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Krydella also came to the window, stood on tiptoe and watched the three people disappear into the snow, her scepter pointed directly at them.

"Because they are still useful!"

However, after saying this, Caesar did not explain why she did it, but instead asked Esdeath a question.

"Han Yingjue, judging from your current perspective, how do you think we can take control of the entire Northern Territory in the shortest amount of time?"

Esdeath clearly hadn't expected Caesar to suddenly ask her this question. She immediately rested her chin on her hand and began to think, but after much thought, she could only come up with one answer.

"Use the prince's name to wage war against all the nobles and take over the northern border directly."

This answer is certainly full of Esdeath's personal style, but it is indeed the "fastest" method at present.

After all, Esdeath believed that they had an absolute advantage, namely, an absolute powerhouse like Hazel!

No matter how many nobles there are, with Lady Cold Shadow Esdeath and Lady Sword Banner Hazel together, they can absolutely wipe them out!

Isn't it just about killing enemies on the battlefield?

Esdeath's favorite thing to do is kill enemies!

“Not a bad answer, but you’ve forgotten one thing, Han Yingjue.”

"If we make such a big commotion, the Southern Empire will certainly not remain indifferent and will definitely send troops to join the war, bringing the entire Northern Kingdom back to its previous state."

“Even the rebels might try to sabotage our next steps.”

If Crydella wants to control the North, she must win this civil war and unify all the forces in the North.

But the world situation is no joke. When war breaks out in the North, external forces will inevitably take advantage of the situation and deliver the most fatal blow!

Although Imperial Minister Ernest was a treacherous minister, he was also a capable one; otherwise, he could not have single-handedly ensured the operation of the entire empire when the emperor was merely a puppet.

From the perspective of the empire's interests, the unification of the north is absolutely detrimental to the empire, and Ernest, as a minister, will certainly try every means to prevent it.

They might send out hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of troops!

"But so what?" Esdeath didn't care about the Southern Empire's attitude at all, nor did she care about anything the rebels did. "If they dare to send troops, Sword Banner Lord and I will surely become the sharpest blades in your hands!"

In Esdeath's view, even if those chickens and dogs gathered together, they would be no match for them.

"No, you still don't understand what I mean, Han Yingjue."

"Admittedly, you and Sword Banner Lord are among the world's strongest, I have no doubt about that, but no matter how strong you are, you are still just two people, and you cannot fight on multiple fronts."

"If the Empire divides its forces into five, or even ten, routes to attack from different angles, you and Lord Sword Banner will surely be victorious, but the rest of the land will suffer..."

Although Caesar suddenly gained an army of 100,000, the problems within the army were equally obvious. Among her subordinates, only Sword Banner Lord and Cold Shadow Lord could be considered elite soldiers.

In other words, there is a severe shortage of talent!

Whether they encounter ordinary soldiers or stronger soldiers, it's not a problem. But if the Empire sends out Imperial Arms users, then the army without Esdeath and Hazel will be completely wiped out, with no one surviving!

Crydella could fight the Empire head-on, but that would definitely deplete the resources she had just acquired, leaving her as a commander without any troops.

"So, for the ultimate goal, I let the three assassins from the resistance go and gave them some money as well... Only in this way can the situation be stabilized again."

Caesar's choice to extend goodwill to the assassins was tantamount to extending goodwill to the rebels.

While it's impossible to completely control the other party's thoughts, it can greatly increase their goodwill towards you, thereby holding back the Empire as much as possible and preventing the Empire from intervening in the war in the north.

Barbara's assassination attempt on the Northern Emperor has put her assassination squad and Krydela in the same boat. Barbara and her team will certainly not dare to speak carelessly, as it could lead to their deaths.

And didn't the resistance forces recently fail in their negotiations with the Northern Kingdom?

If Caesar were to ascend the throne, the rebels might be able to successfully renegotiate with the North, a win-win situation. They could then fight the Empire together—a win-win for everyone!

"So while the Empire is busy dealing with the rebels, we must do our best to accumulate our own strength and strive to become a behemoth that no one dares to underestimate before the Empire can react!"

After hearing Crydella's words, Esdeath seemed to have a sudden realization, and the expression on her face became much more cheerful.

