this was the true Demon God's Descent - Essence of the Devil, one could only drink it to discern its authenticity.
And when Onesis had requested the Emperor earlier, he had specifically indicated that the Chief of Intelligence should be the one to verify it. The Emperor's word was law, allowing no compromise. If he said to verify it, he could only verify it. So, he was the only one who could drink this cup of "Blood Teigu." But... but this thing, precisely because it was real, would kill him if he drank it! For someone who couldn't control it, this was not a Teigu at all, but a thorough and absolute poison!
"Hahahahaha, Chief of Intelligence, what are you hesitating about? You are also a Teigu User. I imagine that you, who can wield a powerful Teigu like the World Encyclopedia, wouldn't care about a mere cup of Teigu made from Danger Beast blood, would you? In my humble opinion, perhaps you are also a peerless genius like General Rin Tohsaka, capable of using two Teigu simultaneously!"
Onesis, holding the golden cup with its chilling air, approached the Chief of Intelligence with a sinister smile, like a demon urging him to his death. In this situation, not a single civil or military official stood up to speak for him. After all, he had offended too many people in his position. Even if they knew that accusing Tohsaka Rin now was definitely not his idea alone, they all remained silent and said nothing.
The Chief of Intelligence could only look at the Old Emperor on the throne in the end, but the only response he received was the Emperor's cold and majestic gaze. After all, jumping out to stir up trouble during discussions of military and national security—if the accusation were true, then so be it. But if he couldn't prove his words, delaying state affairs, falsely accusing an Imperial General, and making a fool of the Emperor—which one of these couldn't cost him his life? Execution of his entire family and implication of nine generations would not be an exaggeration.
This cup of "Teigu" meant he was dead whether he drank it or not.
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