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

“No need for formalities. Your sister and I are very good friends.” Iori smiled slightly. “What you said earlier does make sense. I did approach Akame with ulterior motives.”

"you--"

“But Akame knew this from the very beginning.”

Iori interrupted Kurohime the moment she looked up, saying leisurely, "I have always been an honest man, so you don't need to worry about Akame being deceived by me."

"Honesty..." Kurohime wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but upon closer inspection, there was nothing wrong with the statement.

Iori has a rather wicked sense of humor, something Kurome has experienced firsthand and heard a lot about from Akame about his mischievous side. However, personality aside, he is also a person who truly keeps his word and is always willing to take responsibility for his actions. If he didn't possess strong personal charisma, he wouldn't have been able to attract so many people to his cause from scratch.

As it turns out, those who chose to follow Iori received rewards that satisfied them. For example, there was Borus, who had a happy family and retired early; there were the wandering swordsmen who became samurai generals, local lords, or even daimyo; and there were the many Imperial Arms users who held important positions.

Iori recruited them in various ways; some were even forcibly conscripted or coerced, but none of his promises to them were false!

Even the girls themselves—the sisters with black eyes and red eyes—aren't they also beneficiaries?

"His Majesty's noble character goes without saying. I misspoke, and I am truly sorry!"

Kurohime apologized to Iori very earnestly, almost to the point of bowing deeply.

"We just don't know why His Majesty would visit such a small place; we weren't notified beforehand..."

"I just suddenly wanted to chat with Akame. Don't be nervous, just relax and treat me like an old comrade-in-arms of Akame."

This face, which is not even twenty years old, doesn't look old at all!

"Your Majesty, I..."

"You just said you wouldn't let men get close to your sister."

Iori smiled strangely, looking at Kurohime's somewhat thin body as she asked, "What's the reason? There must be a very important reason, right?"

"..."

"Not saying anything doesn't seem to be a valid reason; it's more likely due to personal likes or dislikes."

Iori jokingly asked, "Is it because you 'like' Akame and don't want someone else to take her away?"

“Your Majesty…this is my personal privacy.” The short-haired girl raised her head firmly and met Iori’s gaze, showing no fear even though she knew he was the ruler of a country.

"Is this a tacit admission? Fine, since you're so serious, I'll take pity on you and grant your wish."

Iori spread her hands: "Akame has always wanted to take you to live a secluded life in the countryside. With her personality and habits, once she lives such a life, she will carefully maintain it so that it is not disrupted, especially so as not to affect your life... She will probably really stay with you forever."

I'm in a very good mood today. If you insist, I can immediately order Akame to be relieved of all her duties and allowed to return home in gold.

"What did you say... really?" Kurohime never expected that Iori, that guy with bad intentions, would bring this up on his own initiative!

"Of course, the king's orders are absolute... Now you have such an opportunity, it's up to you to decide."

Iori narrowed her eyes: "Alright, make your choice, Kurome!"

"Please give my sister... um!"

Hei Tong was about to speak when she suddenly stopped, her face showing hesitation, followed by pain and disappointment.

"...No, I'm sorry, I'll have to disappoint His Majesty."

"Oh? Why? Your wish finally has a chance to come true. Isn't living with your sister what you've always wanted?"

"...Yes, without a doubt. If I could really live that kind of life, it would be an immense happiness for me."

A look of struggle appeared in her dark eyes as she said with difficulty, "But I can't do that!"

My older sister has always protected me since I was a child, and I didn't want to hold her back. I wanted to always stand on the same side as her, which is why I accepted the experiment to enhance my physical abilities through drug modification... but in the end, I also caused her a lot of trouble.

My real life has long since ended; the remaining days are just endless repetitions. If Akame were to accompany me through such times, I could indeed find happiness—but what about her?

In the end, I became a shackle that bound Akame... This is something I did not want.

Therefore, even if she wants to live in seclusion, it should at least be Akame's own wish, not my selfish desires that imprison her!

"..."

Iori raised an eyebrow, her impression of Kurome greatly changed, then smiled gently, looked up at the air and said, "Have you heard it all? Such a beautiful sisterly bond, it's truly enviable~ Akame!"

"What... Sister?" Kurohime looked around in astonishment, but her current abilities were no longer sufficient to perceive her surroundings like Iori's. So it wasn't until Akame, who had been lying in wait for a long time, took the initiative to appear and hug her tightly that Kurohime reacted and hugged her most cherished sister in return.

"Black Eyes... Idiot, to me you are neither a shackle nor a responsibility, but an irreplaceable treasure!"

Akame said with heartache, "Don't worry, I will never leave you."

“That’s right, my house is very big, and there will always be a room for you,” Iori said softly.

"..."

"..."

The two sisters looked at Iori in silence, their eyes filled with hostility.

