Chapter 126: The Maiden of Justice, Seryu Ubiquitous
"Sir, my name is Kurome. Assassination rank No.08!"
When he approached Kurome, she spoke up proactively, her focus shifting entirely to him.
"Mm, I've remembered your name, Kurome."
Mahiro wore a gentle smile as he picked up the syringe in his hand. "Little Kurome, this injection might cause some pain. Can you endure it?"
"I can, sir. I'll endure any kind of pain. After this injection, will I be able to see my sister?"
Perhaps because Mahiro's smile was too disarming, Kurome accidentally voiced her innermost thoughts.
Fortunately, the isolation curtain blocked their conversation from reaching Bill's ears outside.
"You definitely will."
He reached out and gently stroked Kurome's short hair.
"Then I'll begin."
"Mm."
After nodding, before he could start the injection, little Kurome proactively turned over face-down. Her small hands were already moving to pull down her skirt and the undergarment beneath.
"Wait a moment, what are you doing?"
Mahiro quickly pressed down on her small hands, keeping them fixed on her little bottom.
"Sir, aren't we injecting in the buttocks?" Kurome looked over with innocent eyes, her expression full of confusion.
"...That's unnecessary. That's just that pervert's personal preference."
"I can hear you, you know! I'm not a pervert, I just happen to like boys!"
Dr. Stylish's voice drifted over faintly, filled with protest.
However, Mahiro completely ignored the protesting voice. First, he removed the addictive components from the injection, then said to Kurome:
"There's no need to listen to that pervert. Listen to me, just lie down."
"Yes, sorry to trouble you, sir."
Kurome immediately turned over and lay quietly on the operating table, gently closing her eyes like a napping kitten.
"S-sir, Kurome is... is mentally prepared. You can... can inject now."
Despite her calm appearance, she was still nervous inside...
Mahiro finally inserted the needle into the girl's arm, slowly pushing the medication into her body.
"Mmm..."
The cold sensation from her arm made Kurome's delicate little face scrunch up, and her body began to tremble and convulse uncontrollably.
It seemed the medication was taking effect!
Mahiro activated his "Eye of the Spirit," constantly monitoring the changes in the girl's physical data.
After removing the addictive components and having the original Gastrea virus enhancer cancel out with Dr. Stylish's enhancer, what remained was basically a minor enhancement that wouldn't damage vitality.
While it couldn't enhance too much, it was enough to give a young girl a qualitative leap.
As for whether to administer the full-strength Gastrea enhancement medication, that would require further observation and evaluation.
At the very least, now wasn't the time.
After a moment, the tension in the girl's brow finally eased, and Kurome slowly opened her eyes, once again taking in that gentle, handsome face.
"Sir..."
This injection was different from usual.
Although she had never received injections before, over the past few years she had been forced to take numerous medications to adjust her body.
While the pain was similar, after enduring it before, her body would feel very uncomfortable. But this time was different—her entire body felt light, as if filled with strength from head to toe.
"Shh~"
Mahiro made a silencing gesture, signaling the girl to remain quiet, then stood up and approached the next girl.
Since the addictive properties had been removed, only the body-enhancing components remained, which could also heal the accumulated residual toxins and hidden injuries within their bodies.
Kurome tilted her head to watch his retreating figure, as if committing his silhouette to memory.
Aside from her sister, this was the first time she had encountered someone who treated her with such gentleness.
"My name is Gin, assassination rank tenth. I hope you can elevate my strength to elite level No.7 or above!" The large-breasted girl with a ponytail showed no timidity. On the contrary, she became quite proactive upon his arrival, giving him the illusion of someone craving power.
Yet seeing how her thin clothing strained against her chest was truly lamentable.
Should a girl around ten years old really have such development?
Mine would probably die of envy if she saw this, wouldn't she?
"Don't worry, the serum will make you stronger, but how much stronger depends on your own efforts." While contemplating about Mine, he picked up a new syringe and injected it into the girl's arm.
Just like Kurome, this girl named Gin only experienced momentary pain before her body was enhanced, showing no signs of turning into a Gastrea.
Excellent, very good.
Next was the bespectacled girl named Womyn, with neat shoulder-length hair that gave her a calm appearance.
That is, if one could ignore her slightly trembling delicate frame and the nervousness swirling in her eyes.
"Relax, just endure it for a moment."
"...Yes, sir."
Womyn gave a slight nod.
Finally, it was the turn of the frightened, teary-eyed loli named Remus, whose disheveled long hair concealed her face and reached down to her waist.
He appeared delicate and fragile, like a small animal.
It even made him involuntarily recall that adorable child, Midori.
Her assassination ranking was the lowest among the five—No. 32, but she was also the one closest to a normal girl. When he accidentally touched her, her cheeks would still blush.
She gave off the impression of being easy to bully.
"You've worked hard, Vice Minister Yotsuba. I've finished on my end too."
