Akame ga Kill: Starting with Dual Kamui Chapter 14: Vice Captain of the Imperial Capital Security Fo

"Let's go. I'm done here."

With that, Esdeath prepared to leave with Blayn.

"Where to next?" Blayn asked.

"I'll take you to get acquainted with your new position."

As they left, Esdeath didn’t spare Aria a single glance. She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt irritated, but the reason was simple—at this point, she had no real concept of love. Romantic feelings had never crossed her mind.

It wasn’t until later that sothing clicked, making her suddenly interested in the idea of a relationship.

And when that happened, she had five key requirents for a potential partner:

Ambition—preferably soone aiming to beco a general.

Courage—even if unard, he should be willing to hunt Danger Beasts with her.

A background similar to hers—soone from the border regions, not the Imperial Capital.

Younger than her—easier to dominate.

A pure smile.

From Esdeath’s perspective, Blayn happened to et nearly all of these criteria. The only thing missing was the "pure smile." He had only ever shown a genuine smile once, back in Jisei City, and that single mont had left an impression on her—though not strong enough to be considered love at first sight.

Still, since she had yet to understand romance, she wasn’t aware of what these feelings ant. She just knew she found the blonde girl annoying for so reason.

For Aria, however, being ignored by Esdeath was a relief.

She had been scared out of her wits monts ago, her face still deathly pale. Seeing Esdeath walk away without doing anything to her, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"M-My lady... we should leave... quickly..."

One of the guards whispered nervously to Aria, his voice trembling.

After all, who wouldn’t panic at the sight of General Esdeath?

Aria nodded quickly and quietly slipped back toward the carriage.

anwhile, Esdeath's presence had drawn the attention of nearly everyone in the area.

She was imnsely popular in the Imperial Capital—not just for her beauty, but for her overwhelming strength as a general. More importantly, she was known as the most approachable general in the Empire, treating commoners far better than most nobles did.

"Wasn't that Lady Aria? I heard her family is... not exactly normal. They trick newcors into trusting them, then lock them up and torture them..."

"I've heard that rumor too. Looks like she tried to lure in another young man, but it turns out he's soone General Esdeath knows?"

"That must be it. That guy’s definitely no ordinary person. Just look at how casually he talks to Esdeath—he doesn't act like one of her subordinates. That crazy noble nearly got herself into serious trouble this ti."

While the crowd continued murmuring amongst themselves, Aria’s carriage quickly sped away, loaded with her excessive shopping haul.

"My lady, we really almost offended soone untouchable this ti..."

The guards were still shaken by their encounter with Esdeath.

As Aria’s personal guards, they were well aware of her family’s twisted hobbies—sothing they never dared to question. They were just hired hands, and none of them were foolish enough to risk their jobs—or their lives—over a misplaced sense of "justice."

The only one with any conscience was the guard who had spoken to Blayn earlier. He had subtly tried to warn him but hadn’t dared to be too direct.

In the original story, this sa guard had also given Tatsumi a vague warning, though Tatsumi completely failed to pick up on it.

Knowing just how depraved Aria's tastes were, the guards were understandably terrified.

If sothing had actually happened to that young man, their lives would have been in danger as well. After all, Esdeath was infamous for her cruelty.

"I thought he looked like an outsider... but I never imagined he actually knew that crazy woman..."

Aria’s face darkened, suddenly losing the charm she had displayed earlier.

Since Esdeath wasn’t around, she freely referred to her as a "crazy woman" in private.

At least she could be grateful she hadn't actually done anything to Blayn yet. Not that it mattered—she had already lost interest in him. Even if Esdeath hadn't shown up, she wouldn’t have bothered torturing him.

Either way, she had dodged a bullet this ti.

As they walked, Esdeath began explaining Blayn’s new role to him.

"I spoke with the Pri Minister, but there's no way to make you skip straight from a civilian to my deputy. Simply put, you lack the necessary rits," Esdeath stated. "But I figured you wouldn’t be satisfied starting as a regular soldier either. So after so discussion, the Pri Minister decided to place you in the Imperial Capital Security Force. They're short a deputy commander right now, so you'll be filling that position. It’s already a pretty good starting point."

Even when she first arrived in the Imperial Capital, Esdeath had to prove herself in combat before earning a position as an official soldier.

Given that soldiers were paid well and the Empire was in a state of corruption, recruitnt standards had only beco stricter over the years—after all, the Empire couldn’t afford to maintain a bloated army.

In other words, Esdeath had already bent the rules for Blayn. Getting him in as a regular soldier would’ve been an achievent, let alone making him the deputy commander of the Imperial Capital Security Force—a position much higher than an ordinary soldier.

It was a safe, comfortable job. No need to march into battle, just routine patrols around the city.

"That’s actually pretty good. Thanks," Blayn said, recognizing how much effort Esdeath had put into securing this for him.

"This is just your starting point," Esdeath replied. "With your abilities and potential, I have no doubt you'll earn the rits needed to beco a general soon enough."

It was clear—this was what she wanted for him. To rise through the ranks, to reach for the sa goal she had once set for herself.

"Yeah, I’ll do my best," Blayn answered.

He wanted to see more of the Imperial Capital. More of the Empire itself.

If he beca a general, he would have a broader perspective—more insight into the workings of the world around him.

Only then could he decide what he truly wanted to do in this world.

"But let make one thing clear," Esdeath said suddenly.

"You may not be joining my campaigns just yet, but you're already mine. If you ever need anything, co to . And another thing—I don’t want to see a repeat of today’s events."

Her tone shifted as she reached out, pinching Blayn’s chin and tilting it up slightly.

"Do you understand?"