Ultimately, we only have three things to do...

"Store up grain, build high walls, and delay declaring yourself king!"

"Let's use this time to stockpile provisions. An army that's starving can't win battles. Also, we need to intensify the soldiers' training and not let them slack off. Otherwise, they might get beaten up by others right after we finish fighting and leave."

Finally, Krydella's eyes narrowed.

"Don't reveal your true strength or ambition too early, as it will attract a lot of unnecessary trouble..."

After speaking, Caesar stopped looking at the snow outside the window and returned to his seat, which was covered with books, to deal with matters in the castle.

"The chessboard is ready. Once the corresponding pieces are moved to their appropriate positions, the 'Blitz' will begin!"

PS: The "blitzkrieg" tactic in chess creates attacking opportunities for subsequent pieces by moving central pieces.

They often break stalemates through containment or ambush, and are highly concealed, making it difficult for the enemy to detect them in advance.

Kerr & Hazel / Akame ga Kill!: Chapter 22 The Empire's Test

Inside the magnificent palace, a stout man sat on the steps in front of the throne, listening to his subordinates' reports.

"I see, so something like that happened in the north..."

Without hesitation, he took a bite of the greasy meat in his right hand. The man was unusually silent for several seconds, but his gaze seemed to penetrate all obstacles and see everything that was happening on the northern battlefield.

"I understand what happened. You may leave now."

After nodding, the messenger left the man as quickly as possible, leaving him alone on the steps.

Generally speaking, only an emperor could act solely according to his own ideas in such a magnificent palace, disregarding everyone else's opinions.

But the man before him was not the emperor, merely one of his attendants. Yet, he was the greatest mastermind in the entire world of Akame ga Kill!, and also the rebels' greatest adversary: ​​Minister Ernest!

However, just as Ernest was pondering matters concerning the North, a voice suddenly caught his attention, causing him to immediately stand up from the steps and perform the most basic courtesy.

"His Majesty!"

A little boy who looked to be about five years old emerged from a side passage, surrounded by maids, and soon came into Ernest's sight.

Perhaps because he had seen his most "loyal" subordinate, the little boy's face showed a genuinely happy expression, and he ran over to Ernest's side without caring about the maids' nervousness.

"Minister, I've come to see you again. I hope it won't bother you."

"Of course not. His Majesty's affairs are of utmost importance to the empire. How could he possibly disturb me?"

Faced with the young emperor's persistent questioning, Ernest's face lit up with a bright smile, looking as if he were coaxing a child.

And that was indeed the case; the boy before them was the emperor of the empire, and a genuine child at that.

Because the late emperor and empress died young, the little boy, who had no brothers or sisters, had to ascend the throne at a young age and become the ruler of the country.

"To be honest, the empire is now entirely run by the minister. I am too young to handle these matters... I really have to trouble the minister."

“How could it be troublesome?” Ernest’s attitude remained unchanged. “Serving the Empire faithfully is my duty as a minister, and I certainly cannot disappoint His Majesty!”

"Moreover, the late emperor entrusted everything to this old minister, and this old minister will naturally do everything in his power!"

The image of the late emperor and empress's tragic deaths flashed through his mind, but Minister Ernest's expression remained unchanged, even harboring a hint of mockery in his heart... He had poisoned the late emperor and empress, and the empire was already a mere shell of its former self!

And most importantly, the young emperor is now in my hands, and the future of the empire is mine!

I can do whatever I want!

"I am truly gratified to have a minister like you!"

The young emperor smiled and nodded, but the smile quickly disappeared from her face, because when she arrived, she had seen the thoughtful expression on the minister's face from afar.

"But Minister, has something been wrong lately? You looked terrible just now. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Your Majesty's eyes are truly discerning; this old minister could not be fooled after all!"

After offering a few words of flattery to the young emperor, the minister recalled his previous report and relayed the matter to him.

Although the emperor was still young, in order to become a wise ruler, he would listen to the reports from his ministers every day to see if any major events had occurred in the empire and its surrounding areas.

According to the young emperor himself, this should be the training to become a king?