After he pulled open the isolation curtain, Dr. Stylish pushed up his glasses in a feminine manner... Oh, right, he's a woman now, so that's fine.
By the way, the boy named Natala was already lying weakly on the operating table.
It seemed he had endured immense suffering.
"The experimental results are clear. It seems we really need to readjust the formula ratios! Even diluted now, the effects are far too weak." Assassination Minister Bill looked at the several individuals still lying on the operating tables and couldn't help but shake his head regretfully.
But in reality, aside from Natala who was genuinely weak, the others were merely pretending to lie there as arranged by Mahiro.
The group cooperated well, each keeping their eyes tightly shut and remaining motionless.
"Hmph, I suppose they'll wish they were dead in the future."
Mahiro examined the boy lying incapacitated on the operating table and smiled faintly. "I just took a quick look at the drug and noticed it contains an addictive poison, and the dosage is extremely heavy."
It was precisely this addictive poison that completely nullified the effects of the already scarce Gastrea Enhancement Drug.
Thus, only Natala failed to receive any substantial enhancement.
Dr. Stylish chuckled and gestured toward the bald minister Bill, saying, "That's not my fault, you know. Minister Bill insisted on adding it. I just followed his orders."
Bill also sighed helplessly. "There was no other way. Using that kind of drug makes it easier to control them in the future."
"Not a bad idea, but I have a request. From now on, let me handle the drug injections for these children." He pointed to the four girls lying over there.
"This..." Hearing Mahiro's words, Bill immediately furrowed his brows.
Although these children were merely replaceable members of the enhancement group, this was ultimately a matter for the assassination unit. At present, Mahiro was only part of the security team and shouldn't interfere.
But before he could say anything, Dr. Stylish stopped him, giggling coquettishly, "Of course, no problem. As long as Vice Minister Yotsuba allows me to continue my research, I'll follow all your orders. After all, you're my superior."
"Small matter, no problem. And don't forget the agreement between us."
"Of course, of course."
Bill didn't understand what agreement the two were referring to, but hearing that they could help complete the drug, he chose to compromise:
"Fine, as long as you can develop it in a short time, I have no objections."
After all, not only was Prime Minister Honest pressuring them from above, but even Nishimiya from the intelligence agency was deeply invested in this matter.
As long as the drug could be completed, it wouldn't be a problem to hand these children over to Mahiro, since there were still reserves on hand to replenish the group.
"Oh, by the way, the children from the Elite Squad will be coming over in a while. I'll have to trouble you with them then," Bill said to Dr. Stylish.
"Oh my, additional workload? I remember your Elite Squad looked down on using potions, didn't they?" Dr. Stylish expressed surprise.
"Can't be helped. Gozuki died, and currently there's no one who can serve as the instructor for the Elite Squad."
Bill spoke through gritted teeth.
This Gozuki's death had truly brought him endless trouble. He had once boasted about this and that, but in the end, that was all he amounted to.
However, his gaze occasionally drifted toward Mahiro nearby, as if he had something to say but hadn't decided yet.
"Alright then, I'll reluctantly work overtime."
Dr. Stylish sighed softly, muttering under his breath about how overtime would affect his beauty sleep.
"But Minister, overtime pay is absolutely necessary. Same as usual—ten male prisoners. I absolutely won't take females."
"Mm, I'll send them to you as soon as possible."
Mahiro listened in on the dirty under-the-table deal between the two.
But what he was actually thinking about were the children from the Elite Squad. He hadn't expected to see them again so soon...
A few days later.
Mahiro brought his adorable little maid Mine to the Imperial Guard branch in the Imperial City.
"Master, is this where you work?"
"Not exactly. My office isn't here, and this is just a duty station."
"Really? Mine feels like it's almost as big as our living room..."
Mine blinked her big eyes, looking around curiously as if everything interested her.
"Vice Minister?!"
Just then, a rough voice filled with awe and surprise suddenly called out.
Turning around, they saw Captain Ogre, who had been about to take several guards out on business, quickly approaching.
"Oh, Captain Ogre. You've recovered quite well."
Mahiro looked him over and noticed all his injuries had healed, even his teeth had been replaced with new ones.
He hadn't expected Dr. Stylish's skills to be this good.
"You flatter me, sir. I was ignorant back then. Please be magnanimous and forgive me."
Ogre bowed deeply, startling the nearby guards in their uniforms into fearful silence.
For the notorious "Demon" Ogre to show such respect and fear—this must be a truly formidable figure.
"Well, no need to worry about it. I didn't take it to heart myself."
"Thank you, sir."
Ogre raised his head, then asked curiously, "Vice Minister, are you...?"
He had been about to ask if Mahiro was inspecting their work, but seeing him accompanied by a young girl in casual clothes made that seem unlikely.
"Just killing time. I brought my little maid out to buy ingredients for cooking, and thought I'd stop by to familiarize ourselves with the place."
