You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Don't you have anything else to say compared to this?"

Esdeath straightened her back, meeting Iori's gaze without flinching: "I knew that staying abroad might offend you, but I didn't expect you to come in person... Your Majesty seems to have a lot of free time!"

"The documents to be processed are simply piled up like a mountain. I wouldn't have come to this border region if it weren't for a very important reason."

"A very important reason..."

Esdeath's heart skipped a beat: "Is it... for me?"

"No, actually it's to pick out some northern specialties for Sera—"

call out!

Snapped!

The sharp, hard ice spikes could easily pierce the armor, but Iori blocked them with her bare hands. The tips were broken off and inserted into the floor like short knives.

"Terrible……"

Esdeath's upper face was covered in shadow, with only her smooth chin and pert nose bathed in moonlight. She exuded a chilling aura that even Iori found chilling.

However, in the next moment, Iori moved lightly and instantly appeared in front of Esdeath. The hard ice spikes shattered inch by inch, and the man reached out without hesitation to embrace the queen's supple waist.

"open!"

Esdeath is now a true "ice queen," and touching her feels incredibly cold, as if you were holding an ice sculpture in your arms.

But Iori remained unmoved, and in order to thwart Esdeath's struggle, she even tightened her grip!

"Let's skip this mutual probing. We already know everything about each other, so why be so tough with words? Let's just say what we really think."

Esdeath, you should know very well why I came here... but I know that for someone as proud and competitive as you, it's hard to accept being the passive and weaker party when interacting with others.

The reason you're avoiding me is because this pride is hard to overcome, isn't it?

However, the Esdeath I know isn't someone who gives up so easily. To completely lose confidence after just one blunder in battle... that's not like you."

"Let go! I've already told you... what exactly do you want to say?"

“I’ll give you another chance to ‘challenge’!” Iori’s deep eyes reflected Esdeath’s flustered and shocked expression, an expression that was quite rare on her face.

“However…” Iori deliberately drew out the word, carefully observing Esdeath’s changing expression, “you decide the time and place.”

"……call!"

Esdeath breathed a sigh of relief after Iori finished speaking, as if she had just finished a battle, and broke out in a cold sweat.

Unbeknownst to her, the icy aura surrounding her had dissipated, replaced by a warm feeling that filled the room, which Esdeath, held in Iori's arms, felt particularly strongly.

"This is?"

"Just a trivial superpower."

Iori smiled calmly and said, "I saved a dragon, and in return, it shared its magic with me, giving me the power of 'burning,' which, simply put, means I can control flames that are difficult to extinguish."

"...You've gotten stronger again."

A dark glint flashed in Esdeath's eyes. She gently pushed Iori away with both hands. This time, he did not resist but obediently released Her Majesty the Queen.

"Although you said you would give me another chance to 'challenge', I think it's better to just admit defeat now."

"what?"

"I also put in a lot of effort. After realizing the shortcomings of this body, I increased the intensity of my training, which made great progress in endurance and physical strength... but it was all in vain."

Because you are also improving, and at a faster pace than me, if this continues, the gap between us will only widen, and there will never be a day when we can turn things around... The battle just now has already proven this point.

Facing my trump card, which I've used to its fullest potential, your response is more effortless and casual than before, and it's a method I've never seen before!

Esdeath clenched her fists, her chin slightly raised. Although she was saying something that sounded like she was admitting defeat, her demeanor and posture made it seem like she was surrendering.

"So, is it necessary to have another competition? Whether it's a battle or... a battle in bed."

"You came to my room full of enthusiasm back then, not like this gloomy and negative person you are now!"

Iori's expression turned serious, and she said earnestly, "Didn't you want to become the queen of a country and use me as a tool to hone your skills and help you grow?"

"It's meaningless now... Whether I train or not, I'm still 'second only to one.' As long as I can't surpass you, what good is becoming stronger?!"

It wasn't until after that night that I realized I had been wrong all along... Your stamina is limitless, while mine is finite. To use the finite to challenge the infinite... How foolish!

So I understand that the best thing for me is to simply give up…

Esdeath gritted her teeth and said bitterly, "We've even failed in a field where women have an overwhelming advantage... Stop spouting nonsense!"

"That's it, I understand."

"What do you understand?" Esdeath narrowed her eyes.

"You understand that I hold a very important place in your heart."

"Varied--"

Esdeath was speechless, then exasperated: "What nonsense are you spouting!"

