"Sir, that lord's letter has already been placed in your study."
"Much obliged. You may withdraw."
"Yes~"
The silver-haired old butler respectfully took his leave. The burly man, dressed in casual home clothes, turned and walked toward his study.
This estate covered an enormous area, and the residence itself was quite magnificent, almost comparable to Minister Honest's home, yet the styles of the two were entirely different.
The basic tones here are plainness and unadorned simplicity, along with firmness and solidity. Clearly, the owner of the estate stands at an unassailable height in both prestige and power, yet surprisingly there is very little in the way of lavish decoration.
Famous paintings and works of art are rare. Instead, rows upon rows of knightly armor are displayed throughout the corridors and halls, lending the place an air of solemn dignity.
Outside, there are no trees planted either, just flat, neatly kept grassland, making the towering mansion look like a lone mountain standing in isolation.
Rather than a noble manor, it feels more like a military fortress…
But once you know the name of the person who owns this place, everything suddenly makes sense.
Imperial Grand General Budo.
In the Empire's military system, high-ranking commanders are collectively referred to as "generals." They are divided into different ranks based on seniority and merit, but there is no strict superior–subordinate hierarchy among them.
Only the title of "Grand General" is different. This is a special post that, in name, stands above all other generals and commands the armed forces of the entire nation.
This position is not permanent. It is only temporarily assigned during times of emergency, usually to a member of the imperial family or an in-law of the royal house, and is immediately revoked once the war is over.
Budo, however, is an extremely rare exception, someone with no blood relation to the imperial family who was nevertheless granted the title of "Grand General."
There are three reasons for this.
First, the Budo family has served the emperors faithfully for generation after generation, carrying out their duties with absolute loyalty and never making a single mistake. They have always maintained a soldier's discipline, never being corrupted by a thousand years of prosperity, as dependable as solid bedrock, and deeply trusted by successive emperors.
Second, before Esdeath came onto the scene, Budo himself had always been the true "strongest." All manner of monsters and schemers, both within and beyond the Empire, deeply feared his formidable reputation.
Third, and most importantly, the late emperor trusted him immensely, even appointing him as "Commander of the Imperial Guard."
This position practically holds the emperor's life and death in its hands and has always been entrusted only to the most loyal confidants.
When the late emperor was plagued by illness and sensed that certain conspiracies were brewing, he further elevated Budo to "Grand General," the supreme commander of all military officers, and entrusted him with supporting his son's ascension to the throne.
In truth, Budo did an excellent job. If not for the unfavorable situation on the borderlands forcing him to lead troops on a distant campaign… the ministers would not have found it so easy to murder the former emperor.
By the time Budo returned, everything had changed. Not only had the late emperor already "died of illness," but the empress had also passed away from overwhelming grief. Even the original crown prince had inexplicably died as well…
Honest was simply too fast.
This bloated man was ruthless and aggressive in politics, leaving Budo no chance to strike back, the late emperor has only this one son left, you have no choice but to accept him.
Budo knew very well that there was something fishy about the late emperor's death, and that the struggle for succession had been drenched in blood and violence. As the greatest beneficiary, Honest's schemes were undoubtedly involved.
But there was nothing Budo could do.
Budo was, in theory, qualified to "purge the traitors around the throne," at least to give it a try. However, his family's ancestral teachings held that military men must not interfere in politics.
Moreover, the late emperor had not left behind anything like a secret edict, preventing him from acting directly against Honest.
Worse still, if he openly opposed Honest, the young emperor might even see him as a treacherous minister persecuting loyal officials, or a power-hungry usurper…
The current young emperor is the late emperor's only legitimate bloodline. As a subject, Budo could not defy the authority symbolized by that bloodline.
Thus, even though he was fully aware of Honest and his clique's corruption, he did not intervene directly. Instead, he used his authority to protect officials of conscience.
It was precisely because of his rigidity and unwillingness to adapt that the ministers became so brazen… after all, Honest did not need to abide by any rules.
Of course, Budo is a living person, not a machine. His patience has its limits. As the situation continued to deteriorate, the Grand General had already come to a resolution,
He would make a decision that went against his ancestors' teachings.
He would personally eradicate the minister and his faction, even if the young emperor were to execute him afterward, he would have no regrets.
However, before dealing with internal enemies, external threats must first be settled. Even if he wanted to handle Honest, it would have to be after quelling the rebellions across the land. Otherwise, it would only give the Revolutionary Army an opening.
The letter he received today came from a former minister. This man had assisted the late emperor for decades and enjoyed great prestige within the civil bureaucracy, later retiring at the height of his career due to old age.
After Honest came to power, he purged dissenters, and the court became rife with petty schemers, but the former minister still retained considerable latent influence.
Since Budo planned to eliminate Honest, he also had to consider how the central government would function after removing the ministerial faction. As a soldier, that was not something he could manage himself (and the young emperor would very likely have him killed).
The task of rebuilding the central authority would therefore fall to this former minister. With such a loyal old retainer to assist, Grand General Budo could finally put his mind at ease.
