10 KM away from the capital.
In the Hideout of the Night Raid. Three gorgeous won were facing each other, in silence.
The White haired one, with one eye and one arm missing was keeping herself calm as she tried to analyze anything she could find.
In front of her, like a saintness gracing the world, the Pink heard one had kind and affectionate eyes, as she had a small smile on.
By her side. A more beautiful woman was sitting leg on another, her noble bearing and her apparent skill, giving her a particular grace.
She had a cutely crooked (Like Marjorie Tyrell's) elegant smile, completely devoid of any sign of power, but brimming with malice. Her Hood behind back and the hidden blade in her wrists were indicative of her identity.
Suddenly a screaming was heard from the outside:
"NAJENDA!!!"
"Oh my~"
"Look at thatQuite the Fast response."
" Your people are quite dependent on youGeneral Najenda."
Kassandra spoke praise to the still stoic Najenda. Euphemia nodded in acknowledgent:
"I am quite Impressed too."
Imdiately one silhouette after the other appeared, as the previously deserted room got filled with quite the colorful crowd. Lubbock appearing by her side, spoke first:
"Najendabe careful! Those hooded people are extrely dangerous !"
Najenda sighed:
"You don't need to tell ."
She crossed eyes with Kassandra:
"It's quite obvious."
All the mbers of the Night Raid focused their attention on the sitting Kassandra, noticing her familiar attire, they all took a deep breath. Kassandra, her smile still plastered on her face, didn't miss her chance:
"Oh my~ "
"It seems you have t so of my Brothers."
Leonne narrowed her eyes:
"The Brotherhood, huh"
Mine had quite the serious face:
"Why are you doing all this in the city?"
Kassandra titled her head, as she pointed to the gorgeous princess by her side:
"No. No."
"I am only here as a Bodyguard."
She bowed her upper body slightly:
"If you have questions, you should talk to her Highness."
Hearing the way the woman addressed her, all gazes focused on Euphemia.
Despite the pressure, she was calm and serene, like a flower blessing the field.
Euphemia had a beautiful smile as she presented herself:
"Now, that everyone is here, we can finally start talking."
"Nice to et you allNight Raid."
"I am Euphemia Vi Britania, Second Vizir of the Empire."
She then for the first ti announced the information they've been wanting to understand the most:
"The Atleasian Empire."
Everyone imdiately tensed up, as they still didn't even understand from where those people ca from. Euphemia then continued:
"Our Objective is to take over this country."
They opened their eyes widely. Mine spurted in surprise:
"What?!! Are you serious?!!"
Leonne narrowed her eyes:
"So this why you were killing all this people"
Euphemia tilted her head sideways:
"We cannot allow corrupt criminals, and rotten power-hungry nobles in the Empire. His Majesty has demanded their imdiate execution."
Lubbock had a deep gaze:
"So you are here asking us to join your side, huh"
Euphemia tilted her head:
"We don't know each other enough to do that yet."
"My only request is for you to sit and watch."
"You could intervene at any mont; would you judge our policies is contrary to your principles."
Leonne raged, a pissed off voice:
"Why should we trust you?!! What if you are worst than the last regi?!"
"Why if you are doing all of this just to calm us down!"
"Do you think everything can be resolved with shatter?!"
Even though, Leonne was screaming, Euphemia's smile only grew warr, as her shining eyes locked with her feline yellows ones:
"You really do care about this countryI am happy this place still got people like that"
Leonne still glared, her intensity not going down in the slightest, like a Roaring Lioness.
ButEuphemia wasn't finished, her warm expression then turned more solemn, as she bascule to a much more restrained tone:
"But should youBased on simple assumptions, start a Revolution?"
"I understand your concerns. But what if you are wrong?"
"Are you going to gamble the life of Millions just because you think so people are not up to the job?"
She had saddened gaze:
"I could understand a war when the two sides fight for different interests."
Euphemia eyes beca colder, showing her Imperial Britanian blood, a domineering aura coming from her!
"But I would never allow a aningless war, when the Two Sides are fighting for the sa things!"
Her domineering aura made them all understood.
This was not a young nave princess. This was a ruler who will not be pushed around! A worthy foe, if they ever face her!
She then looked at Najenda, a warm smile on. So Warm that it even moved her cynic heart.
Everyone of them were baffled by her words.
Most nobles in this world were either filthy, corrupted trash or bat-shit crazy psychopaths.
The ideals of nobility and valor of the High Society were spread but they were never respected.
Until, this very mont.
