"…As for the one Teigu pick," Akuto said, "Shayu, have Cornelia visit the Imperial Treasury's Teigu vault."
"Cornelia's our field commander for this expedition. If she only has a jin-gu and no Teigu, it'll make me look stingy, won't it?"
"Akuto-kun, is this a coincidence?" Shayu set down her pen and gave him a helpless side-eye. "How come the two Teigu users you want to draft are both girls?"
She had finally seen through him: this wasn't "building a Teigu corps"—this was expanding his harem.
Facing her challenge, Akuto smiled.
"You're not wrong, Shayu. My criterion isn't 'how strong'—it's 'how pretty.'"
"At levels below grand-general, the gap between Teigu users isn't that huge. So naturally, I'll pick the ones I enjoy looking at." He said it perfectly straight.
"Honestly…" Shayu puffed her cheeks. "With me, Cornelia, and Melard already here—and then some—that still isn't enough for you?"
Before Akuto could answer, Melard herself cut in from the side—lazy tone tinged with annoyance as she continued working through a stack of documents.
"Hey, Shayu, when did I agree to being counted as one of his women?"
Watching Melard's mix of languor and prickliness while still doing paperwork, Shayu gave a playful smile.
"Melard-san, I don't misread people. You'll choose to stay by Akuto-kun's side in the end."
"Hmph! Forcing others like this will never win a maiden's heart," Melard said, plainly displeased.
Akuto lightly patted Melard's rear—smack, just loud enough to echo.
"Melard, when did I say I needed a maiden's heart? For me, having a maiden's body is also a perfectly fine outcome."
"Akuto, you're the worst!"
"Correct. I'm the worst—a self-indulgent worst."
The next second, he slid an arm around her slim waist and lifted her cleanly, the two of them free-falling into his big chair together.
"Wait! I haven't finished my briefs! Didn't you call me here to process paperwork?"
Melard had truly had enough of his do-as-he-pleases attitude.
"Temporary hand-off to Shayu won't kill us. Right now I need… a hug pillow."
"If you like sleeping with cute girls so much, you should understand how much better it feels to lie down with a girl-shaped pillow."
"Understanding isn't the problem—I just don't want to be somebody's pillow!"
She bit his shoulder—hard.
And that was that. After the single bite, she settled into his arms, resigned but not resisting.
Seeing Melard nestled there—mind protesting, body not protesting—Shayu flicked her hair with an exaggerated hmph.
"Knew it. Always chasing pretty girls."
"Akuto-kun, if I'm guessing right, you plan to bring these two newly drafted Teigu users in as your reception attendants, right?"
Shayu knew his playbook by heart.
Some girls he liked to slow-cook with affection; some he preferred to take by force—method depended on mood.
Given these two were being drafted over from other units, Shayu assumed the plan was the slow-cook route.
"As expected of you, Shayu—you always read me."
She was his osananajimi—the one who knew him best in any world.
"Honestly, Shu-kun," she sighed. "If you like pretty girls this much, why not just marry Her Majesty? As Sesshō (regent), you could rule the country openly."
Akuto chuckled and stroked her long hair.
"Shayu, what matters isn't holding the seat."
"What matters is shattering the Empire's national fate and dragon vein. Only then can we found a brand-new country."
"So… are you planning to kill Furina-sama?" Shayu asked, faintly concerned.
"Furina, huh… that name's kind of unlucky~"
The moment he thought of Genshin's water archon Furina—another famed sufferer—Akuto exhaled a half-laugh.
"What's with the name?" Shayu asked, puzzled.
"Nothing. The name is fine; pairing it with 'Sixteenth' in the roll… sounds ominous, is all."
[If I'm not mistaken, the little emperor's scepter and uniform are French-style.
French flavor, rank Sixteen, looks like Furina… a few too many debuffs piled up.]
After a long pause, Akuto spoke again.
"Shayu."
"In the present timeline, Furina-sama probably owes me her life, at least a little."
