You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

She wasn't even wearing shoes; her bare feet walked on the cold marble floor. Turning a corner, she arrived at the side hall, where the emperor would rest temporarily after handling state affairs during the day. It was like half a palace, and even the guards were specially selected female officials.

As the maids watched General Esdeath walk straight towards them with an icy expression, they mustered their courage to stop her, but a faint voice rang in their ears:

"Let her in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"..."

And so, Esdeath pushed open the door rather roughly without any hindrance, and the people inside looked over in surprise.

"Ok?"

She was taken aback. She had thought that only Iori was there, but she didn't expect that Najenda, Chelsea, and Akame were also there. After all, this was the emperor's private domain, not the study used to receive ministers.

However, upon closer reflection, including her, all of these people knew about Iori's "true identity" from the very beginning. They were the most trusted confidants, so it's quite normal for them to act closer to each other.

The people in the room were indeed standing or sitting casually on the sofa. Iori, the emperor of a country, did not put on any airs. Instead, he was seriously discussing the data on a document with Najenda.

Akame even indulged in the pastries on the shelf without a care in the world, with a maidservant specifically responsible for wiping her mouth and pouring her tea to prevent her from choking.

Chelsea, meanwhile, was admiring the exquisite antique vases and oil paintings in the room with fascination. Her eyes revealed that these items were quite valuable—even if Iori hadn't deliberately collected them, given his status, wealth in the ordinary sense would still flow towards him continuously.

Esdeath's intrusion shattered the peace, causing everyone to stop what they were doing... Well, Akame stopped what she was doing but didn't stop talking, remaining remarkably calm, befitting her former status as a top assassin.

"You really are impatient. How about you heal your injury first before coming to settle scores with me?" Iori put down the documents and rubbed her temples. "I suppose I am quite busy."

"It was a fair fight. I was simply outmatched. There's nothing more to say."

Esdeath said seriously, "I'm not an ignorant fool who would cheat after losing. If you think I'm here to cause trouble, then you're underestimating me!"

"Then what are you doing?"

Not only Iori, but the other three also became curious. They thought that Esdeath was too proud to bear such a crushing defeat, so she came to find Iori for a final battle!

To be honest, if that were to happen, Esdeath would essentially be committing suicide...

"Of course it's for you!"

Esdeath uttered a startling statement: "I want you, Your Majesty!"

"?!"

Snapped!

The pastry fell to the ground, scattering crumbs, and Akame stared in disbelief.

Najeta and Chelsea didn't react much better, but they managed to keep their expressions under control.

Iori blinked: "Huh?"

"...What do you mean?" the one-eyed female general asked cautiously, knowing that Esdeath had always been an eccentric person who didn't care about other people's opinions.

"Have you not……"

"I mean it literally, of course. I want this man named Aizen Iori, and I want everything he has to do with me!"

Esdeath, radiant and showing no trace of her recent defeat, confidently addressed Iori: "Your Majesty, I have never seen anyone more powerful than you! And I am certain that there is no power in this world above you—in any form!"

I used to think that even though you were a high mountain, I could still see the top. But the higher I climbed, the more I realized how big the gap was between us.

So I've made up my mind: I must become the strongest, until I trample this mountain of yours under my feet!

"...Wait, this is a bit strange." Iori looked confused and said, "Your ambition is simple, and everyone can understand that, but what does 'want you' mean? Did you say something wrong? Shouldn't it be 'defeat you'?"

"No!"

Esdeath retorted, "It wouldn't matter if it were any other opponent, but to surpass you, training and combat experience alone are not enough... Besides, there aren't any decent opponents within or outside the Empire that can make me 'evolve'."

That's absolutely right, and Iori nodded in deep agreement.

Warriors like Esdeath, with their beast-like instincts, are actually quite similar to "Saiyans." The greater the pressure, the easier it is for them to break through, giving them a sense of growing stronger when facing stronger opponents. The extent to which they can evolve depends on the type of opponent they fight.

