Chapter 133: Turmoil in the Imperial City
The critical illness of the old emperor might not have much impact on the empire as a whole.
After all, many people didn't even know who the emperor was.
But for the Imperial City, it was a huge shock, with all forces beginning to stir.
The faction led by Prime Minister Honest had already started to act, while other factions were secretly observing, ready to join the struggle for the throne among the princes at any moment.
Even their Imperial City Guard, which belonged to the military, was no exception.
The head of the Guard held meetings almost every other day, each time solemnly informing them that they must be extra vigilant during this period and constantly monitor the people entering and leaving the Imperial City.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, anyone with insight could sense it.
This head had no small ambitions and seemed to want to participate in this struggle as well.
No, perhaps from the very beginning, this minister had already supported one of the imperial heirs, planning to work with allies from the same faction to elevate them to the throne.
Then, as the distribution of power within the empire's upper echelons was about to undergo a reshuffle, this minister intended to seize the opportunity to climb the ranks swiftly.
It felt somewhat reminiscent of the aesthetic of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, just as Emperor Ling was on the verge of passing away.
Only this time, Empress He and the Ten Regular Attendants had been replaced by different figures, and the Revolutionary Army was even less comparable to the Yellow Turban Rebellion's Way of Great Peace.
"But then again, it's none of my business."
He was merely a deputy chief of the security team—how could he possibly meddle in such trivial matters? Besides, if the higher-ups wanted to play their games, let them stir up trouble.
If they didn't, things would be rather dull.
His role was simply to sit back and watch the show.
Just like now, Mahiro walked alone through the corridors of the military headquarters, idly toying with a small vial.
Under his manipulation, the bright red liquid inside the glass bottle flowed slowly.
Because the security team had held another collective meeting this morning, the assassination squad's training had once again been skipped by him.
So, at the moment, he was planning to return to his office to slack off a little.
The liquid in the vial he was playing with was the blood of a Danger Beast, or it could be called a Teigu—
[Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract]
Of course, this wasn't blood drawn from Esdeath's body but rather blood recreated through alchemy by analyzing Esdeath's informational essence.
Unlike the original, this blood contained no will of its own.
However, he didn't plan to hand this vial over to Dr. Stylish for processing. He intended to wait until he obtained Tyrant's blood, let that perverted doctor fuse it into the potion, and then analyze the mixture himself to incorporate this blood from the Super Danger Beast of the Far North.
Yet, when he returned to his office, Seryu was there as well.
She seemed troubled by something, biting the end of her pen and looking utterly listless, so much so that she didn't even notice him entering.
"My, my, who's been bullying our adorable Seryu-chan? Why the long face today?"
Mahiro approached and teased her lightly.
"De-Deputy Chief Yotsuba!"
Hearing his voice, Seryu reflexively looked up and, realizing it was Mahiro, hurriedly stood up from her seat.
Her ample chest swayed with the movement, enough to make one's head spin.
After nearly two and a half to three years of experience, Seryu had matured quite a bit, her slender and graceful figure exuding an intangible allure.
Not to mention her always energetic demeanor, which was the perfect finishing touch!
"Sit down, there's no need to be so formal when it's just the two of us."
Mahiro first waved for her to sit and then asked, "What's got you so down? If you don't mind, you can tell me about it. I might even be able to offer some advice."
"Um... It's nothing too serious, really. It's just a case that happened last night..."
After finishing her work as a secretary and handling the case files, following her usual habit, she had taken Koro for a walk around the Imperial City to uphold justice.
But as soon as she reached the streets of the lower city, she encountered a brutal murder case.
There was a teenage girl named Sheele who expressionlessly killed several men with a kitchen knife on the street—her actions were utterly evil!
Upon witnessing this, Seryu naturally stepped in to intervene. However, after Mahiro's guidance, her extreme personality had long been corrected. Instead of having Koro execute justice, she simply wanted to apprehend the girl and have her imprisoned pending trial.
But when Seryu made her move, she realized that her own skills were no match for this girl!