"Trying to take her throne and expecting thanks—you really are a narcissist, Shu-kun," Shayu pouted.
While Akuto maneuvered his pieces, news of the imperial expedition officially broke.
Extra! Extra! After his promotion to Imperial Governor, Lord Akuto issues his first major decision—to subjugate Fusō!
Overseas immortals' isles—mines of inexhaustible wealth—long prosperity for the Empire!
Duke Keynes is liquidating assets to subscribe shares in the Expeditionary Corps! Those wishing to co-invest should visit the Duke's manor for Series-B subscriptions!
The proclamation swept the capital. Even those who rarely cared about "policy" heard quickly.
And soon after, one of them received a message that shocked her even more:
Governor Akuto had chosen her as his personal guard—and had summoned her.
With nervous steps, Seryu passed layer after layer of gates to reach the core of the Governor's residence.
Through the doorway, she saw a young man even more compelling than the newspaper photo.
"Governor-sama, Imperial Capital Guard—Seryu Ubiquitous—reporting!" She snapped to attention and saluted.
Akuto set aside his work and looked over the sunny girl before him.
[Good. Seryu hasn't been dragged to Dr. Stylish for bioware surgery yet—and there are no firearms embedded.]
He didn't mind a beauty with built-ins—everyone's got their own XP.
But Seryu was different. Installing guns meant she'd forced herself to a new extreme in the name of "justice"—the classic sunk cost spiral.
The higher the sunk cost, the more extreme the righteousness.
Without implants, the sunk cost was still low; correction would be much easier.
Under his gaze, a soft blush spread over Seryu's fair cheeks.
It was the first time a handsome boy her age had ever looked at her like that.
After enjoying her shy look for a moment, Akuto gestured to the side.
"Sit, Seryu. I've read your file—clean background, right mindset, diligent training, and you've even earned a Teigu."
"You're excellent—and pure. That's exactly why I drafted you as my guard."
"To be recognized by Governor-sama is Seryu's honor!" she answered crisply.
"Just call me Akuto-sama. Since you'll be my personal guard, calling me 'Governor' feels too stiff, don't you think?"
"Yes! Akuto-sama!" A different light flickered in Seryu's eyes.
He wasn't like the petty commanders of the Guard—he felt like one of her peers.
But his next sentence froze her in place.
"Seryu—do you know why you were sent here? Because your master offered you to me… as a gift."
"Eh?"
Her pupils constricted.
"Akuto-sama… what do you mean by… a 'gift'?"
"I mean… a girl given to me."
"Your master Ogre sent you over—to be my plaything," Akuto said evenly.
"Ha?! Impossible!"
"Akuto-sama, you must be testing me, right?" Her smile wavered.
"Do I look that bored?" Akuto shook his head and produced a letter.
"This is a note from your master Ogre. Read it, and you'll understand."
Hands trembling, Seryu took the letter.
Line after line of shattering words hammered into her mind—
—"Seryu is an adorable child; the Governor will certainly like her."
—"In body and bearing, Seryu is the very picture of youth—fresh and tender. She is my carefully chosen gift to the Governor."
—"The Capital Guard will henceforth obey the Governor's will. As long as the Governor does not dig into our past… Seryu is yours. If the Governor is not satisfied, say the word—be it beauties or coin, Ogre will deliver at once."
Tap… tap…
As she read, crystals welled at the corners of Seryu's eyes.
Big drops fell—shattering trust on impact.
Seryu sank into a confusion she'd never known.
She had trusted Ogre with all her heart—yet he had sent her off as a gift.
So… all that concern and teaching from her master was a lie?
If Ogre's care and guidance were false—
then the justice he taught her… was that false, too?
Ogre had always been her model—her source of "justice."
In the original timeline, after Ogre died, his image in Seryu's heart sublimated into a "divine idol of justice."
But now that she had seen the true face of Ogre, Seryu's faith in justice collapsed in an instant…
(End of Chapter)
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