"Isn't that right? Listen carefully to what you just said. Aren't all the things that are on your mind revolving around 'me'?"

"..."

Esdeath instinctively wanted to raise her hand to attack, but her fingertips trembled slightly and she stopped. Her eyes slowly widened, and a bitter feeling welled up in her chest.

"Okay...you're right, I...damn it, even if I don't want to admit it, I do like you, to the point that I think about you whenever I have a spare moment...so what?"

You're the only man who can defeat me in every aspect... and you're totally my type too, isn't that amazing?!

Her Majesty even sounded a little aggrieved; I've never seen anything like it before!

She probably felt that since she had silently run away, in nature this meant that a predator-prey relationship had been established, and she had become Iori's prey... Even so, Iori's aggressive behavior made her very unhappy.

"Of course you can, isn't that exactly what I wanted to say?"

Iori took Esdeath's outstretched hand, and the warm magic emanating from within her dispelled the frost on Esdeath's skin.

“Come back with me, Esdeath.”

A trial awaits you. If you pass it… didn’t you think my physique was unfair? After this, you will have a body just like mine.”

"real?!"

The melancholy aura surrounding Esdeath vanished, and ambition and high spirits returned to her bright eyes, transforming her back into the queen Iori knew.

Seeing how energetic she was, Iori suddenly became worried.

"If you really could have unlimited stamina... then be prepared, Iori, I'm going to train you until you're crying out in agony!"

Chapter 238: I will love both you and your sister at the same time (4.5K)

General Esdeath's decision to return to the capital to receive His Majesty the Holy King's reward spread rapidly throughout the country, attracting widespread attention and dispelling the ulterior motives of many.

Since Esdeath's loyalty to the Emperor remains unwavering, and the Emperor's strength and skill are awe-inspiring, the stability of the new empire must not be compromised. Even if some villains are unwilling to accept this, the disparity is too great for them to hesitate. They must demonstrate their loyalty to the Emperor in time to save their lives and their families.

Moreover, because of their previous negative attitude, they must now submit more completely than others in order to stand out from the group of losers—as the saying goes, all you have to do is run faster than your companions.

So in the following period, countless people secretly approached Najenda, offering letters as evidence and land deeds. After receiving instructions from Iori, Najenda further formulated a reward and punishment system: those who surrendered earlier would receive the agreed-upon treatment, and those who rendered great service to the emperor would have the opportunity to retain a portion of their land and property, but would have to accept routine land inspections from the empire.

These opposition figures, who only dare to hide in the shadows, are essentially a group of outcasts from the old era banding together for warmth. It's true that they harbor resentment, since the new empire has hardly taken care of their interests. But to say that these people can unite and fight to the death... well, that would be giving them too much credit.

In fact, since taking power, Iori has been targeting this complex group that is "broad in concept but difficult to identify." The bigwigs of various forces have long since resigned themselves to his power, and some people who could not see the situation clearly were also gradually eliminated after Najenda's department began to take action.

Now that we've reached the final stage, once completed, it will guarantee stability for at least several decades—until a new interest group forms.

In ordinary feudal dynasties, even the founding emperors might not be able to do something similar, and some might even leave behind the seeds of disaster that would become the cause of their demise.

But for Iori, it was unusually simple. He didn't even personally take charge; he just selected suitable subordinates to do it. And no one or organization in the whole country was able to resist him. Instead, they had to actively cooperate to show their loyalty.

—This is the benefit of absolute force.

Although there are capable subordinates, visionary ideas, and cheat-level supercomputers to assist, it is ultimately driven by the "general trend" of force.

It's like gravity; if your mass is large enough, the whole world will come towards you.

After finding Esdeath, Iori didn't rest. She went to a secluded garden on the outskirts of the palace, where the Akame sisters lived. As veterans and meritorious officials of the new empire, Iori granted them permission to live inside the palace and enjoy the best material and medical treatment.

Of course, the two sisters are not particularly fond of enjoying life. Their lifestyle has not changed because of their privileged conditions, and they have never made excessive demands, highlighting their easygoing nature.

Black Eyes tends to flowers and weeds, and occasionally takes walks to exercise, while Red Eyes sometimes acts as Najenda's bodyguard and sometimes as an instructor for the inner court troops. She can only be considered semi-retired, and still has to help her old friend from time to time.

