With that initial recognition, the sense of unfamiliarity toward Eblana among Night Raid's members faded considerably.
To avoid stiffness in future interactions, everyone took the initiative to chat with her a little.
Chelsea's purpose in being here was to foster more goodwill toward the Revolutionary Army in Eblana, but now clearly wasn't the right time.
So for the moment, she simply joined the conversation as a new member of Night Raid.
Besides, Najenda was still busy introducing Revolutionary Army contacts to Eblana, helping them take root faster in her growing network of power.
Chelsea almost wondered if her own presence here was unnecessary.
At this rate, Najenda hardly needed monitoring at all.
Though they were all just getting acquainted and didn't have much to talk about, the atmosphere and topics Najenda guided them through made for a pleasant first meeting. After Eblana left, two people wore complicated expressions.
One was Akame. She realized that after the meal, she'd have to go meet Kurome. According to Najenda, Kurome was in her own room, and a Servant of Lamentation would guide Akame there as soon as she left the dining hall.
Everyone was surprised and curious about Akame having a sister, but Akame's troubled expression and thoughtful mood made it clear now wasn't the time to press.
The other person with a complicated look was Mine.
"If Lady Eblana becomes emperor, what will happen to children with both imperial and foreign tribe blood?"
Her question wasn't strange. During their exchange, Eblana had hinted more than once that the foreign tribes would eventually become her target.
Though she never spoke of annihilation, her clear lack of fondness for them was obvious.
It was safe to say Eblana shared the dislike most imperial citizens felt toward the foreign tribes.
Najenda remembered clearly—during their first meeting, Eblana had openly expressed displeasure at the Revolutionary Army's cooperation with the tribes.
Of course, Najenda didn't like them either.
As the Empire's main enemy, frequently attacking imperial cities, burning, killing, and plundering, the foreign tribes were, in Najenda's eyes, a people steeped in sin and blood-debt.
Even Mine was born to a woman who had been assaulted after a city was massacred by the tribes.
With half foreign tribe blood in her veins, she was abandoned in the city after the Empire retook it, living without knowing who her father was.
Not long after she turned five, her mother passed away too.
Whether her mother was alive or dead, Mine faced endless discrimination from imperial citizens. And it wasn't just her—other mixed-blood children suffered the same, born as they were from the blood of invaders.
She didn't care what happened to the foreign tribes.
Honestly, the father who abandoned her and her mother was an object of hatred—not just hers, but for all mixed-blood children with foreign tribe fathers.
Mine had joined the Revolutionary Army hoping to change the Empire, to improve the lives of mixed-blood people like herself and end the discrimination.
The reason for their discrimination was that foreign tribe blood—and with Eblana's attitude toward the tribes seemingly no different from others in the Empire, Mine couldn't help but worry.
If her own identity were discovered, not only her, but her comrades might also face consequences from that dragon-woman superior…
"Don't worry, Mine," Najenda reassured her. "Lady Eblana doesn't discriminate against or favor anyone based on bloodline. I can guarantee that."
She didn't explain why—after all, she couldn't exactly say Eblana herself had suffered because of her own lineage.
Though whether it was truly a disadvantage was debatable.
Judging by Eblana's personal experiences and current mindset, she was a pure meritocrat. Innate bloodlines meant nothing to her—otherwise, she wouldn't be rebelling but scheming to usurp the throne.
Someone who disdained her own princess status and aimed to become a founding ruler—would she care about bloodline?
But such words couldn't be spoken aloud, at least not now.
Unaware of Najenda's inner thoughts, the others trusted that she wouldn't make promises without reason.
After calming down a little, everyone followed Najenda out of the dining hall. Except for Akame, who went with a Servant of Lamentation toward Kurome's room, the rest were assigned their own quarters under Najenda's arrangements.
They'd only be staying about three days, so there was no need for special preparations or refurbished furniture—the existing guest rooms would do just fine.
Besides… though "just fine" made it sound modest, these rooms were far better than their Night Raid base on the outskirts of the capital.
Truly fitting for an earl who amassed wealth and lived in extravagance.
Meanwhile, Akame stood before her sister's room, gazing at the luxuriously decorated corridor and the top-quality wooden door, her face filled with hesitation and thought.
"Aren't you coming in?"
From the other side of the door, Kurome's voice suddenly rang out, making Akame, who was still tangled in her thoughts, shiver slightly.
No footsteps had been heard—she'd been waiting behind the door all along.
Realizing this, Akame stopped hesitating and reached out to knock. "May I come in… Kurome."
The response was the door opening, revealing a familiar face that showed little emotion.
Both of them felt stiff at that moment, because in each of their imaginations, their reunion would have been on a battlefield or during some mission.
A clear, bright morning, a corridor bathed in warm sunlight, no swords, no scent of blood—meeting like ordinary sisters was a scene they hadn't even dared to imagine, one that hadn't appeared in their dreams for a long time.
"How… have you been lately?" Remembering Eblana's reminder, Akame decided to test the power of kinship.
"…" Kurome wasn't sure how to answer. She was a prisoner now—theoretically, not well at all—but everything she'd experienced these past few days left her unable to say she'd been doing poorly.
Instead, she changed the subject. "I never thought you'd come to see me on your own, sister."
"…" Akame almost said she hadn't come entirely voluntarily.
Though she always talked about wanting to kill Kurome, to free her from the Empire's control, she truly hadn't planned or intended to seek Kurome out actively.
This time, it was only due to unexpected circumstances and necessity.
After a moment's thought, she spoke bluntly. "I want to save you."
Those words instantly cooled Kurome's gaze. After all, the last time they met, "saving" in Akame's words meant killing her.
"Kurome, let's fight for the Empire together," Akame continued.
"For the Empire?" Kurome smiled faintly, skeptically. "Surely you don't mean the Empire I know, sister."
"That's right," Akame nodded, determination in her eyes.
"I mean the Empire that we, and everyone in the assassination squad, desperately wanted to protect and create in the past. In other words… the Empire of our ideals."
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.