Imperial Capital — The Royal Palace.
"Heh... I leave the Capital for just a few days, and that fat pig Honest has already moved into the palace?" Selene remarked with amused disbelief as she strolled through the gilded corridors of the royal residence.
After finishing her business with the rebel headquarters, Selene had immediately returned to the Capital. But when she went to the Upper City to visit Minister Honest's mansion for a discussion, she found the place abandoned.
Only then did she learn that Honest had moved into the Royal Palace itself.
This was no minor feat. The palace wasn't the castle complex—it was the Emperor's own residence. Even the highest-ranking nobles and ministers in the Empire—people like Selene and Great General Budo—only lived in the Upper City or, at most, the castle grounds.
Honest, however, had just set a new precedent: the first non-royal to take up residence within the palace itself.
What's next? Planning to play Head of state, you fat toad?
The only unfortunate part was that the late Emperor's concubines and maids had already been executed under Honest's own orders. He might have managed to desecrate the royal chambers, but bedding the "dragon's couch" was forever out of his reach.
"..." Hearing Selene's mocking tone, the attendant leading the way lowered his head even further. That was a conversation he definitely wanted no part of.
"General, this is the Minister's palace," the attendant said quietly.
The palace that Honest occupied was excessively lavish—nearly on par with the Emperor's own central residence. Even the corridor walls were gilded and silver-inlaid, an ostentatious display of wealth and corruption.
When the attendant bowed and gestured toward the entrance, Selene gave a polite nod.
She didn't even need directions. Her acute senses easily picked up the thunderous sound of snoring echoing from deep within the palace—more than enough to pinpoint her target.
"Tsk... not eating for once, but sleeping in broad daylight? What a fine minister he is," Selene muttered dryly.
Minister Honest truly lived up to his reputation—the Empire's greatest gravedigger, the Revolutionary Army's best secret agent, and the ultimate MVP in the destruction of the Empire.
"There are guards in hiding."
Before even entering, Selene had already sensed the dozens of presences lurking around the palace—personal guards, stationed even while Honest slept. Clearly, the man was well aware of just how many enemies his corruption had earned him.
"Ibara, Sten—stay here. Go wake up that fat pig Honest for me. I've got business with him."
Inside the lavish white-and-gold palace, Selene walked to the banquet table, pulled out a chair, and sat down as if she owned the place.
"Yes, General!"
Two faint figures stirred from the shadows, and a raspy male voice responded.
Gesturing for the servant to prepare tea, Selene leaned back comfortably. She had no desire to personally wake Honest. Seeing that mountain of fat in his undergarments would've been far too traumatic.
"Oh-ho-ho! Welcome, General Selene! What brings you here today?"
Moments later, Honest waddled in, looking even more spherical than before—one hand holding a platter of roasted meat.
Without saying a word, Selene flicked her wrist. In an instant, the spoils from the rebel headquarters appeared before them—Teigu and Shingu of every kind arranged across the chamber.
"General Selene, what is all this..."
Even Honest—usually the very image of a scheming, unflappable politician—found his composure cracking at the sight of so many powerful relics laid out before him.
"I wiped out the southern rebel headquarters," Selene said nonchalantly, resting her cheek against her hand as she crossed one leg over the other.
"Wha—?!"
Cough, cough, cough—! Honest nearly choked on the meat in his mouth, eyes bulging in disbelief. "What?! You—you destroyed the southern rebel headquarters?!"
Selene nodded casually. "You could say that. I'm not sure if anyone survived, but the entire base was reduced to rubble."
Taking a sip of her tea, she added with a faint smile, "By the way... how's your little 'court cleanup' going? If there are any stragglers left, do you need me to forge some treason documents for you?"
"Uh... no need, not for now," Honest stammered, dabbing the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. He was deeply shaken.
He had finally witnessed firsthand what it meant to have a god-tier ally. As long as she wasn't your enemy—Selene was terrifyingly reliable.
"These are the photos I took of the rebel headquarters," Selene said, tossing a stack of images across the table. "It's all been leveled, of course... but if you don't believe me, Minister, you can send someone to verify it. It's in the southern mountains."
Taking the photos, Honest compared the "before" and "after" of the site and felt a muscle twitch at the corner of his eye. This woman was terrifying—she hadn't just destroyed their base; she had created an entire basin.
"Hahaha... how could I doubt you? So, General Selene, what sort of reward do you desire this time?" Honest asked with a strained smile.
Selene didn't hesitate. "The Teigu and Shingu recovered from the rebels are my spoils of war. After the council exhibition, I want them officially granted to my subordinates."
She paused, then added calmly, "Also, I want Dr. Stylish from the Imperial Science Bureau transferred under my command."
...
"Well then, a pleasure doing business with you, Minister Honest." Selene raised her glass with a faint smile.
"Likewise, General Selene," Honest replied, forcing a laugh as their glasses clinked with all the sincerity of two serpents hissing in unison.
After a round of polite deceit and mutual pretense, their agreement was sealed.
"I'll be waiting for your good news, Minister Honest." With those words, Selene vanished into thin air.
"..."
Silence filled the room. Honest stared at the spot where Selene had stood moments ago, the look in his eyes dark and wary.
He knew this partnership was far from equal. The moment he lost his usefulness, Selene would discard him without hesitation. But what choice did he have?
Power ruled all.
Having a being of Selene's caliber—someone who transcended the limits of humanity—willing to "play within the rules" at all was a miracle in itself.
After a long silence, Honest finally muttered, "Notify Gozuki. Have him take the assassination squad to the southern mountain range..."
...
"General!" ×N
As Selene exited the palace gates, a large group of Imperial Guard officers and soldiers stood waiting. Seeing their eager expressions, she couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"So impatient to get your hands on Teigu, are you? What's wrong—afraid I'll keep them all for myself? Don't worry... my spoils will go to my own troops. But you'll have to earn them."
She smirked. "I'll hold a tournament among all twelve divisions of the Imperial Guard. The victors will be awarded Teigu and Shingu."
"Haha! With your word, General, we're relieved," one officer laughed. "We're not afraid of any other division. Just watch—we won't embarrass you!"
...
Hearing the lively chatter of her officers, Selene's spirits lifted. She had confidence in her forces—especially the Eighth Legion. After all, under Sebas' carefully administered micro-doses of Honkai-enhanced serums, their physical strength had improved dramatically.
"Come on," she said with a grin. "Let's head to my residence. Dinner's on me tonight."