Emiya Shirou doesn't want to work overtime

"It's nothing, my back is just a little itchy, I'm just scratching it."

Lubbock smiled awkwardly, shook his head, and extended his hand, feeling a slight sense of relief.

Perhaps he was a bit too oblivious, as he brazenly used his Imperial Arm in front of strangers.

But that's not actually the case. On one hand, the threads of his Imperial Arms are extremely fine, and most people can't even see them.

Even Tatsumi, whose strength ranks among the top in the Empire's army, could not detect the trap that Lubbock had set up around him without being alerted by others.

On the other hand, if one is truly surrounded by the Empire, the sooner one uses the Imperial Arms to investigate the situation, the better, as life is more important than exposing oneself.

The empire would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

If he is suspected, there is no other way but to leave immediately. It's just an intelligence gathering place, nothing compared to a Teigu user.

Emiya didn't ask any further questions. After all, everyone has their own secrets, and the man in front of him didn't seem to be a bad person, so Emiya didn't expose him.

Can you read it to me?

Emiya lacks everything except money.

Riva gave him a large sum of money when he went to the street in front of the palace.

Emiya originally intended to refuse.

However, Riva said that money was of no use to people like them, and that most things in the empire would be free if he wanted to.

Emiya was different from Riva; to them, he was a country bumpkin. So Riva gave Emiya a large sum of money, since he didn't need it himself and might as well do him a favor.

Emiya also believed that the money was useless to him, as he would not continue living in the Empire, so it was better to let it be of greater use to him.

"?"

Lubbock, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered.

"What?"

Lubbock couldn't figure out what the boy in front of him was really after.

"I can't read, I can only have normal conversations, so could I use this money to ask you for a favor?"

Emiya answered Lubbock's question with deep apology.

"..."

Lubbock originally thought that Emiya was just a country bumpkin like Tatsumi who came from who-knows-where.

Unexpectedly, he turned out to be the son of a hidden landlord.

This money is enough for them to launch a night raid and kill those scumbags whom the civilians resent.

"Are you sure you can't read?"

Emiya Shirou speaks very fluently, and Lubbock doesn't quite believe that Emiya is illiterate, especially since he looks like an educated person.

Being from the countryside doesn't mean being uneducated; at least Tazmi was educated and literate.

Emiya shook his head.

Lubbock's ability to become an assassin was based on his ability to judge people's expressions.

In his eyes, Emiya did not appear to be lying at all.

Fortunately, he is a kind person. If Emiya had taken that money out into the street, who knows what kind of bloody storm it would have caused.

Emiya had also considered this issue, which is why he didn't just take the money to any random hotel to inquire about things.

Asking directly might not be a good idea, but asking others directly could lead to negative consequences.

Although Emiya didn't care about the gold coins, he understood the importance of keeping his wealth out of sight. He wouldn't cause trouble for himself or others.

"it is good!"

How can you not make money when you can?

Moreover, studying is much easier than assassination.

Why would Lubbock be unwilling to earn this money?

This was like a windfall, and he had no reason to refuse it.

Time flies, and as Lubbock continued to explain, Emiya gained a basic understanding of the Empire.

If you enter, you will be unable to control the people at home, if you leave, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will be permanently destroyed.

However, it is precisely because of the empire's abnormally powerful nature that it has become extremely distorted.

Northern barbarians?

Esdeath alone could slaughter them all; she posed no threat whatsoever.

Without the threat to their lives and with ample food and drink, all that remains is indulgence. Without the support of virtuous ministers and a wise ruler, the country will quickly descend into corruption.

The death of the current emperor's father has directly exposed the empire's corruption.

"boom----!"

A terrifying crashing sound came from outside the door.

Even the two people sitting inside the shop felt an extremely strong gale and the ground shook.

What exactly happened outside?

Lubbock lowered his head, seemingly trying to suppress something.

Lubbock, who had been keeping a close eye on the area around his shop, already knew what was happening outside and who was causing such a commotion.

But he had to stay calm.

Emiya, unaware of what was happening outside, stood up, not noticing Lubbock's unusual behavior beside him, and walked towards the door.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Emiya was choked by the dust that was constantly flying up outside as he stepped outside, and he had difficulty opening his eyes.

But a stumble allowed him to see clearly the extent of the baptism the ground in front of him had just endured.

The entire road is no longer as smooth as it used to be.

An extremely wide ravine appeared before Emiya.

A woman with an orange ponytail, who looked extremely cute, stood at the bottom of the ravine, her hands transformed into extremely thick cannon barrels, her face filled with anger.

"Those who bully the weak shall die!"

Emiya glanced in the direction opposite her, and an extremely eerie scene unfolded before his eyes.

Blood was splattered all over the ground, and several ragged people were scattered in pieces on the walls, in the ditches, and in the nearby shops.

Their flesh and entrails were scattered everywhere, and the entire area of ​​houses was destroyed in an instant.

Emiya could see that some people were still trapped under the rubble, crawling out in terror, and no one dared to reach out to help them.

The scene resembled a disaster zone, with residents running in panic in all directions, each preoccupied with their own survival.

As for those who were torn apart, Emiya could only see regret and despair constantly reflected in their eyes.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Justice for Both

"them----"

Emiya's pupils suddenly contracted. He remembered that these people were the young men who had bullied other children in this area before.

But now, they no longer have the right to bully anyone; they can only repent for their past mistakes in the boundless darkness.

But what shocked him even more than the deaths of these people was that the body of the child who had been bullied was also among the remains.

Emiya looked at the brutal woman in disbelief.

But the woman's hands had somehow returned to normal, and her extremely fierce expression had completely disappeared.

She picked up a cute, pure white puppy, which gently rubbed against her cheek, creating a heartwarming scene.

If it weren't for the fact that it was in a dusty ravine.

"Did you kill them?"

Emiya rubbed his eyes and walked towards her, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him, wondering why those hands could transform into such thick gun barrels.

"For the sake of justice, such scum should be sentenced to death."

She made no attempt to conceal her actions, her face filled with contempt as she looked at the mutilated corpses.

"And what about the child?"

Emiya points to the child who has fallen into the ditch.

"Him? An accomplice!"

She frowned slightly as she thought about it, then answered Emiya's question with utmost seriousness.

That's all!

Emiya didn't understand, and couldn't figure it out.

Those nobles who treated the people like animals, or even worse than animals, were not punished in any way.

These civilians who bully each other will be punished with death.

Even innocent people around them are implicated.

The forced child didn't even have a chance to explain before being executed by the girl.

Yes, Emiya believes that the accomplice was coerced.

It wasn't because the child was kind enough.

Rather, not a single part of his body was intact, and even at the moment of his death, his expression was filled with exhaustion.

How could such a person possibly have the experience of joining the perpetrators in harming another person? He can only drag his weary body to complete the tasks assigned to him by those people in order to continue to survive.

Didn't you ask about their situation?

"Ask them? They'll just make up all sorts of excuses. I only trust my own eyes!"