I love time travel the most!

Leone yelled and started punching and kicking Kobayashi.

She hates riddle tellers the most.

Being slow-witted was her fault, but speaking incompletely was Xiaolin's fault. Enraged, she naturally didn't hold back, beating Xiaolin until she was bruised and swollen before stopping.

Well, to avoid arousing suspicion, I'll just pretend I got beaten up.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Borus's wife was beautiful, and his daughter was lovely. Under Borus's loving care, the mother and daughter lived a very happy life.

But everything changed after Borus died.

They mourned as they visited the graves of their husbands and fathers, only to be bullied by their husbands' former colleagues who had once vowed to take care of them.

That's right.

There are scumbags everywhere in the capital. There's no need for Sheila; those people have been coveting them for a long time.

He leered and stepped forward, tearing at the clothes of the young woman and girl, wanting to defile his wife and daughter in front of her husband's tombstone.

"How do you feel when you see them being bullied?"

"...very angry."

“You are gentle, but your gentleness should not be reserved for the corrupt capital. It needs your anger to purify it. Go, purify them.”

"I see."

—Burn!

Chapter 74 Esdeath: Kobayashi is definitely not an undercover agent

The Hunters were originally established to counter night raids and prevent thieves from causing trouble in the capital.

But now, only a few days later, several hunters have died, and the bandits are becoming increasingly rampant.

"What exactly is going on?!"

In the magnificent palace, the young emperor, sitting in the main seat, asked with an air of authority, "General Esdeath, give me an answer."

He has the demeanor of an emperor at such a young age.

pity……

"May I say it this way, Minister?"

The next second, he turned to ask the obese middle-aged man next to him.

The boy's immaturity is perfectly demonstrated, which shows that he is now being manipulated by the ministers and is just a puppet on the table.

吭哧吭Chi——

The minister, who was tearing into a raw steak, looked up.

Stroking his greasy beard, the elder, feigning gentleness, praised, "Well said, Your Majesty. But General Esdeath is a loyal subject of the state; she cannot be reprimanded and blamed so harshly."

"That's right."

The young emperor nodded as if he understood but not quite.

"And this isn't entirely General Esdeath's fault; it's all because the thieves are too cunning. So let's hear General Esdeath's explanation." With the young emperor's reprimand already in place, the minister pretended to be the good guy and play the villain.

“You’re right, Minister.”

The young emperor nodded and looked at Esdeath, who was kneeling on one knee below, and asked, "So, what explanation do you have, General Esdeath?"

"Yes."

Esdeath responded with a single sentence: "It was all my fault, and I am willing to accept the punishment."

The two of them were completely stumped.

Before the meeting, the ministers had told the young emperor that he should only give him a slight reprimand and should never actually punish him.

After all, Esdeath and the minister had no direct conflict of interest, so there was no need to make a big deal out of a small matter.

Therefore, Esdeath could have used a ridiculous excuse like "I'm feeling unwell because of my period" but unexpectedly she took all the blame.

But that's precisely where its charm lies.

"Well... General Esdeath has only just returned, so it's understandable that she doesn't yet know the strength of the thieves. Right, Your Majesty?"

“Yes, you are right, Minister.”

They were the ones holding the other party accountable from the beginning, but now they're the ones making excuses for them.

It's kind of funny in a way that's hard to describe.

"But this matter is still very strange." The minister said seriously, "The members of the Hunters are all Imperial Arms Users, so the loss of three of them so quickly must be a problem."

"What does the minister mean?"

Esdeath tilted her head slightly.

Instead of speaking directly, the minister inquired, "Isn't there a new recruit in the general's army? I remember his name is Kobayashi?"

"Yes, he was someone I personally recruited."

"Didn't the general suspect him?"

The members of the hunters were all personally selected by the ministers, who knew their backgrounds, personalities, and strengths very well, so they knew that the hunters would not die so soon.

unless……

The thieves knew their weaknesses and targeted them specifically.

Among the hunters, only Kobayashi is an unknown variable, so it's hard not to suspect him.

"Does the minister mean that he has a problem?"

Esdeath understood what the other party was implying, but before the minister could nod, she said, "Kobayashi is someone I personally recruited."

"but……"

"I trust my subordinate; he couldn't possibly be a thief." Esdeath denied it decisively, her expression seemingly displeased.

It was impossible to persuade the other party.

The minister fell silent, his eyes flickering slightly.

Although he is bad, he is very smart and has a clear understanding of everyone's role; otherwise, he wouldn't be in his current high position.

But the thieves are still rampant, and Esdeath is too confident.

It seems necessary to recall Sheila.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Damn it! Ouch—it hurts!"

Will slammed his fist on the table in frustration, but winced in pain because his injuries hadn't healed.

"Don't try to be a hero now," Hei Tong said coldly.

Will clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "But Polus and Seryu were actually... Damn it!"

He was muttering curses under his breath; you could tell he was very angry.

But having been ambushed and seriously injured right from the start, he can only sit here in helpless rage.

“Borus and Seryu are dead. They were just too weak. They have no one to blame but themselves.” Esdeath’s words were rather ruthless and cold, but she added, “But they were my subordinates and your colleagues. There’s nothing we can do but avenge them.”

"Ah! I will definitely avenge them both!" Will clenched his fists, looking determined.

Black Eyes suddenly interjected, "Will, you should just give up. You're too weak."

These words almost broke the innocent boy's spirits on the spot, because they were so damaging to his morale.

When you finally get serious and want to show your determination, the next second you're mocked for being too weak. No one can accept that.

"I am, after all, a Teigu user!"

"A Teigu user who was knocked from inside the castle to outside in a single blow?"

"That was a sneak attack!"

"It's true that he was knocked out of the city and seriously injured."

"Uh... I can't argue with that."

Will opened his mouth, but in the end he could only admit that it was his fault.

Kobayashi said with a hint of disappointment, "I'm sorry, I was wrong too. I didn't leave the thieves who attacked at night behind, but chose to run away instead."

He still had some scars and bruises on his face, and his clothes were a little disheveled, but he looked much better than Will, who was wrapped in bandages all over.

"It's not your fault, Kobayashi. It's all Will's fault for being useless and getting knocked away so easily."

While offering words of comfort, Hei Tong also belittled Will.

Will reassured him, "That's right. To escape from the combined attack of two Teigu users with only minor injuries is already quite an achievement."

If Kobayashi made a mistake, then the mistake he made was even bigger.

"Damn it! If we hadn't changed the patrol area last night, Polus and Seryu wouldn't have had to... Damn it! Ouch—ouch ouch ouch!"

Will was both angry and annoyed.

I don't know if I'm angry at my own incompetence or furious at the thieves' rampant behavior.

"No, this is not your fault."

Esdeath said, "I asked you to make the change, so if last night's ambush was indeed a deliberate scheme, then the people who are dead now would most likely be you and Kobayashi."

This is why she didn't suspect Kobayashi.

Actually, she had been testing Kobayashi for a long time.

From being rejected the first time I was invited, to later taking the initiative to apply to join.

It's impossible not to have doubts.

Therefore, Esdeath tested Kobayashi many times, and even sleeping with him was a test... although the idea of ​​testing only took a small part of her mind.

Even when she wasn't on guard, Kobayashi didn't make a move against her.