Not everyone is Saitama, able to break through limitations through training and gain unparalleled, overwhelming combat power.

Esdeath, in particular, is practically unmatched in "Akatsuki: Red Alive." In a few years, she might even surpass the legendary First Emperor, becoming the greatest person in history—and she's not even thirty years old yet.

Reaching the pinnacle of the world before reaching adulthood is an immense achievement for most people, but for Esdeath it meant endless emptiness.

If she hadn't met Iori, she could have endured it, but after witnessing true power, she could no longer deceive herself in false glory.

However, she had no way to catch up with Iori. "Akane-Akame ga Kill!" lacked a systematic training method, and if she relied on fighting to sustain herself, there were few opponents who could put pressure on her...

The only way is to find Iori himself!

I want everything from you!

Esdeath emphasized again: "Your skills, your strength, your body, your spirit—all must become my whetstone. As long as I can stay with you, I will become even stronger!"

"Do not make jokes!"

Before Iori could even speak, Akame got impatient.

She swallowed her food with difficulty, then retorted in a hoarse voice, "Iori is the ruler of a country, she doesn't have that much time and energy to play with your nonsense! Besides, you are a general leading troops, what kind of person are you to spend all your time by the emperor's side?"

"Nonsense?"

Esdeath smiled confidently and said, "As the Queen, I can resolve this dilemma myself!"

"—!"

This idea shocked everyone. At first, they thought it was absurd, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to make sense.

The queen certainly deserved to stay by the king's side forever!

People with a political sense like Najenda even realized that doing so would strengthen Iori's control over the military and would be beneficial to the country... Hiss!

I can't find any reason to object!

"No, no, no..."

Akame shook her head frantically, unusually at a loss, and it took her a long time to figure out how to object.

"His Majesty the Emperor is extremely busy with numerous important matters; how can he possibly devote all his energy to—"

"Making children is also a very important task—for the emperor."

Esdeath stroked her chin, glancing at Iori who stood there speechless, and slowly curled the corners of her mouth into a smile.

"The instinct of living beings is to fight and reproduce. The stronger the bloodline, the more it should be passed down, shouldn't it?"

“…Huh?” Akame looked at Najenda blankly, hoping to get some verbal support from her old commander, but the one-eyed female general nodded with a wry smile, agreeing with Esdeath’s words.

As the saying goes, though the words may be rough, the principle is sound. For a "king," both a queen and an heir are essential, and these two can even affect the stability of the imperial regime—history has proven this countless times.

If Emperor Daizong of Ming had had more sons, that Oirat student would never have had the chance to cause trouble again.

Iori herself has no relatives to help her, relying solely on her personal prestige and powerful strength to intimidate all sides. In fact, she really needs "in-laws" to expand her base. And if Esdeath is her maternal relative... then no one will dare to make a move against members of the royal family in the future.

After much deliberation, Najenda was even considering stepping forward to support Esdeath:

Your Majesty, for the sake of the empire's eternal prosperity, please make this sacrifice!

"No, unimaginable!"

Akame was speechless for a long time, then stammered, "Just for this reason... This is about becoming husband and wife... What do you take marriage for?!"

"I don't want to be told that by a little girl who hasn't even grown her first hair."

Esdeath looked down at the black-clad, red-eyed female assassin. The contrast between her tall, voluptuous figure and the slender, red eyes was simply horrific.

"Don't let my love for swords fool you. I'm a girl in the season of love too. Even if I don't pursue greater power, there's nothing strange about a woman falling for a man, right?"

"happiness……"

This was the first time Esdeath had mentioned emotional factors. Akame immediately snapped out of her daze, no longer looking so lost and confused, but she seemed preoccupied.

Do you...like him?

“I have no interest in weaklings; the mating of beasts is full of violence, but there’s no doubt… he’ll produce very strong offspring with you.”

Although the cubs are weak, they have the potential to grow into powerful beasts. In the past, I always tamed them directly into adults... If I had the chance, raising a couple myself wouldn't be bad.

