Chapter 404 - Tatsumi's First Mission

"I didn't expect you to be such a good cook, Tatsumi." — Wood

"Great! Now we don't have to eat Akame's half-raw grilled meat and tasteless grilled fish anymore." — Lubbock

"Hmph, for a newbie, I suppose you have some use." — Mine

Seeing everyone praise his cooking, Tatsumi felt shy and embarrassed, scratching his head in response.

"Alright, it's settled then—from now on, Tatsumi will be responsible for all the cooking in our group. Akame, you'll take charge of hunting food. This way, you can lighten your workload a bit," Najenda, the boss of Night Raid, declared.

The decision was met with unanimous approval from the members of Night Raid, making Tatsumi the team's de facto cook. Initially, Akame seemed displeased because her job was essentially being taken over. However, when Wood pushed his uneaten portion of food towards her, her mood quickly improved. After all, Tatsumi's cooking was undeniably better than hers, and as long as she got to eat double portions by helping out, there wasn't much to be upset about.

After the meal, Najenda's expression turned serious as she brought up a new mission, taking out a list of targets. This time, their client was a woman from the capital whose husband had been falsely accused and brutally killed. The ones responsible for his death were Captain Ogre of the Imperial Police and Gamal, an oil merchant.

To gather the money for the assassination request, the widow had resorted to working in the red-light district to support herself. When Leone had met the woman, she noticed that the client was already afflicted with a disease—most likely a venereal one—and was unlikely to live for much longer.

"Bang!"

Upon hearing about the couple's plight, Tatsumi, burning with righteous fury, slammed his fist onto the table. Unlike the others, who remained seated in silence, listening to Najenda, Tatsumi couldn't contain his anger.

It wasn't that the rest of Night Raid was indifferent. It was just that they had seen too many similar cases. The corruption and darkness of the capital ran far deeper than most people could imagine, and they had grown used to stories like this. Wood, Akame, and the others had become accustomed to the horrors of the Empire—so much so that they could remain calm.

"Since you seem so passionate about this, Tatsumi, why don't you take care of this mission? It might be your first mission, but it's time you started pulling your weight and getting used to your new identity." Najenda's eyes were locked onto Tatsumi, her gaze sharp.

Both Tatsumi and the other members were taken aback. None of them expected Najenda to assign such a challenging target to Tatsumi so quickly.

Captain Ogre, known in the capital as "Ogre the Demon," was no ordinary foe. While he wasn't on the level of a general, he was still far more formidable than most of the capital's fat and lazy officials or nobles.

"Boss, are you serious? That Ogre guy is called 'Ogre the Demon' for a reason, and you want a newbie to go after him? If the mission fails, it will damage Night Raid's reputation," Mine protested.

Tatsumi felt his confidence waver slightly as he lowered his head. Although he desperately wanted to fit in and fight against the evils of the Empire, Mine's words were true. He was a rookie, inexperienced, and weak compared to others in Night Raid. If he failed, he wouldn't just tarnish the group's reputation; he would also fail the grieving widow who had entrusted them with her husband's vengeance.

The last thing Tatsumi wanted was to let her down—not after she had sacrificed so much to hire them.

"Don't take what Mine says too seriously," Wood said, sensing Tatsumi's hesitation. "She's a bit of a tsundere—her bark is worse than her bite. What she really means is that she's worried about your safety since this is your first mission."

Everyone familiar with Mine knew Wood wasn't wrong. Mine was notoriously prickly, but she often used harsh words to hide her true feelings.

"Wood, shut up! I'm not worried about this guy at all! I'm just concerned that if he messes up, it will tarnish Night Raid's reputation, and we'll lose future clients willing to hire us to assassinate the Empire's scumbags!" Mine shouted, looking like a cat with its fur standing on end. She even moved to scratch at Wood, though she was quickly stopped by Sheele, who held her back gently.

Najenda watched the commotion unfold with a hint of amusement before focusing on Tatsumi once more. "So, Tatsumi, do you want to take on this mission?"

Tatsumi hesitated, but when he saw the encouraging looks from Bulat and Leone, his hesitation disappeared. He clenched his fists and looked at Najenda with determination. "Yes, I want to do it! I want to avenge that couple, and I want to prove that I belong in Night Raid!"

"Alright then," Najenda said, nodding approvingly. "Tatsumi, you'll work together with Leone for this mission. Your targets are Captain Ogre and oil merchant Gamal."

As Tatsumi accepted the task, Najenda's lips curled into a small smile. She admired Tatsumi's resolve. The truth was that Ogre's strength, while notable, was nothing that any member of Night Raid couldn't handle on their own. Even if Tatsumi failed, Night Raid would ensure the mission succeeded. Najenda's intention was to gauge Tatsumi's potential and willingness. If he had backed down, she would have marked him as unreliable and unsuitable for Night Raid.

