I love time travel the most!

"chat?"

Esdeath paused, quite surprised by his words: "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Why? Would a general harm civilians?"

"of course not."

"Then there's nothing to be afraid of."

He seemed very bold, unlike the others who trembled at the sight of him.

In addition, the inexplicable sense of closeness emanating from him made Esdeath patiently listen to him speak.

The conversation continued.

"General Esdeath, may I ask you a question?"

"Tell me your questions, and I'll consider whether or not to take you back to the torture chamber."

"How scary, how scary..."

He muttered softly how scary it was, but his face showed no fear whatsoever.

Then he asked a pointed question.

"General Esdeath, do you consider yourself a qualified general?"

"of course."

"What's the reason?"

"To eliminate the enemy, protect the civilians, and maintain the rule of the empire, isn't that exactly what a general should do?"

Definitely.

The answer came without the slightest hesitation.

Esdeath was extremely cruel to her enemies and prisoners of war, but very kind to her subordinates and the common people. She was also able to defend her country by force, making her a qualified general.

but……

"And why did they have to swindle 40 people?"

"It's just a matter of the survival of the fittest. The weak will eventually be eliminated, simply because they are too weak. That's the truth of the world."

"It means what they call 'might makes right,' I suppose."

"That's right! I really like this word!"

Esdeath laughed heartily.

Having been instilled with the idea that "only the strong can survive" by her father since childhood, she became even more convinced after her parents' death that the only way to survive was to become strong.

But the question is, why should the weak be oppressed?

Esdeath didn't give a direct answer, but one could guess what she was thinking—it was just her quirky sense of humor.

"One last question, General Esdeath, what do you think of the Imperial Capital now?"

"I love so much!"

She loves war and is very fond of the current turbulent empire, because this allows her to go to more battlefields and fight more enemies.

Even if the world is at peace, she will probably start another war.

Just as I thought.

Esdeath, who embodies herself from the depths of her soul, possesses such a strong sense of self that it is impossible to change her mind through mere persuasion or guidance.

"I see, thank you for your clarification, General Esdeath. That concludes today..."

"Wait, it's my turn to ask a question now."

The forceful Esdeath was not about to let him leave, and before he could answer, she asked a question.

"your name?"

"……Um?"

"I'm asking your name. Are you having trouble saying it?"

"No, it's just that the general would be terrified if he asked the name of an unknown soldier."

Actually, I just felt it was too ordinary.

I asked her such pointed questions, but when it was her turn to ask, she only asked for my name. The difference was immediately apparent.

However, this also reflects Esdeath's personality. As a strong person, she disdains roundabout ways of gathering information and prefers to be straightforward.

"Xiaolin, my name is Xiaolin."

"Kobayashi..."

Esdeath nodded, as if trying to remember his name, and then asked, "Are you a rebel?"

"No."

"Are you the one causing allergies in the capital late at night recently?"

"..."

No response is equivalent to a default.

The air condensed instantly.

As Esdeath drew closer, a sense of danger and unease filled the small space.

At this time.

"Lord Kobayashi, what are you doing?"

Turning their heads, they saw a silver-haired girl in a gorgeous dress gracefully walking towards them, but the shopping bags she was carrying in her hands did not look elegant at all.

"Liu Zi? Is the mission complete?"

"Of course. As your servant, I will naturally complete any task assigned by Lord Kobayashi flawlessly. However..."

Ryuuki glanced at Kobayashi and Esdeath, her eyes dangerously sharp, and said, "How can a master make his servants do chores while he's all lovey-dovey with other girls? What do you think should be done to punish such a master, Kobayashi-sama?"

"It's a misunderstanding, Miss Ryuu!"

Kobayashi quickly got up to comfort the jealous doll.

Esdeath looked at Kobayashi with interest and said, "I see, so she's your reliance?"

"……what?"

"Don't play dumb. Although you remained calm while talking to me, your occasional fidgety movements and subtle facial expressions betrayed you. But all of that disappeared when she appeared... Don't underestimate what I learned in the torture chamber!"

Unexpectedly, she had already noticed something was wrong with herself.

Esdeath displayed the arrogance of the strong, but she herself did not show the humility of the weak.

In the end, I underestimated her.

"I see, I've learned a lesson."

Kobayashi willingly bowed slightly to her, displaying utmost respect for the powerful.

"As expected... they don't want to let it go."

Esdeath became even more interested in Kobayashi, and she extended her hand, inviting him, "You, join my army!"

"What?" Kobayashi was slightly taken aback.

She declared proudly, "I'm certain you have talent! If I train you, in five years... no, three years! you'll definitely become my adjutant, I guarantee it!"

"It is my honor to be appreciated by the general."

Kobayashi lowered his head slightly, but then said decisively, "However, I refuse!"

"Refuse?! I've never been refused before. Although I really want to take you away right now, let me hear your reasons first."

"Because it takes too long, and my ambitions go beyond just being a general's adjutant."

"Oh? I don't dislike ambitious people, but can you do it?"

Esdeath raised an eyebrow and said, "You should know what the Empire is really like. Only by gaining recognition can you advance in military rank more quickly."

"Then let's wait and see."

Xiaolin's smile was incredibly confident.

As expected, Esdeath was right. With Ryuu by his side, he spoke with more confidence.

"Interesting. It seems you're not just arrogant. I'm looking forward to seeing how you grow."

Then they let Kobayashi leave.

"...That boy is really special. What is it about him that attracts me so much?"

However, they will definitely meet again soon.

Esdeath had this premonition.

The update is late; I consulted a lot of materials and made quite a few changes.

Chapter 56 Parting Ways, the Axis Theocracy

Brand is dead.

Even with a spectacular record of fighting three opponents and killing two, death is death. In battles between Imperial Arms users, someone will inevitably die; that's an ironclad rule.

Tatsumi inherited Brand's Teigu.

Hill had just died, and Brand followed suit. A sense of impending storm made the Night Raid members even more gloomy and depressed, and their faces became unusually solemn.

Tatsumi said softly, "Kirin, my brother's death was heavier than a mountain, wasn't it? His death was not in vain, was it? I am qualified to inherit his Teigu, am I?"

His fearful and helpless demeanor seemed to be a search for affirmation.

"Who knows. However, since Brand and [Demon Possessed] have chosen you, it means you are qualified to use his Teigu."

Kobayashi flipped through the book in his hands, showing no sadness or grief over the death of someone.

At least that's how it appears on the surface.