Moreover, the other party didn't seem interested in fighting her, which dragged on until Captain Ogre happened to pass by and managed to subdue the frenzied girl. However, Seryu suffered significant knife wounds!
After several interrogations, the truth came to light: this girl was connected to a previous homicide case.
She had killed a man—a single fatal strike—but it was ruled as self-defense at the time. Consequently, the man's friends came seeking revenge under the guise of retaliation.
In the end, they were counter-killed.
"Oh, so it's that incident..."
Mahiro had some recollection because he had personally handled this case.
Both officially and privately, ruling it as self-defense was justified.
He just hadn't expected that this natural airhead Sheele would encounter Seryu so early... No, it was likely because of him.
If he hadn't taken Seryu as his secretary, she wouldn't have been patrolling the lower city streets and coincidentally run into Sheele.
"But isn't this a happy outcome? Seryu, you uncovered the truth behind the evil—isn't that in line with justice?"
"Lord Yotsuba, that's not what Seryu is troubled about."
Seryu pouted and continued muttering, "I suddenly realized that without sufficient strength, I definitely can't overcome all evil! Although Koro is strong, he can't stray too far from me, and my own abilities are too weak!"
Indeed, her body hadn't received specialized training. Even after learning combat skills from Ogre for a while, she was fundamentally still very weak.
Truthfully, this couldn't be blamed on Seryu, as his original intention was genuinely to groom her into a civil official—his personal secretary—so he hadn't specifically focused on developing her combat prowess.
Just then, Seryu suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Lord Yotsuba, please take a look for me."
Seryu unfastened the buttons of her guard team uniform, then stuffed his hand inside. Instantly, his entire palm was met with a soft, warm, and smooth sensation.
"?"
Mahiro gently moved his fingers, searching like finding a lone plum blossom in falling snow, and asked curiously, "What did you want me to check? The size? Although I haven't measured it with my hands, it does seem quite a bit larger than before."
"L-Lord Yotsuba, you idiot! Who... who told you to touch there? I meant a spot a little behind it."
Seryu's pretty face instantly flushed bright red as she forcibly pulled his fingers toward her armpit.
The moment he made contact, Mahiro clearly felt that her smooth skin seemed to have an uneven depression, as if a small chunk of flesh had been carved away.
Simultaneously, Seryu gasped sharply in pain.
"You're injured? Why didn't you bandage it?" Mahiro asked with concern while touching her wound.
"Wuu... I don't know how to bandage it myself, and Dr. Stylish refused to help me, saying I'm your person and that I should come to you for bandaging."
Although Dr. Stylish's words were quite irresponsible, for some reason, Mahiro felt like giving her a thumbs up.
Well done!
"Then bear with it for a moment, it'll be over soon."
Mahiro immediately activated the "Regeneration" spell, covering the information body.
Wrapped in Psionic Light, the area under Seryu's armpit seemed to reverse time, instantly growing a small piece of flesh that filled the depression, restoring it to its fair and smooth state.
"So amazing... It's completely healed just like that!"
Seryu was astonished to discover that not only was her injury healed, but all the dull pain in her body had mysteriously disappeared too!
It was simply miraculous!
"Well, this is nothing special. More importantly, you should be more careful when patrolling the streets from now on... Actually, never mind, I'll assign you a few team members later."
Originally, he had planned to wait until after the turmoil in the Imperial City had passed before formally promoting Seryu, but now it seemed he needed to move up the schedule.
"N-no, that's not necessary. Actually, minor injuries like this are nothing... But if things continue like this, I feel like I won't be able to punish evil when I go out, and might even get bullied by those villains." Seryu's voice carried frustration.
"That's a valid point. In that case, why refuse the proposal to add more personnel?"
"Because Seryu wants to become stronger herself."
Seryu finally voiced her inner thoughts, "Lord Yotsuba, I heard that Dr. Stylish's human modification technology is amazing, capable of transforming parts of the body into powerful weapons. After seeing it, I truly found it incredible!"
"So, could you please talk to him and ask Dr. Stylish to help me become stronger?"
After hearing this, Mahiro's face immediately darkened.
"Who told you about this?"