Everything was for His Majesty and the future of the Empire. As long as the late emperor's bloodline could continue, even if he had to become a demon of slaughter, he would...
"Hmm?"
Reaching the door of his study, Budo paused slightly and narrowed his eyes, but soon twisted the handle and entered the room.
To his utter astonishment, this study, reserved exclusively for Grand General Budo, a place no one in the estate dared to enter without permission, now had a strangely dressed, mysterious figure sitting inside. The man was engrossed in reading something, with his legs rudely crossed and propped up on the desk.
"How interesting. I don't recall having any appointments to receive guests today, yet there's a stranger sitting in my chair."
The man walked step by step to the desk, looking down at the uninvited guest from above. From the wide sleeves of his loose home attire, dazzling arcs of electricity emerged, filling the enclosed room with a faint scent of scorching.
"Please don't misunderstand. I really am your guest, just one who wasn't invited."
"I know who you are."
Grand General Budo's expression remained calm as he looked at Iori. Though this was their first meeting, he had already heard of the Imperial rising star who had recently been making waves. No, now he should say shameless rebel, "So, have you prepared yourself, General Izo?"
Bang!
In a flash of lightning, the moment he moved, the right sleeve burst apart. Thick, powerful muscles were covered by heavy, solid dark armor. Grand General Budo threw a domineering punch straight at Iori's head, only for it to be stopped by a bare, unarmored hand.
Slap!
The crackling arcs of electricity scattered and dissipated, illuminating the pitch-black mask and Budo's resolute face.
He blocked it with his bare flesh, Budo's eyes shifted slightly.
Meanwhile, Iori nodded inwardly, decent strength.
"Izo… I don't like that name. Just call me Iori."
"An uninvited intruder has a universal name, that is, 'thief'!"
Budo increased his strength. Powerful currents surged throughout his body, and the mere force of the rising wind threw the entire study into chaos.
"No, I'm different from ordinary trash. Although I didn't receive an invitation, I already had an appointment, one that every baby makes at the moment of birth, absolutely guaranteed."
Iori stood up and smiled faintly. "And that is me, the 'God of Death'!"
"You want to be my god of death?"
A rare smile appeared on Grand General Budo's stiff face, but it quickly hardened into rock-solid severity and steel-cold indifference. "What arrogance!"
BOOM!
Without the slightest concern that this was his own room, when Grand General Budo unleashed his full lightning, the enclosed environment instead became the perfect execution ground. No one could possibly escape Budo's judgment here.
…In fact, Iori, engulfed in layers of lightning, had never intended to dodge.
"Sever the Void!"
Clang!
An invisible barrier appeared in front of Iori. Countless bolts of lightning struck it and were mercilessly repelled, instantly triggering a massive explosion throughout the room.
Whoosh!
Grand General Budo burst out of the smoke, tearing off his outer garments midair. Underneath, he wore only an ordinary shirt, with metal gauntlets wrapped in lightning on both arms.
As he swung his arms and the gauntlets collided, a thick bolt of lightning shot into the smoke. At the same time, pieces of armor manifested one after another on different parts of Budo's body.
By the time he landed on the grass outside, a full-coverage suit of battle armor had assembled itself, making his figure look like a towering iron fortress.
"So that's how it is, you can directly summon the other components. This type of Imperial Arm seems to use subspace technology, doesn't it?"
A question came from afar. The meticulous and cautious Grand General Budo did not answer, nor was he particularly clear on it himself.
When the first emperor created the Imperial Arms, the nation's power was at its peak, inheriting many miraculous technologies from the previous era. As a result, many Imperial Arms possess abilities that seem utterly baffling by today's standards.
For example, the "core" of biological-type Imperial Arms, as long as this thing isn't destroyed, the Imperial Arm can continuously regenerate, nearly immortal… something even super-dangerous creatures themselves cannot achieve.
Then there are the automatic summoning and equipping functions of armor-type Imperial Arms. No matter how you look at it, those don't resemble abilities of dangerous creatures at all, they were clearly added during design to make things more convenient for the user.
However, all such black technologies have been completely lost. Even the Far Eastern island nations have no inheritance of them… but at least finished products still exist, so there is still hope.
Iori emerged unscathed from the thick smoke. Looking at the 'Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech' on Grand General Budo, he narrowed his eyes with interest.
'Demon Armor, Grand Chariot, Thunder God's Rage… If I were to collect all three sets of armor and study them side by side, could I reverse-engineer this spatial technology?'
Budo had no idea what Iori was thinking. Otherwise, he would certainly have been furious, because no one had ever dared to let their mind wander while fighting him.
At the same time, the earlier explosion had already alerted the guards. Well-trained soldiers poured in from all over the estate, surrounding the area completely.
"Stop."
Unexpectedly, the Grand General raised his hand to halt his subordinates. "All of you, stay back. This man is not someone you can deal with. He must be punished by my own hand. Remaining within Adramelech's range would be extremely dangerous."
"A wise judgment."