Mahiro gently patted Mine's back. Understanding immediately, Mine stepped forward and said, "Hello, I'm Mine. I'm my master's maid."
Her manners were impeccable, neither haughty nor humble, completely different from the timid little girl she once was.
"So it's Mine." Ogre laughed heartily and declared confidently, "Don't worry, Vice Minister. I, Ogre, will remember this. As long as she's on the streets of the Imperial City, I guarantee no one will dare harm her!"
Ogre was sharp-eyed and immediately noticed the girl's unusual relationship with the Vice Minister.
Her presence here was clearly meant for the captains like him to keep an eye on her.
He just never expected the Vice Minister to have such tastes.
Ogre pondered this but, having grown accustomed to the eccentric habits of nobles in the Imperial City, found it unsurprising.
"Hmm, I trust in your abilities, Ogre."
Mahiro spoke calmly, "But if you encounter someone beyond your capabilities, remember to report directly to me. Understood?"
"Sir! Please rest assured, justice will always stand by her side!"
Before Ogre could respond, a girl of about thirteen or fourteen stepped forward, energetically saluting him.
She was a pretty girl with delicate features and a slender figure, her brown long hair tied into a high ponytail.
Her attire was clearly the standard uniform of the Imperial Guard.
Unlike the male uniform, the white trousers were replaced by a stylish white short skirt, showcasing the girl's slender figure and shapely, long legs.
She wore black leather high-heeled boots, and her knees were covered by tight white stockings, leaving only a small section of pinkish-white skin visible between the skirt and the top of the stockings.
The form-fitting uniform, combined with her lively smile, made her appear youthful and adorable.
Additionally, she was accompanied by a small white dog standing on its hind legs.
"Hmm? The Imperial Guard has such a young girl?"
"Mahiro-sama, she is my disciple. She wanted to join the Imperial Guard, so I recruited her as a temporary member. Seryu, hurry up and greet our Vice Minister!"
After the introduction, Ogre scolded her sternly.
"Yes, reporting, sir! My name is Seryu Ubiquitous, a trainee guard of the Imperial Guard! My dream is to eradicate all evil in the world!"
The girl named Seryu straightened her graceful posture, her voice loud enough to be heard clearly throughout the duty room.
"Hello, little Seryu. I am Yotsuba Mahiro, the Vice Minister here. I'll be counting on you to work hard and strive to become a shining flower of the Imperial Guard soon."
"Yes, Vice Minister-sama!"
Despite his teasing tone, Seryu remained formal and serious, though her slightly blushing cheeks betrayed her embarrassment.
However, Mahiro now had a better understanding of this girl.
So it really is her...
In the original story, she was the energetic girl with exaggerated expressions, loudly proclaiming justice while acting in extreme ways. After Ogre's death, she often carried out unauthorized executions of criminals.
That being the case, the creature beside her must be the Teigu [Beast Form: Hekatonkheires].
His gaze lingered on the small creature for a moment longer, causing Hekatonkheires to shrink back fearfully toward Seryu's feet.
He then slowly withdrew his gaze and observed Seryu again.
To be honest, he was somewhat surprised.
He had originally thought there might be some relationship between Seryu and Ogre in the original story, but upon closer observation, Seryu remained a flawless young girl.
So it seemed he had simply overthought it—Ogre might not be interested in women beyond money.
"Sir, if there's nothing else you need arranged, we should go attend to our duties now," Ogre said hesitantly.
"Has your patrol not finished for today?"
"No, I wanted to take her to familiarize herself with the patrol procedures first."
"Then go ahead." Mahiro waved his hand, but just as they were about to leave, he suddenly added, "Oh, by the way, once Seryu gets accustomed to the security team's work, have her report to me. I happen to need a secretary, and she seems just right for it."
"Yes, Deputy Chief! I'll arrange it later!"
"Ah? Me?... Can I really do it?"
Compared to Ogre's immediate agreement, Seryu herself seemed somewhat hesitant.
On her first day following her master to the security team, being noticed by the deputy chief and getting promoted with a raise felt a bit too surreal.
"Less talk, more action!" Ogre scolded sternly. "It's an honor that Deputy Chief has taken a liking to you. Work hard from now on and don't disgrace me, understand?"
"Yes, Master! I'll do my best!"
"Ahaha, no need to be so tense."
Mahiro interjected into the conversation between master and disciple. "It's fine if you don't know how—I'll teach you step by step. Just work hard with me from now on."
"Yes, Deputy Chief!"
Watching the girl standing ramrod straight, Mahiro nodded in satisfaction.
Regarding Seryu, aside from coveting her graceful figure, his main intention was to keep her a bit farther from Ogre, preventing her mindset from becoming distorted, and to see if he could guide her back on track.
But he had to admit, wielding authority felt incredibly satisfying.
Especially in a place like the Imperial City.
No matter how he used it, he felt no pressure at all!