At the same time, Gozuki was reeling in shock. The young man before him looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, yet his strength was utterly terrifying.
Before becoming an instructor for the Assassination Unit, Gozuki had once been a member of the Four Rakshasa Demons. And when speaking of the Four Rakshasa Demons, one couldn't help but mention the Imperial Fist Temple—a place renowned across the Empire as the pinnacle of martial arts training. Anyone who graduated from the Temple could take on ten opponents barehanded. The Four Rakshasa Demons were the elite among elites—each of them capable of overwhelming a hundred men.
Yet Gozuki, once one of those four, had just tried to ambush Haruki with the Teigu [Murasame] and hadn't even managed to graze his clothes. Haruki had taken him down effortlessly, without even drawing a weapon.
If Haruki wielded a Teigu himself, he might very well be able to challenge the Empire's most powerful warrior, Great General Budo.
In Gozuki's eyes—and in the eyes of most people in the Empire—owning a Teigu meant having overwhelming power. These weapons granted impossible abilities, while the human body, no matter how trained, could only go so far.
Realizing this, Gozuki couldn't help but feel deep respect for Haruki. Strength commanded respect no matter the place. Had Haruki merely been a spoiled noble with the Prime Minister's token, Gozuki might have shown surface-level courtesy while secretly looking down on him. But this—this was different.
"This is Princess Nina. We've been traveling around the Empire and happened to pass through here. You don't need to worry about what just happened."
As Haruki gently set Nina down from his arms, he spoke calmly to Gozuki.
"Your Highness, it's an honor."
Gozuki hadn't expected the girl in Haruki's arms to be a princess. He hurriedly bowed in greeting, breaking into a cold sweat as he recalled that he had just swung a blade at both of them. Thank the heavens no harm had come to either.
"You said this is where the Empire's Assassination Unit trains? Then tell me—what's the current situation with the unit?"
Haruki asked, wanting to know if the Elite Seven had already been selected, as in the original story.
"Yes, Lord Haruki. Not long ago, the Empire sent over a group of children. I picked out seven with the best potential for personal training. As for the rest, I plan to send some of the more promising ones to the capital, where their abilities can be enhanced with drugs. That way, they'll still have decent combat effectiveness in the future."
Gozuki said this flatly, without emotion.
But the reality was cruel. The drugs he spoke of could push the children's power beyond natural limits—but at a heavy price. Their lives would be drastically shortened, and they'd become dependent on those substances. Most wouldn't live past twenty.
"How can this be? Brother, can't you help them?"
Nina looked at Haruki with pleading eyes. Though she knew what Gozuki said made sense from a cold, practical view, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for those children.
"Alright, I'll take a look. But listen—there's no way I can help everyone. At most, I'll choose a few of the most gifted."
Haruki couldn't bear to turn down Nina's request outright—especially since he had already been considering something similar. From Gozuki's explanation, he was fairly certain that Kurome was among the group.
Still, even as he agreed, Haruki took the chance to teach Nina an important lesson. He didn't want her kindness to be used against her one day.
"Nina, you have to understand—this world is full of unfairness. Situations like this happen all the time in the Empire. You can't save everyone. Helping where you can is good, but never forget: the people closest to you matter most. If you let others take advantage of your kindness and end up hurting those dearest to you, that's something you'll regret for the rest of your life."
What Haruki said came from thinking about Kurome and Akame's story.
To him, Akame's decision to hurt her own sister for the sake of the Empire had been foolish. Even if a new nation rose from the ashes, what had she truly gained? Losing her sister meant losing everything that really mattered.
Nina still didn't fully understand, but she nodded earnestly.
"Gozuki, take me to see the children. If I find any with promise, I'll train a few personally. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Haruki turned to him calmly.
"Of course not, my lord. Whatever pleases you."
Gozuki replied quickly. In his eyes, aside from the seven selected for special training, the rest were just expendable. If a few of them could help him win favor with someone of Haruki's status, it was a trade well worth making.
With that, Gozuki led Haruki and Nina to the quarters where the children were staying.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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