Chapter 140: Investigations Require Evidence, Counterterrorism Only Needs Lists
Early the next morning.
Three girls in black and white maid uniforms stood before the western gate of the Imperial City, two of them with tearful eyes swirling with reluctant emotions.
Their hands clasped tightly in front of their chests, resembling a nun's prayer.
They were Womyn and Remus, who served as maids in the mansion.
Having heard that their master and his friends were leaving the Imperial City on a mission, they had woken up early to rush over and see them off.
However, there was another girl who had come along, though she puffed out her cheeks and turned her small face away.
Only her slender pink twin tails swaying in the morning breeze were visible, along with her delicate jade-like back and subtly shrugging shoulders.
"Master, please be careful and come back soon."
The tearful Remus and Womyn waved their small hands at Mahiro and the others who were about to depart, their glistening eyes filled with reluctance and attachment.
"Wah... Why won't you take Mine along, stupid master!"
The pink twin-tailed loli sniffled, her eyes growing misty.
Ever since following Mahiro in the western borderlands, the two of them had never been separated, always acting together.
Even when Mahiro occasionally left home, it was only for a few short days. Never had there been a situation like this—being away for so long and going so far!
She was worried—during those days when she wouldn't be by his side, whether Mahiro could take proper care of himself.
What would he do about meals?
Who would wash his clothes?
If she wasn't there to warm his bed at night, what would he do if he felt cold?
She was practically acting like a worried mother. Thinking this, Mine could no longer contain her reluctance and immediately burst out.
"Wah, master, I want to go with you!"
Mine slowly turned her pretty face back, looking with tearful eyes at Mahiro who was about to leave.
"Alright, don't be willful. I'm going on a mission, it's not like I'm abandoning you in the Imperial City to go have fun. I'll return after the mission is over."
Mahiro gently comforted Mine, placing his hand on her head and softly stroking it.
He hadn't realized how much time had passed—the once thin and small Mine had already grown so much.
For a moment, he felt somewhat emotional.
However, Mine had originally wanted to say something more, but his actions made her swallow her words.
She understood clearly that she couldn't be willful, that she couldn't cause trouble for Mahiro, so she suppressed all her emotions and only said pitifully:
"Then master, you must be careful, remember to come back early. Mine... will miss you."
As she spoke, Mine suddenly jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, her exquisite cherry lips lightly brushing against his.
Just a brief touch was enough to make Mine's small face turn completely red, then she released him and turned to run back toward the Imperial City.
She moved so fast that Mahiro didn't even have time to react, and could only watch her petite figure gradually disappear into the distance.
Quite a distinctive farewell gift, that was.
However, this scene happened to be witnessed by the others who had just finished saying goodbye to Womyn and Remus.
Akame and the others were filled with envy.
They not only envied Mine for being so intimate with Mahiro, but also envied Womyn and Remus. Though the two had little talent as assassins, Lord Yotsuba hadn't abandoned them. Instead, he had arranged another path for them.
Being able to work and serve Lord Yotsuba in the mansion—just by looking, one could tell how blissful that must be.
Afterward, under the gaze of the two maids, their team set off.
The journey to the northwestern border was extremely far from the Imperial City, almost beyond its jurisdiction. This was precisely why the Revolutionary Army and foreign tribes could run rampant and attempt to collude.
Under normal marching conditions, reaching the northwestern border would take at least half a year. Riding horses at a faster pace would shorten it to about two months.
The journey was undoubtedly long.
Therefore, they couldn't afford to dawdle and immediately urged their horses forward at full speed.
However, just over ten minutes after they set off on horseback, Kurome's faint voice called out from behind.
"L-Lord Yotsuba, can we... slow down a bit?"
Mahiro tugged the reins and turned to see little Kurome, lagging a hundred meters behind, slumped over the horse's back, her small body wobbling unsteadily.
In truth, all eight of them were riding horses for the first time and lacked his absurd level of control, so they needed time to learn and adjust.
That was why Mahiro had deliberately slowed the pace slightly, not pushing to the limit. Yet he hadn't expected Kurome to fall behind.
"What's the matter?"
"Lord Yotsuba, I... I can't reach the stirrups."
Kurome called out weakly.
Upon hearing this, Mahiro took a closer look and indeed noticed her small feet couldn't reach the stirrups.
Kurome wasn't tall, and the warhorses requisitioned from the military were overly large, leaving her feet completely dangling in the air.
Not to mention this was Kurome's first time riding a horse—she had no idea what to do and simply clung to the horse's back, barely managing to keep up.
In contrast, Poney, who was also underdeveloped, acted like a wild child, looking excited as she rode on horseback without a care in the world.
That made sense. Though Poney was also quite flat, she had grown tall enough to be almost the same height as Akame, so there was no need to worry too much.
"I must admit, I overlooked this point..."
"No, it's not Lord Yotsuba's fault. Kurome is just too useless," Kurome whispered softly.
"Um... Lord Yotsuba, if it's really not working, perhaps Kurome could ride with me. I'll take care of her," Cornelia suddenly suggested.
"You? No, your riding skills aren't that great either. If you take her along, you might both get hurt."