“Raising children is not the same as taming animals…”

"And her face is exactly my type."

"Varied--"

"Ok!"

Esdeath blushed slightly; even the bold Esdeath felt embarrassed, after all, she was just a budding young girl.

"It should be considered love at first sight... the moment I saw his true face before attacking the capital..."

"It started so early?!" Everyone was astonished that they hadn't noticed at all.

This Ice Queen is hiding her true identity so well...

"But...but this!"

Akame was speechless now, and in her anxiety, she finally remembered to find the person in charge.

"Iori! Say something! Tell her your true thoughts—"

"Hey~ Don't argue because of me~"

Go argue in the training ground, you won't get anywhere like this~

"—!"

Akame felt a sudden throbbing in her temples, and her fists clenched tightly.

That jerk with such a twisted sense of humor!

"Hmm~"

Iori, who loves watching women fight/argue, didn't notice that a beautiful white figure had appeared at the door at some point.

Seira von Einzbern, the newly appointed advisor and heir to the Heaven's Feel, is currently peeking out from behind the door, coldly observing the smug man with an expressionless face...

Chapter 163: Esdeath? All poses unlocked! (5K)

Since Esdeath's explosive declaration, only a few days have passed, and Akame, contrary to her usual behavior, has not avoided suspicion and has moved into the palace, visiting the Ice Queen almost daily to check on her injuries—anyone who didn't know better would think the two were very close.

Sera remained nonchalant, seemingly uninterested in the matter, except that the palace had recently been haunted.

It is said that one night a maid on duty saw a white figure loitering outside the Emperor's gate. She accidentally made a sound, which frightened the figure away.

The maid was later comforted and rewarded by His Majesty the King, and was promoted. However, His Majesty also abolished the system of night duty for maids.

On the surface, it's out of pity for their hard work, but this reason is not convincing.

And so, for some reason, rumors gradually spread that His Majesty the Holy King was "prone to sleepwalking and killing people," causing a minor disturbance.

As the protagonist of the incident, Iori has already created the conditions, just waiting for someone to be the first to break the ice.

This is a game of strategy, not only between the three girls, but also between Iori and them. Whoever wins will gain supreme power in their love life!

Iori may seem to be reacting passively, but in reality, she has already sparked a fierce competition among the three girls, and they are just one step away from the finish line, almost securing the victory.

The current momentum is encouraging, and if this trend continues, it's not impossible for Iori to live a "harem life"!

Now, it all comes down to who has the more patience and skill.

Iori remained calm and collected, finding himself quite relaxed while the three girls remained wary of each other...

With nothing else to do, I devoted my time and energy to studying.

Orochimaru, Kisuke Urahara, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Vegapunk... these people proved that technology is the primary productive force!

—On the premise that you don't encounter the main character.

As a transmigrator, Iori naturally doesn't care about protagonist halo or destiny.

After obtaining the supercomputer from Chaldea, Iori connected it to the Greater Grail, hoping to create a positive cycle:

The Greater Grail gathers energy from the ley lines, and a supercomputer then simulates and gradually expands the ley lines.

Besides this, the calculation device that Iori named "Crown" can also assist him in various research projects, from the modification of Imperial Arms to civilian technology. As long as a corresponding model is established and there is enough data, it can be used for calculation.

Just like in some historical novels where people make inventions and rush into the industrial age, such things would seem unrealistic in a normal worldview, but in a magical setting, with the blessing of the "crown," it's a piece of cake for Iori.

However, he also understands that "scientific progress" does not necessarily bring good results. Whether it is a system, ideology or technology, almost every innovation will bring "growing pains of the times," and it is extremely important to grasp the balance in this process.

Moreover, before the ley lines were formed, the Greater Grail was in energy-saving mode, and the Crown's computing power was also limited. Therefore, this was a large-scale project that had to be completed gradually and could not be accomplished overnight.