"It... it was Ogre-sensei." Seeing that he seemed angry, Seryu replied softly.
"That damned Ogre! I think he's been living too comfortably and needs to be taught a lesson!"
A surge of anger welled up in his heart, causing him to unconsciously tighten his grip slightly, making Seryu let out a soft whimper.
"Sorry, sorry, that wasn't intentional."
He quickly withdrew his hand.
Meanwhile, Seryu kept her head lowered, her face so red it seemed like blood might drip from it.
"I-it's fine. Actually, it's not Ogre-sensei's fault. I was the one who asked him, and I also approached Dr. Stylish, but he refused me using the same reason as before."
It seemed this Dr. Stylish still knew her place, though perhaps it was partly because Seryu was a girl.
But in reality, it was mainly because Dr. Stylish was genuinely afraid of him.
Especially after witnessing those unfathomable methods, she clearly understood that no matter who you offend, you must never provoke Mahiro.
He was even more terrifying than that sadistic queen Esdeath, capable of modifying things at the genetic level at will.
"In that case, let me make my position clear—I cannot allow this."
"Transforming a lovely young girl into some kind of machine is simply absurd. Forget about how you'd ever get married—I certainly wouldn't want to embrace a girl covered in mechanical parts, like a walking arsenal."
Mahiro was well acquainted with Dr. Stylish's mechanical modifications, having witnessed them firsthand.
It essentially involved installing the Ten Kings Judgment weapon system and corresponding components into the human body. The practicality was mediocre, and the combat effectiveness was utterly pathetic.
It was nothing but trash among trash!
"Alright... if Lord Yotsuba says so, Seryu will listen... Besides, Seryu has had regrets afterward—what if Lord Yotsuba no longer likes Seryu after the body modifications..."
Seryu fidgeted slightly, muttering under her breath.
"It's fine. Mechanical ascension isn't exactly reliable. If Seryu truly wants to become stronger, I have a method."
Mechanical ascension couldn't be called entirely unreliable; it was more that this world itself was unreliable. Only something like the Ex Machina, capable of continuous self-learning and evolution, would be worth considering.
"Re... really? Lord Yotsuba is truly willing to help Seryu become stronger?!"
Seryu's adorable face instantly lit up with a joyful smile, her large eyes filled with longing and anticipation.
"Of course. But first, come sit here."
Mahiro took the girl's small hand and pulled her directly into his arms, holding her slender body close and lightly inhaling the sweet fragrance emanating from her.
While Seryu buried her face like an ostrich, he retrieved an original version of the Enhancement Drug.
"This is an Enhancement Drug I created. It can strengthen your physical fitness and recovery abilities, but the transformation process may be very painful. Can you endure it, Seryu?"
"Yes! I can!"
Seryu nodded firmly.
Almost immediately, she felt a sharp pain as the needle pierced her blood vessel, and the injected liquid rapidly spread through her bloodstream.
"Ugh..."
Seryu instantly felt spasmodic pain throughout her body, her fair forehead quickly beading with sweat.
Her pale, silk-clad legs tightly intertwined, wrapping around Mahiro's leg.
In her struggle, even her tied-up ponytail came loose, spilling across him.
It seemed that individual constitutions varied, and the pain of the drug's transformation differed from person to person.
He had never seen anyone experience such intense pain as Seryu.
Soon, Seryu's body went limp, and she fainted from the pain right in his arms.
The Enhancement Drug continued to take effect, rapidly transforming Seryu's cells and bodily tissues.
Before long, the tension in Seryu's brow gradually eased, and her expression softened into a serene smile.
The transformation was complete, but she remained fast asleep.
So, Mahiro stood up, holding the unconscious girl, and placed her on a seat before walking alone to the window to gaze at the scenery of the Imperial City.
To be honest, enhancing Seryu today had slightly deviated from his plans.
Originally, he intended to promote Seryu to team leader before administering the drug, formally bringing her into his inner circle.
But it wasn't too far off.
As for those training in the forest, their enhancements and final training would also need to be scheduled soon.
"Cornelia, Poney, and Gin excel in hand-to-hand combat, the sisters Akame and Kurome are skilled in swordsmanship, while Tsukushi possesses a talent for shooting..."