Mahiro shook his head and bluntly rejected Cornelia's proposal.
Akame also seemed to want to say something but held back.
She had originally intended to offer to take her younger sister with her, but she was too slow, and Cornelia spoke up first.
However, after hearing Mahiro refuse, she gave up the idea.
After all, like Cornelia, this was her first time riding a horse.
Their riding skills were equally poor—they were barely managing to take care of themselves.
To become proficient, they would likely need over ten days of practice.
"I'm sorry."
Seeing that she was holding back her teammates, Kurome's delicate face showed a hint of embarrassment.
"It's fine. Everyone has a first time, and it's not your fault due to your natural physique. It's entirely my responsibility as the leader."
"So, Kurome, come ride with me."
Upon hearing Mahiro's words, the girls were momentarily stunned and speechless.
Indeed, a loss may turn out to be a gain!
They were so... so envious that Kurome got to ride with Lord Yotsuba.
"Yes, Lord Yotsuba."
Overjoyed by the sudden surprise, Kurome showed a sweet smile.
But before she could jump down from her own horse, Mahiro's whip had already wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Mahiro's arms encircled her slim waist, savoring the warmth and softness of her body while controlling the whip and reins.
Suddenly leaning against Lord Yotsuba's warm chest, Kurome broke into a sweet smile, happier than if she had gotten her favorite candy.
Seeing Lord Yotsuba taking special care of her younger sister, Akame's crimson eyes softened with tenderness.
"Kurome is so lucky."
Tsukushi and Gin lightly bit their cherry lips, gazing enviously at little Kurome sitting in Mahiro's arms.
"Let's go. Our first destination is the northwestern border." Mahiro nudged the horse's sides with his heels, and the horse dashed forward over ten meters.
Nahashu and Green, following behind, had long grown accustomed to this. Lord Yotsuba's indulgence toward the girls was nothing new.
Nahashu had already brought it up several times before, but Lord Yotsuba's response was always the same—he treated them like family.
It could be said that this approach was completely different from Gozuki's teaching methods.
But deep down, Nahashu didn't dislike this kind of atmosphere.
"Lord Yotsuba, look! There's a town ahead!"
Following Kurome's excited cry from his arms, Mahiro turned his head and peered into the distance. Indeed, a moderately prosperous town came into view.
After two months of travel, they had finally reached their destination!
"That should be Ohara Town ahead—the intersection point between the empire's northern and northwestern borders mentioned in the intelligence. The target of our mission is likely in that town."
"Lord Yotsuba, you never told us exactly who we're here to kill," Akame tugged on the reins and asked in confusion.
"Hmm, it's the rebel forces entrenched in the empire's northwest. They're attempting to collude with the northwestern tribes to oppose the empire, so our main objective is to eliminate those traitors who seek to overthrow the imperial rule."
"According to intelligence, the traveling performance troupe Sabatini, which roams various parts of the empire, serves as the rebels' eyes and ears. They're responsible for gathering imperial intelligence for the northern tribes and the rebels. They should still be performing in Daiyuan Town—that's our target."
"Lord Yotsuba, let me go exterminate them all," Nahashu said coldly, his hand already gripping the Water Dragon Sword at his waist.
Colluding with foreign tribes—that was the most despicable kind of existence. Though the empire's corruption was evident for all to see, the ravages of foreign tribes were even more terrifying.
How many border civilians had these scum slaughtered?
They deserved death!
"Lord Yotsuba... but we don't... don't have evidence proving they're rebels, right? We should investigate carefully first!"
Akame didn't support Nahashu's immediate kill-first approach.
Despite being trained as an assassin, her inherently kind nature still held considerable reservations.
"Akame, you're being too indecisive. Just follow Lord Yotsuba's instructions—they're never wrong. Besides, how could we possibly investigate them?" Poney said dismissively.
"There is a way. We could try infiltrating the troupe, making contact with them, and probing their background," Akame suggested while winking at Mahiro.
"Not a bad idea, but not the best choice either."
Mahiro shook his head in disagreement. "Establishing relationships with targets is the stupidest approach. As assassins—whether it's you, Akame, or any of the others—remember never to casually interact with targets. Otherwise, you'll only endanger your own lives."
"Moreover, criminal investigations require evidence, but counterterrorism only needs a list. Mercy toward enemies is the greatest cruelty toward ourselves."
Developing feelings after prolonged contact with targets leading to hesitation in killing, or being deceived by their lies—such situations had occurred before.
At the very least, it had happened to Akame in the original storyline, nearly getting her killed.
He just hadn't expected the girl to remain so naive even now, despite performing well in the assessment tests.
Then again, it was precisely this tenderness and kindness of hers that allowed Najenda to recruit her into Night Raid, making her a crucial character throughout the three-part series.
Akame fell silent, knowing Mahiro spoke the truth.
But the next moment, Mahiro suddenly changed his tone.
"However, since you suggested it, Akame, I'll make an exception this once to grant your request."
"R-really?"
Hearing this, Akame's eyes immediately brightened.
"Well, don't you just want to know the truth? Then let's investigate."
"Thank you, Lord Yotsuba!"