Even surrounded by enemies, Iori showed no panic at all, speaking as casually as if greeting an old friend.
"But it's meaningless, because I harbor no ill intent toward you. I came here this time only to make a suggestion to the Grand General."
"You sneak into my residence, steal my private letters, and yet you claim you have no ill intent?"
Budo clearly did not believe Iori. "You can explain yourself slowly after I lock you up in a prison cell."
The heavily armored man stepped forward. It was just a simple movement, yet it caused the surrounding air to grow "restless." A strange sensation crawled over everyone present, making the hair on their bodies stand on end.
The guards, knowing better, quickly retreated. They understood this was the prelude to the Grand General fighting seriously. Once he went all out, the area would turn into a sea of lightning, leaving no room for anyone else to approach.
"As expected, trying to persuade a warrior with words alone is impossible."
Iori drew Ame no Murakumo, looking as though he had anticipated this all along. "Fortunately, I have some understanding of fists, blades, and swords as well."
———
"Huff… huff…"
The vast grassland had been turned into scorched earth. Within a radius of several hundred meters, it had become a forbidden zone of life. Even soldiers utterly loyal to Budo dared only watch from the very outskirts.
And the source of all this destruction, Grand General Budo, a man of towering prestige within the military, was now in a defensive stance, eyes locked on his enemy while breathing heavily, clearly having expended a great deal of stamina.
In contrast, Iori, standing on the opposite end, showed no signs of injury or fatigue whatsoever. Aside from his cloak being slightly damaged, he looked nothing like someone who had just gone through a fierce battle.
"Worthy of being called a peer of Esdeath. In terms of raw destructive power, you may even surpass her, and your mastery over Imperial Arms is impeccable… you're just slightly lacking in decisiveness and adaptability."
"That straightforward style works very well on the battlefield, but against me, it's a bit too clumsy."
"…You've fought Esdeath?" Budo asked with interest.
"She's not a woman who holds back. To her, battle is beasts devouring one another. A hunter never lets their prey escape. Yet you're standing here perfectly fine… does that mean she lost?"
"She lost," Iori replied without concealment, almost overly frank.
"In my view, your Imperial Arms are evenly matched in terms of performance. Lightning has greater destructive power and speed, but if you were to fight to the death… barring accidents, you would not be her opponent."
"So that girl is stronger than me?" Budo was somewhat unwilling to accept it, yet he knew Iori had no reason to lie.
In truth, he understood this well. Adramelech and Demon's Extract are Imperial Arms of the same tier, both belonging to the element-manipulation category. Strictly speaking, Adramelech even has greater practical value than Demon's Extract.
Because every Imperial Arm has an implicit usage threshold. No matter how excellent a weapon is, if no one can use it, or if it poses extreme danger to its user… its value is inevitably greatly diminished.
Just like Grand Chariot is theoretically an upgraded version of Demon Armor, free from the erosion of dangerous creature cells and battle will, yet Demon Armor's upper limit is clearly far higher.
Among the many Imperial Arms, Adramelech has relatively high requirements, but they are still achievable, and once mastered, it has no obvious drawbacks.
By comparison, Demon's Extract is on an entirely different level, utterly negative to the extreme. Before Esdeath appeared, no one had ever successfully mastered it. Ordinary people would be driven insane by the mad will inside the moment they touched it.
To tame Demon's Extract and fuse with it perfectly means that Esdeath has become a humanoid super-dangerous creature, with inner potential rivaling or even surpassing the original.
As the heir of a long-established great family, how could Budo not understand what this meant? He had long prepared himself mentally for being surpassed by Esdeath.
Now that it was confirmed by Iori, he merely sighed, "So fast."
The Ice Queen is only twenty years old now. Even by normal human growth standards, her physical abilities have not yet reached their peak. In other words, she is still on an upward trajectory… truly frightening, the younger generation.
That said, while Esdeath is terrifying, she still falls within Budo's "realm of understanding." Iori, on the other hand, completely defied his common sense.
Setting aside the various strange abilities, how did this man manage to cultivate both swordsmanship and martial arts, possessing immense power while remaining unbelievably agile?
Generally speaking, true experts don't have glaring weaknesses, but they almost always have a focus. After all, a person's energy is limited, while the path of martial arts is endless. Only by investing time and effort into one's most gifted area can strength be increased with maximum efficiency.
Yet through their recent exchange, Budo discovered in shock that Iori had no "focus", and no weaknesses either.
What was truly despair-inducing was that in every single aspect, Iori could steadily suppress him… this was an overall gap, something tactics or techniques simply couldn't bridge.
If someone claimed that Iori could defeat War God Esdeath, Grand General Budo would choose to believe it.
"I never imagined… that the Revolutionary Army would have such an expert." Budo looked at Iori in disbelief. "Someone like you, and yet you were completely unknown before?"
'No, something's wrong!'
The man's expression changed. He frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly realized something. "If Izo is just a false name, then you're actually… the Faceless One? The wanted criminal who assassinated so many key figures?"