While contemplating the strengths of those girls, Mahiro condensed six Enhancement Drugs in his hand.
"Might as well include Mine, otherwise Tsukushi would be too lonely."
"Oh right, and Nahashu and Green too. Considering how hard they've been training, I'll give each of them an Enhancement Drug as well."
He wasn't a stingy person.
Nahashu and Green's existence brought him considerable benefits, so he naturally wouldn't leave these two children completely unattended.
He would still give them some advantages.
But when it came to martial arts training from now on, they would have to rely on themselves.
He had no interest in teaching two boys.
Next, he activated the ring's summoning ability—
A month's worth of summoning power.
"Mahiro-sama/Mahiro-nii/Mahiro-san!"
Three beams of light appeared before him, and as if drawing SSR cards, three little figures rushed out from the light and immediately clung to him.
They were Asaka, Enju, and Tina.
They had been doing different things in Arcadia, but they all heard Mahiro's call at the same time.
Then they appeared here, and upon seeing the familiar figure, the three rushed over and tightly hugged Mahiro's body, gently nuzzling against him.
"Mahiro-san, we missed you so much," Tina murmured in her dark green Lolita dress.
Her small hands, covered in black lace gloves, tightly wrapped around his waist.
"I mean, I haven't been gone that long, have I?"
"Yes, Mahiro-sama, you've only been away for half a month, but for us, every day without seeing Mahiro-sama feels like a year."
Asaka maintained her calm expression and spoke seriously, like a samurai.
"That's right! This princess has been missing you to death! Days without Mahiro-nii are so boring!" Enju agreed.
"Even though you can watch Tenshi Girls every day and do Tenshi Girls cosplay daily?" Mahiro teased.
"Ugh... that's different!"
"Hehe, alright alright, let go for now. I have something to tell you."
Mahiro patted their backs and detached them from himself.
Asaka and Tina stood there obediently, while the naturally active Enju seemed curious about everything around her.
"Mahiro-nii, where is this place? And who is this person?"
She was naturally referring to Seryu sleeping soundly on the chair.
"Is she Mahiro-san's new girlfriend?"
The moment she saw it was a woman, the previously somewhat drowsy Tina immediately woke up, her eyes turning bright red as she stared intently at the woman.
"Not yet."
"...Does that mean it will be soon? Mahiro-sama is such a pervert."
Asaka glared at him with her eyes and offered a serious retort.
Her sparkling black eyes reflected his figure, as if she had countless things she wanted to say.
"Ugh... Mahiro-nii still likes cows so much."
Enju stepped forward poutingly and lightly poked Seryu's full breasts again and again, the surprising elasticity making her feel even more defeated.
Even Asaka and Tina felt the same way.
The two of them looked down at their completely flat chests.
Despite all this time, eating papaya and drinking milk every day, there was still no sign of improvement.
"Alright, enough fooling around, you three. I really need to ask you for a favor this time," Mahiro said with a hint of seriousness, interrupting their playful antics.
"No trouble at all. If it's something for Mahiro-nii, then it's our business too."
"That's right! I will always be the sharp blade in Mahiro-sama's hand, cutting through all obstacles for you!"
"This humble one feels the same! Since it's Big Brother Mahiro asking, this humble one will definitely help!"
Hearing that there was a task at hand, the three of them quickly set aside their playful attitudes and listened carefully.
"The matter isn't particularly troublesome. I just need the three of you to act as instructors this time, that's all..."
In simple terms, they were the teachers Mahiro had found for several girls.
In kendo, while Asaka wasn't as monstrous as Kisara, she was still plenty strong—strong enough to defeat Sayaka and fight Erika to a draw without any problem.
As for shooting, Tina's abilities went without saying. You couldn't find anyone in all of Arcadia better than her at marksmanship.
Regarding hand-to-hand combat...
Enju was also quite skilled. Similar to Poney, she primarily fought with her legs, but Enju was even faster—fast enough to keep up with the speed of bullets.
As a sparring partner, you could say no one was more suitable than Enju.