So even though the young emperor was not energetic enough, he still wanted to personally understand the situation inside the empire and could not always let the ministers do the hard work.

"Here's what happened..."

Just a few months ago, the empire dispatched an army of 300,000 men, delivering a fatal blow to the northern barbarians and throwing the northern kingdom into chaos. The emperor's power was weakened like never before, and he was even unable to command his nobles.

All of this was Ernest's plan. Once the entire north began to fall into chaos, Ernest would not hesitate to send troops again to try and take over the entire north.

Of course, the rebels will definitely try to sabotage things during this period, and the Empire will certainly have to find a way to deal with this situation.

But before that, something bad will definitely happen in the entire north!

Ernest has received news that the old king of the north seems to have been assassinated without anyone's knowledge... This has made the already chaotic situation in the north even worse, and even put the entire northern kingdom at risk of disintegration!

The reason lies in the actions of the previous night. According to intelligence from imperial spies, several nobles have joined forces to form a powerful army, preparing to directly capture Prince Numasekha of the Northern Kingdom.

It seems they want to emulate me and try to control the emperor to command the feudal lords.

Ernest had initially intended to think highly of them because of his similar experience, believing their operation would be successful.

But it failed...

"So this is what they mean by a foreign race!"

Compared to himself, who was born in the empire, those people were utterly weak; they couldn't even handle a single prince.

This series of events changed Ernest's assessment of the North once again; these northern barbarians were far too weak.

However, among them, there was a name that piqued Ernest's interest... He led the prince's army to defeat the rebels who wanted to attack, and for this achievement, he became a favorite of Numasekha.

It's said to be a woman?

The name seems to be Kelidesla?

"Hahaha! Your Majesty, isn't this quite interesting?"

"Yes, that's true. I never expected that the prince in the north would have such subordinates... Shouldn't we do something about it?"

The young emperor seemed to be deep in thought, but how could a five-year-old child possibly have a solution? So he finally looked at the minister in front of him, seeking help with his eyes.

"We really should do something... It would be best to test the waters first!"

Judging from intelligence gathered by spies in the north, the allied forces of the northern nobles had clearly been annihilated.

The complete annihilation means that no news has been sent out, and Krydela's side can completely change the "history" of this war, because history is written by the victors!

Even a shrewd minister like Ernest could not possibly know all the details of that war. Therefore, in order to prevent the North from expanding again and returning to its previous state of power, it was necessary for the minister to send out scouts to test the enemy's strength.

If the enemy truly only defeated the 60,000-strong army by luck, the minister naturally wouldn't do anything unnecessary. But if the enemy is hiding some crucial information and intends to rise again…

Then Ernest wouldn't stand idly by!

"Your Majesty, let's send out a small force to probe first. If the enemy truly possesses formidable strength..."

"Then send a powerful general to completely annihilate them! I think the newly appointed General Najendan would be very suitable!"

"Hmm!" The minister's words once again brought a smile to the young emperor's face, and deepened his trust in the minister.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Minister!"

Kerritt & Hazel / Scarlet Eyes: Chapter 23 A Woman Full of Mischief

"That concludes today's training. Everyone can rest now."

Near the castle, Esdeath was leading her soldiers in physical training, preparing for future wars.

Lord Caesar has ordered that they will not launch a preemptive strike against the territories of other nobles in the short term. Therefore, in order to maintain the army's fighting strength and even enhance its overall power, the entire castle immediately began a period of rest and recuperation.

In addition to sending personnel to surrounding towns to recruit new soldiers, they are also responsible for training these new soldiers to develop them into effective combat forces.

The person in charge of this matter was none other than Esdeath!

Despite being younger than everyone else present, Esdeath alone is worth hundreds, or even thousands, of people in terms of combat power.

Originally, only two people in this army were truly convinced of its authority: one was Kerudela, who was, after all, the highest leader in name only, second only to the prince.

Secondly, there's Heather. The killing of 60,000 enemies that night is still fresh in their minds!

Esdeath did not do anything earth-shattering, and most people did not know her, only that her title was Lord Cold Shadow.

So after Esdeath, this little girl, took over the entire army, many people naturally stood up against her... However, in just a few days, those dissenting voices completely disappeared!