Once Tatsumi and Leone left the base, Najenda turned her attention to Wood and Akame. "Wood, Akame, I'd like you both to accompany them as backup. Tatsumi might need your support if things go sideways."

"So, if he fails, we'll be the cleanup crew?" Wood interrupted with a grin.

"Precisely," Najenda confirmed. "The objective here is to give Tatsumi experience. If he manages to take down Ogre, that's great. If he doesn't, you two will ensure the mission is still a success."

With Wood and Akame as the backup team, Mine seemed more at ease, and her earlier protests died down. Everyone in Night Raid knew that if Wood and Akame were working together, failure wasn't an option. Tatsumi's safety was also guaranteed. After all, whether it was Ogre or even some of the stronger figures in the capital, neither would stand a chance against the combination of the ex-assassin Akame and the incredibly powerful Wood.

"Leone, what should we do now?" Tatsumi asked as they walked through the bustling streets of the capital. Unlike Wood and Akame, Tatsumi and Leone weren't on any wanted lists, so they could move about freely in broad daylight.

But with this being Tatsumi's first mission, and given his bold words in front of the others, he couldn't shake the nerves creeping in.

"Relax, Tatsumi," Leone said with her characteristic grin. "You're too tense—if you look too nervous, people will notice something's off. Remember, a good assassin knows how to blend in. You want to look as harmless as possible."

She ruffled Tatsumi's hair affectionately. "Learn to use your natural advantages. You're young, and you look innocent. People will underestimate you. That's a strength in itself."

Leone glanced at Tatsumi and added, "Besides, you could learn a lot from Wood and Lubbock. They're both experts at hiding their true selves."

Thanks to Leone's words, Tatsumi managed to calm down a bit, though his newfound composure quickly vanished when Leone wrapped an arm around his neck. The proximity left Tatsumi very aware of the two large, soft masses pressing against him, making his face flush bright red.

"You sure are cute, Tatsumi. Much more innocent than Wood, at least. That kid might be young, but he never misses a chance to grope me whenever he's drunk! Hahahaha!"

While Leone and Tatsumi made their way into a bar, Wood and Akame were stationed on a nearby rooftop, watching their movements.

"Wood, do you really like stealing Leone's... food? If that's the case, you could just ask me. I have a lot of food, and I wouldn't mind sharing. Unlike Leone, I don't hold grudges," Akame said, her eyes genuinely curious.

Despite Akame's cold demeanor, she was incredibly loyal to her comrades and surprisingly generous. Hearing her words, Wood couldn't help but blush slightly. It was clear Akame had no idea what Leone meant by "taking advantage." In Akame's mind, the term "taking advantage" only involved food.

Glancing at Akame, Wood had to admit that, despite her cold personality, she had a "rich" figure. In fact, aside from Leone, there wasn't anyone in Night Raid who could compete with Akame in that regard. But no matter what, Wood knew he'd never dare do anything inappropriate to Akame. Leone's easygoing attitude was the only reason he'd ever let himself get carried away when drunk.

"Let's find a place to rest," Wood said, changing the subject. "Leone and Tatsumi are gathering intel in that bar. They won't take action until nightfall, so we don't need to keep a constant watch."

Inside the bar, Tatsumi found himself in a new kind of struggle—keeping up with Leone's drinking. Tatsumi knew that their purpose here was to gather information about Ogre and Gamal, and the bar was the perfect place to do it, given its clientele. However, it wasn't long before Tatsumi found himself pale-faced, barely able to keep down the alcohol.

"Bleugh!"

In an alley behind the bar, Tatsumi was bent over, vomiting, his face a sickly shade of green. He looked as if he could collapse at any moment.

Compared to Leone, who was used to bar-hopping and could hold her liquor with ease, Tatsumi was hopeless. But in a place like this, you couldn't just ask around without drinking—it would arouse too much suspicion. People would start asking questions.

"Hey, Tatsumi," Leone said, patting his back, "maybe I should handle Ogre tonight. You can take care of Gamal."

Based on the intel they had gathered, both Ogre and Gamal would be out tonight, but they would be in different areas of the capital—one in the north, the other in the south. This meant that Leone and Tatsumi would have to split up, taking one target each. If one of them failed, it would alert the other target, complicating matters.

"Leone, I appreciate it, but I want to handle Ogre myself. Please, give me the chance to prove myself!" Tatsumi's voice was filled with determination. He had declared his intention in front of Najenda, and he had no intention of backing down now.

This was his moment to prove that he was worthy of Night Raid—to prove to himself, his new comrades, and to those who had suffered under the Empire that he could make a difference.