They never saw soone resemble that version of the 'Noblesse' this closely. Every world, seed classy, graceful, with deep wisdom and panache.
In the last days, passing at the Head of the Empire, as she accumulated more responsibilities, as she recovered from her trauma, Euphemia grew more and more as a person, as a regent and as noble.
Euphemia as of now, is still blooming, her potential only growing with each passing day.
"We will take care of everything. You only need to act according to your will"
"I dearly wish for all the suffering in this Country to disappear."
Her rose eyes were brimming with shining determination.
Najenda instinct imdiately told her:
'She is honest. No. More than that. She is determined.'
If one was to tell Najenda how she idealized a perfect ruler in her youth, it would resemble sothing like that.
"I would like you all to deliver that ssage to the Revolutianary Army."
"A new Empire is about to established and they are welco in it."
She then had a solemn face:
"This is the first thing I ca to say."
"The Second one is concerning your list of Targets."
Najenda was surprised:
"What do you an?!"
Euphemia had a stern face:
"All the people in you target lists are felons and criminals all around the Empire."
"I will trust your judgnt on that, General Najenda."
"If you give this list."
"Neither one of them, no matter how powerful they are, will see the day."
Najenda had a large smile:
"Do you think you could pull that off in a day's ti?"
Euphemia grinned a little amused:
"General Najenda you better get used to surprises with us."
" But if you don't believe , let's make a bet, shall we?"
All the mbers were intrigued, since when the conversation beco this lively?
Yet, Lubbock who knew Najenda the most, had already understood her intention:
'She wants to believe her. She is giving her a chance too.'
Euphemia also understood her position, so she ca up with an idea:
"Let's sayIf we can take out anyone on your list by the sun rise. You will be my aid for 2 Months!"
Najenda opened her eyes, a little surprised. Euphemia's grin got bigger:
"I would need the insight of soone who had deep knowledge of the Empire, so that I can Rule here."
All the mbers of the Night Raid felt strangely more and more comfortable around this woman:
"You can even take it as spy mission and report to the Revolutionary Army. I don't particularly mind."
Najenda's surprise turned into a weird expression:
"Would you trust that much? I am quite the dangerous type."
Euphemia responded naively as if she asked a stupid question:
"Why wouldn't I? You are already proved that you care about this country more that anyone."
She then looked at Leonne as she added:
"And Trust goes both ways. I can't expect you to trust , if I don't do the sa, can I?"
Leonne and Najenda both laughed at the sa ti, to dismay of Euphemia. She turned her attention to Kassandra who only had an absurd smile on.
She had heard of The Second Vizir's character from The Emperor and the Empress. But now she got to witness it herself.
'It absurd how much this person is good at swaying people into her own pace. Even The First Vizir isn't her match at all.'
'And the weirdest thing is that she doesn't seem totally aware of it.'
Najenda gradually stopped laughing as she exclaid:
"I see! How interesting!"
She looked deeply at Euphemia and said to the surprise of the rest mbers of the Night Raid:
"You can have the List."
She then stopped:
"But before thatI want to know one thing."
Euphemia who know what she ant spoke her word:
"It's about Esdeath, isn't it?"
Najenda nodded, as she asked:
"If you claim to overthrow the Empire today, you need to fight the Empire"s strongest."
Euphemia tilted her head:
"ActuallyThe Plan for Esdeath is quite peculiar."
All the mbers of the Night Raid were focused. This was Esdeath, after all! The Number One Target! The Biggest obstacle to prosperity!
The Unbeatable monster!
Euphemia sighed as she dropped the bomb:
"The plan is for Esdeath to be reford not killed."
""""WHAT??!!"""
All had the sa baffled and incredulous expression! Najenda who knew her best responded:
"Do you really think you could change that demon?!"
Euphemia had a complicated face:
"No, even I couldn't do that."
Kassandra for the first ti, in a while spoke:
"Only one person could."
Deep Worship and Love were in her words. Najenda stared at the Assassin's maidenly face as she spoke:
"Only His Majesty, the Emperor could."
Najenda sneered:
"You seem pretty confident."
Kassandra eyes were still affectionate:
"There is nothing in this world his Majesty can't do."
Euphemia had serious eyes:
"Those are all details. But one thing is sure."
"After today, she will disappear from this part of the Atleasian Empire."
She locked eyes with Najenda:
"She will be in a place where she could freely be herself."
Najenda narrowed her eyes, understanding her aning:
"So you are planning to use her to fight your wars"
"Even a Blade can create peace. It only needs to be used by the correct person."