Look at the atmosphere—I can almost hear those words.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm serious."

Iori walked in amidst the murderous gaze of the black-eyed girl, took Akame's hand, and with one action, the yandere girl's eyes went blank.

"Akame, you must have noticed it too, right? Right now, Kurome's body is gradually recovering its health, but a part of her spirit can never be recovered."

She killed too many people while serving the empire in the past, and she didn't have a strong heart like you. She never experienced self-redemption, which left her with invisible trauma.

This is like opening a huge hole in her heart, and the emptiness in her heart will constantly erode her soul, making her time forever stuck in the time of creating those tragedies.

To truly redeem her and help her return to a normal life, we need to fill the void with more meaningful things!

"What... should we do?" Akame understood, but she was at a loss.

“I will help you, because your family is my family too.”

Iori said frankly and resolutely, "Akame, I will make you happy. If you are worried about Kurome, then I can make you both happy too!"

True benevolence—that is the magnanimity of an emperor!

Chapter 238 has been significantly revised; please refresh the page.

After reading the comments from other readers, I re-examined yesterday's chapter and suddenly felt something was off. I felt that both the logic and the character settings were somewhat forced, so I revised it several times.

Even so, it still looked a bit off, so I did a major overhaul and just uploaded the final revised version. If you feel the previous chapter wasn't smooth enough, you can click the upper right corner to refresh the chapter.

After the major overhaul, I think it runs quite smoothly.

Many thanks to the reader who pointed out the problems. After correcting the flaws in the text, I feel much better. I am truly grateful and will continue to work hard in the future. (^o^)/~

Chapter 239: I bear the weight of two capitals and thirteen provinces on my shoulders! (4K)

In fact, the problem with Kurohime is easy to solve. The side effects of drug dependence only make her physical condition worse than that of an average person, which is not a problem for Sera. With the Holy Grail and infinite magic power, not to mention healing, even creating a new body is not difficult.

The real difficulty lies in healing at the spiritual level, which is something even the most powerful magic cannot achieve—otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people with personality defects in Type-Moon.

To put it bluntly, Kuroko's previous life was a mechanical one in which her free will was suppressed and she was trained as a killing tool.

Unlike her sister, she wasn't particularly talented or strong, and theoretically, she shouldn't have been able to survive. The reason she was able to survive the ordeal was not only because the drugs enhanced her abilities, but more importantly, because she found a spiritual pillar that allowed her to repeatedly unleash her full potential.

The object of her emotional attachment was initially Akame, but the Empire's brainwashing was so thorough that the ideological imprint made her afraid to rebel against the Empire even after breaking with her dearest sister. In the conflict between kinship and loyalty, her love for her sister turned into a yandere-like obsession.

Later, Iori and Akame imprisoned her by force and freed her from the control of the drugs. Kurome, who had survived on her obsession, suddenly lost her reason for "hatred". Although reconciling with her sister filled a large part of the void in her heart, it was impossible for her to return to a normal state.

The killer mentality instilled by the instructors, the guilt and repentance towards the innocent, the attachment to and possessiveness towards family, the bewilderment in the new world, the fear of the future... Due to their immaturity, when faced with this complex situation, they subconsciously chose to "stop and remain still," that is, to maintain the current state and wait for time to change everything.

In short, it's a "playing dead" tactic.

If things were to develop normally, doing this would result in her gradually becoming a misanthropic person who isolates herself from the world and lives in her own world.

Fortunately, she has a loving older sister and a straightforward and efficient Iori.

Iori didn't care whether she was sensitive or not; she had already decided to find a way to push her forward, and she would persist even if it meant a little coercion.

First, Hei Tong was enrolled in the Empire's newly established civil service training institution. Of course, this was not to put her into the public service system, but rather to give her a nominal position. Several teachers were assigned to her, covering subjects from literature and mathematics to art... In short, to make up for her lack of general education and homework.

—Iori wants to give her a complete childhood (laughs).

In this way, interacting with ordinary people will allow her to witness a different kind of "battlefield" beyond killing, and input new common sense into her brain to cover up those distorted killer mindsets.

After completing the basic training, she will be sent to Najenda.

This female minister is a master of rhetoric and adept at giving advice to others. She also experienced a dark period working for the empire, so she can empathize with the changes in mindset, identity, and stance.

Reaching this level only represents the first stage. Healing the heart is not so easy; it's not something that can be achieved through mere verbal sparring or a friendly punch, as seen in anime, where mutual understanding can then be achieved.

Iori simply hopes that Kurome will regain some of her common sense and thought patterns after going through this phase, so that she can continue with the subsequent treatment.

Of course, things are unpredictable, and changes always outpace plans. Perhaps Kurome will recover faster than Iori imagines, then master the classics of white-collar magic without a teacher, and join the complicated love triangle between her, Akame, and Iori.