Akame never expected Lord Yotsuba would indulge her willfulness!
But Mahiro's thoughts differed from hers.
On one hand, he wanted to resolve Akame's inner conflict, making her understand they weren't killing innocents indiscriminately.
On the other hand, it was also Mahiro's personal consideration—such as some interesting methods to deal with Night Raid in the future.
"Lord Yotsuba, we can keep some captives alive for interrogation," Cornelia said solemnly.
"Alright, let's do that. As for the interrogation, leave it to me. I have my ways to make them tell the truth."
After speaking, Mahiro tugged the reins and headed toward Ohara Town.
After all, if they wanted to take action, they first needed to confirm the enemy's location.
Although this small town appeared prosperous, it was still worlds apart from the Imperial City—one could even call it a slum. However, being near the border, its trade with foreign tribes was quite thriving.
The group followed behind Mahiro and checked into an inn for the night.
Early the next morning, Mahiro dispersed them throughout Ohara Town to gather information about the Sabatini troupe.
Although the young emperor had provided considerable intelligence about the Revolutionary Army, there was very little about the Sabatini troupe—they didn't even know what their targets looked like.
The intelligence only stated that two northwestern foreign tribes were colluding with rebel forces, with the Sabatini troupe acting as their eyes and ears.
That made sense.
If the Empire truly had clear information, they would have dispatched troops to eliminate them long ago, rather than using assassins and spies from the covert operations department.
By noon, Nahashu and the others had returned to the inn one after another.
"Lord Yotsuba, according to intelligence I gathered from the square, the Sabatini troupe is led by someone named Sabatini, who travels with a group of performing artists. Today is the second day of their performances," Cornelia reported.
"Based on the schedule on their flyers, they will leave Ohara Town for their next destination the day after tomorrow. Lord Yotsuba, when should we strike?"
Nahashu added to Cornelia's report before posing his question.
"Let's wait until they leave town. That will make our operations more convenient," Mahiro replied after some thought.
Throughout this discussion, Akame remained completely silent.
She had already gone to watch the Sabatini troupe's acrobatic performance and found it to be just an ordinary circus troupe, nothing like the rebel forces described in the intelligence.
Kurome, who noticed her sister's concerns, softly advised:
"Sister, don't overthink it. We just need to obediently follow Lord Yotsuba's orders. Like me and Poney—we don't have the same worries as you."
"Yes, Lord Yotsuba would never make mistakes," Gin chimed in, having overheard the sisters' conversation.
Poney, hearing Kurome praise her, squinted her eyes and revealed her canine teeth in a smile.
Ignoring them, Mahiro took out a map from his luggage, spread it open, and pointed to a location five kilometers from Ohara Town—a necessary passage leading northwest.
"We'll strike here."
"The Mount Shiranami bandits?!"
Green adjusted his glasses upon seeing the location on the map and warned: "Lord Yotsuba, that area is occupied by a group of bandits, including many brave and skilled northern tribesmen..."
"So what."
Before Green could finish, Mahiro raised his head and smiled at him. "They're just a bunch of bandits. Perfect for warming you up, isn't it?"
"Exactly, Lord Yotsuba is right!"
Poney said enthusiastically, "If they dare disrupt our mission, I'll eliminate them for the people's sake!"
Cornelia and the others were also eager for action. Except for Akame, everyone was incredibly excited about their first mission.
Finally, they could officially test the results of their years of training under Mahiro!
As they prepared to set up an ambush on the necessary route to the northwest, they unfortunately encountered this group of bandits.
It was a bandit group of over a hundred people!
"Hehehe... Lucky, lucky. Never thought we'd run into so many beauties in this backwater. What a score!"
The bandit leader, carrying a large sword without a handguard, walked toward them. His lecherous gaze swept over the women's bodies, the disgusting look making them shiver involuntarily.
The bandits behind him also had their eyes light up at the sight of so many beautiful girls and immediately spoke up:
"Boss, shall we follow the usual routine, just like before?"
"Of course! Chop those three men into pieces to feed the pets. Don't let any of the women escape—cut their Achilles tendons and capture them all!"
However, their words made the women's fists clench tightly.
"Lord Yotsuba, can I kill them?"
Poney was like a beast on a leash; once unleashed, she would charge forward and eliminate these scum!
"I want that large sword."
Gin's focus was different—she had her eye on the long blade the bandit leader was carrying.
But their words made the bandit leader burst into laughter.
"Kill us? Do you know who we are? We're the Hiranami Bandits, the ones who scare children into silence!"
"Little girl, you better surrender quietly and become our public bus—"
Bang!
The bandit leader didn't even finish his sentence before he fell from his horse.
A hole, neither too big nor too small, appeared on his forehead, from which a trickle of crimson slowly flowed, staining the soil.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist."
Tsukushi held the still-smoking Prometheus and playfully stuck out her tongue.
"It's fine. I actually thought this guy was talking too much anyway. Take them out!" Mahiro said.
"Yes, Lord Yotsuba!!!"
Their responses echoed thunderously.
A one-sided, overwhelmingly bloody massacre quietly unfolded on this land.