Najenda sighed, as Lubbock brought her the papers:
"I don't know how you convinced to do that"
"But I certainly hope your Emperor is half as good as you."
The mont she ended her sentence, she felt extre blood lust coming from Kassandra, as her smile seed a little bit colder.
All the mbers of the Night Raid were frightened! Najenda felt the Blood-lust that didn't lose to Esdeath's at alll!
She made eye contact with the woman:
"I seem to have said so unnecessary things."
Euphemia smiled, as she made a hand sign for Kassandra to calm down:
"I understand your doubts. But you will soon et him anyway."
Najenda had an intrigued face.
"I will et him in the Imperial Castle after we cleanse the Empire."
She had a teasing and girly smile:
"You will be my aid by then~"
Najenda shaken up once again, smiled powerlessly:
"I seeSo that was your goal from the start."
She then took the papers and put them in front of the Princess, as she had a defying glare:
"That is only if you succeed."
Euphemia took the papers from her hand as she nodded:
"That is a matter of course."
She then stood up:
"Well. I still have quite the busy schedule."
And made eye contact with the other mbers of the Night Raid:
"If any of you had any follow up questionsI will be happy to answer!"
All of them had too much to process, they couldn't even ask one question. They stood in silence, before they heard a calm and cool female voice:
"I have one."
Aka who have been silent the whole ordeal finally spoke in an uncharacteristic way.
Surprisingly or not, she wasn't addressing Euphemia but Kassandra.
Najenda narrowed her gaze in thought.
'Aka, rarely talksAnd normally keeps her opinion to herself.'
'There must be sothing to it.'
All the mbers of the Night Raid thought the sa.
Kassandra smiled beautifully, as she felt a little connection with the girl.
Both were girls ford as Assassins, both were unrivaled geniuses between their pairs and both cherished their companions the sa way.
This kind of connection is extrely subtle, yet highly tangible.
"Speak."
Aka had her cool and calm voice:
"Just now, we t your organization when we were about to Eliminate the people at Aria's mansion."
Kassandra nodded for her to continue:
"They took care of the Family mbers but spared the guards."
Her eyes revealed her confusion :
"Even protecting them in the process."
Leonne and Mine now, knew what she was about to talk about. But before she continued, Kassandra smile turned from her artificially elegant one, to one of guenine love and devotion, as she recited like a mantra:
"Humans are creatures of good, but are easily swayed by evil."
All the mbers of the Night Raid opened their eyes in surprise. Najenda narrowed her eyes in wonder.
"Free Will is not the only thing to bla. The Choice itself is the bigger problem."
"If the Choice of pursuing evil is given. Then the problem already lies within the country."
"Ruling is not depriving people of their Free WillBut is all about giving the people the right Choice."
Kassandra had the eyes of a maiden, and as the words ca out of her mouth, her heart seed on display. As if transported into her youthful, precious mories.
Najenda sighed as she processed these words, understanding why it touched Aka that much.
'It's about Kuro, huh'
Aka clenched her hands as her doubts were confird:
"So you knew these words too"
Kassandra responded:
"It's one of our nurous creeds."
"All mbers of the Brotherhood, keep those words in their heart."
Aka had a deep light in her eyes:
"And who taught you 'that creed'?"
Kassandra's eyes beca kinder:
"My ntor."
Aka had a little longing in her eyes:
"Is he here in this country?"
Kassandra:
"He is indeed."
"He is at the Imperial Castle."
All the mbers of the Night Raid seed to have trouble understanding. But Najenda was the first to tick as she addressed Euphemia:
"It seems I didn't need to worry."
Aka was still confused. Kassandra laughed lightly:
"He is in the Imperial Room waiting for his Second Vizir to co back."
This ti everyone understood. Leonne was the first to talk:
"You an?!"
Aka had determination in her eyes:
"So, it's the Emperor, after all."
She turned to Najenda:
"Najenda-san, I want to accompany you."
Najenda nodded, as she sighed:
"It seems this will be a long night."
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Since it had quite the good reception! I will keep writing the Author Thoughts here!
The AGK arc is not about war and fighting and more about ideology and way of governing. Marek's relation to his own subject and his own people.
It's more of character driven arc, so there will be more dialogue then fights. I know it could bore so people out there. But, hey....Kingdom Building is also about Internal governance!
Hope you will like it! The Arc will be short tho...
I noticed that not a lot of people comnt compared to other fics, is there so reason to it, just asking!
GIVE POWWAA!(And comnts too!!)
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