His Majesty the Holy King has come here today without prior notice to anyone. Upon entering the garden, one sees a woman in long sleeves and trousers, dressed in casual home clothes, watering a sapling.

He hesitated for a moment before greeting him, but Black Eyes, noticing the change in light and shadow out of the corner of his eye, turned his head and looked over—

“This is private property… Who are you? You don’t look like a servant.”

She looked Iori up and down. Since the Grim Reaper boy wasn't wearing any fancy clothes, but rather a simple white coat, he didn't look like someone of high status.

But to say that he's a staff member... his demeanor seems a bit too outstanding.

"Don't you recognize me?" Iori raised an eyebrow slightly, then realized that not many people had actually seen her true face.

Before he obtained a physical body that materialized from his soul, he always appeared as a masked man. After he took off his mask, he was basically only seen by people in the palace and a group of ministers. Since there was no internet or TikTok in this world, his appearance would not be spread everywhere.

To make more people remember him, he needs to find an opportunity to give a speech or something... Due to psychological trauma, Kurohime actually lives a semi-reclusive life and doesn't have many contacts besides her sister Akame, so naturally she wouldn't know what Iori looks like.

"Isn't your sister here? How should I tell you..." Iori pondered for a moment, trying not to upset Kurohime.

But while he was still thinking about it, Hei Tong, who heard his voice, looked dazed, then frowned tightly, as if recalling something unhappy.

"That familiar voice... there's no mistake... I'll never forget that demonic whisper... it's like a curse... ugh!"

The girl's pupils narrowed slightly, her eyes slowly widened, and her previously calm expression turned shocked and tense.

"You, you are——"

It seems she has recognized Iori, and at the same time, she has recalled the fear of being treated like a yo-yo.

It's no wonder he lost his composure; after all, it's the highest authority in the country, and his sudden appearance in one's own home would certainly cause a stir.

"That bastard who doesn't treat people like human beings!"

The short-haired girl immediately stood up and took two steps back warily, grabbing a small shovel she used for digging.

"I'm so grateful for your help last time! I had a nightmare for a whole month that I was a spinning top!"

"..."

Iori was speechless.

Well, after doing that kind of thing, being disliked is something you can't help.

"I'm truly sorry about that incident, but please calm down. I think you should be well aware of the situation at the time. As an enemy, it would have been perfectly acceptable for me to kill you directly. I only gave you a slight punishment and let you go, which was already out of consideration for Akame."

"...Tsk!"

With a sharp click of her tongue, Kuroko was clearly resentful but had no grounds for complaint, so she could only express her dissatisfaction with a hostile attitude.

"Wouldn't it be the same if you just knocked me out? In the end, it's just your twisted sense of humor."

Besides, you're so eager to please my sister, you must have ulterior motives. I will never allow that scoundrel to get close to Akame!

I can tell what you're thinking right away, but my sister is a naive person, I can't let her be fooled like this... and I won't allow any man to take her away from me!

Kurome's words actually made Iori a little happy—the yandere girl's strong reaction proved that Akame often thought of and talked about Iori in her daily life, to the point that Kurome felt a great threat.

"If men can't do it, does that mean women can?"

Iori joked, "As far as I know, the Empire does not allow same-sex marriage, especially twin sisters with black hair, fair skin, and beautiful appearances. They are specifically forbidden from stepping into this forbidden zone."

"What law would specifically prohibit something like this?!" Kurohime rolled her eyes. Indeed, there were no explicit restrictions in this regard in the world of Akame ga Kill!.

"My family's legal team."

Iori casually said, "Otherwise, I can write one right now."

The girl was speechless.

"Judging from your expression, you seem to have calmed down." Iori walked over calmly. "Do you remember who I am?"

"……His Majesty."

Kuroko lowered her head, knelt on one knee, and respectfully bowed to Iori.

Although she had little contact with Iori and this was the first time she had seen his true face, Akame had a lot of interaction with Iori. When they chatted, Akame would often say things like, "What would Iori do?", "If Iori were here?", "How he did it back then?"... Kurome couldn't help but be familiar with him, so she naturally knew who the master of the new empire was.

She grew up in an assassination unit, receiving standard "tool" training—meaning she had to meticulously execute orders and maintain absolute loyalty to the emperor. Although she has now broken free from the effects of drugs and gained her freedom, some ingrained psychological beliefs are not so easily changed.

Even if the "emperor" is a different person, one must still show due respect.