But if it comes to that point, it's hard to say whether Kurome interfered in Akame and Iori's relationship, or whether Iori interfered in the sisters' familial bond...

-

"Is this the 'King's Throne' that is widely known as a national treasure? I've seen it from afar before, but this is the first time I've seen it up close."

In the spacious and magnificent hall, several figures stood around the golden throne. Esdeath, with her gorgeous long hair, stroked the outer shell of the Greater Grail with some surprise, carefully feeling the texture under her fingertips, and could vaguely sense the enormous energy surging inside the metal surface.

As a top-tier power holder second only to the emperor, she has seen countless treasures of gold and silver. Artworks, antiques, and even Imperial Arms, which are of even greater value, are not particularly rare in her eyes.

But the golden cauldron before her was a miraculous creation she had never seen in her life. It was not only its priceless exterior, but also its design, which exuded holiness in every aspect... Yet, for some reason, it also gave off a sense of decadence.

Yes, it may be surprising, but Esdeath does have a certain appreciation for art.

In fact, it should be said that she has exceptional taste.

This Greater Grail is an artifact from another world. Its design style is very different from that of Akatsuki. It usually only makes people feel shocked, but it is difficult to say exactly what makes it excellent. Esdeath, on the other hand, simply appreciates its beauty.

"This thing can make me like you?"

“Strictly speaking, we only have the same physique; the specific strength depends on one’s own cultivation.” Iori walked around and said, “The ‘Third Law’ has greatly helped me, but my current strength is due to hard work, opportunities, research, and perseverance—all of which are indispensable!”

“I never expected to gain something for nothing, to become a strong person on par with you through a ritual. As long as we have similar foundations, that’s enough.”

Esdeath was very confident in her talent: "Just watch, I'll catch up with you soon!"

"Then I'll look forward to it!"

Iori smiled slightly, then turned to look at the Akame sisters on the other side: "Have you decided? Who will you send?"

Perhaps because the earth's essence has been nurtured for so long without anyone being able to utilize it, the accumulated energy is truly remarkable. Although this time only a portion of it was drawn to form a "dragon vein," according to the "Crown's" calculations, the amount of essence initially released far exceeded Iori and Sera's expectations.

This power is more than enough to achieve a single-target third spell, and in order not to waste it, Iori thought it over and decided to gather enough to cast "Heaven's Cup" twice.

Therefore, Iori chose to sacrifice her own time, sleeping inside the Greater Grail for a few days, using herself as a perpetual motion machine to charge the Greater Grail a lot.

(Originally, they were going to stay longer, but a Saintess of Einzbern sneaked in along the way—or rather, this was originally her place—and she and Iori started generating electricity together, which greatly improved efficiency.)

Such a precious opportunity could not be given away casually. Iori was not pretentious at all and directly chose the people she was closest to, namely Esdeath and the Akame sisters.

However, there are some additional considerations involved:

If one only uses the materialization of their soul as a means to achieve immortality, it would be a waste. Ideally, it should possess a certain level of combat power, serving as an aid to Iori during her adventures in other worlds—just like Sera.

Given this condition, Esdeath has undoubtedly secured one spot, and for the remaining one... Iori is more inclined towards Akame, whether out of personal feelings or practical considerations.

"I think we should let Kurohime—"

"This opportunity should definitely be given to my older sister."

Kurome seriously declined Akame's offer, saying, "I don't want to get involved in anything related to battle for the time being, but my sister still has to be on the front lines from time to time, so she needs this more than I do."

And to be honest, my sister is better than me in every aspect.

His Majesty would probably prefer that my sister undergo this 'baptism,' wouldn't he?

Iori nodded silently. Akame hesitated for a moment. As the older sister, she subconsciously wanted to fight for Kurome, but she looked at Iori deeply, a resolute look flashing between her brows, and no longer declined.

Akame doesn't have the same fanatical love for fighting as Esdeath, but she doesn't hate it either.

As a former assassin who had undergone self-awakening and turned away from darkness, she clearly understood the principle that "power itself is not sinful; it depends on how it is used." Therefore, even though she had experienced a dark period, she did not develop a sense of self-loathing.

After the establishment of the new empire, she also took action to ensure the peaceful life of the people, serving as Najenda's bodyguard and deterring countless villains.

Whether it's taking care of his younger sister or protecting the future of the new nation and its people, becoming strong is the prerequisite for everything!

Now that she has the opportunity to take things a step further, the girl with long, straight black hair naturally wouldn't refuse.

In addition to this, there is another very important reason:

Finally, I can get closer to Iori!

If Iori's strength only made Esdeath feel resentful, from Akame's perspective it was utter despair—she had no chance of standing at the same or similar level as Iori.