24: Sisters Reunited (Part 3)

"All right, Gozuki. I'm heading back to the Imperial Capital tomorrow. Kurome and Gin are coming with me. Before we go, Kurome wants to see her sister. In a bit, bring Akame and the kids over to my place—we'll have dinner together."

Haruki couldn't stand the way everyone was staring at him like he was some kind of monster, so he spoke to Gozuki to break the silence.

Then he turned to Kurome, who was standing quietly beside him.

"Kurome, stay with your sister today. Come back together later. Oh, and on your way back, grab some meat from that Danger Beast. That'll be our dinner."

"Okay, okay!"

The moment Haruki mentioned grilled meat, Kurome immediately perked up.

Haruki then walked over to the two young girls who had been knocked unconscious by the giant snake. After examining them closely, he spoke to Gozuki.

"These two are pretty badly hurt. From the looks of it, even if they survive, they'll probably only be able to live as ordinary people. Here's what we'll do—I'll take them back to the Capital with me. There's a good chance we can heal them. Who knows, this might even turn out to be a great opportunity for them."

The two injured girls were Tsukushi and Pony—the youngest members of the elite seven.

Tsukushi held an assassination level of six. She had short light brown hair and a petite frame, but her childlike face and large chest made her stand out. Pony, Gozuki's daughter, was a high-spirited and energetic girl. Haruki sometimes genuinely wondered how someone like Gozuki could have such a beautiful daughter.

"Sir, are you saying there's still hope for them?"

Gozuki asked, his voice full of emotion.

After training them for over three years, he'd developed deep bonds with both girls—especially since one of them was his own daughter. He had pinned great hopes on them. Hearing now that they might still be saved, he couldn't help but get emotional. Given how serious their injuries were, he had already given up hope. In his mind, it would've been better for them to die than to live crippled as ordinary people.

They had taken a direct hit from the giant snake, and it was impossible to tell how many bones they had broken. It was a miracle they were even still alive.

"Of course they can recover—but it's going to take a long time. Anyway, I'm heading back now. Wait any longer and you might be burying them instead. Gin, Nina, carry them—we're heading out."

With that, Haruki turned and left first. Gin and Nina quickly picked up the girls, who were still lying limp on the ground, and followed.

...

"Father, who was that man just now?"

Only after Haruki, Gin, and Nina had been gone for a while did Najasho finally speak up. As the de facto leader of the elite seven, he'd always referred to Gozuki as "father"—just like the others.

What Haruki had done earlier was simply too shocking. He had taken down a powerful Danger Beast with a single kick—something they couldn't even begin to fathom. Even Gozuki was at a loss. In his opinion, not even the mighty General Budo—said to be the strongest in the Empire—could face a Super-Class Danger Beast like that without a Teigu and hope to survive, let alone kill it.

"I'm not too sure about that man's exact identity, but he definitely holds a high position in the Imperial Capital. Also, for the past three years, Akame's younger sister, Kurome, has been training under him."

As soon as Gozuki finished speaking, everyone turned their eyes to Kurome, who was happily chatting with Akame.

Noticing the sudden attention, Kurome blinked and asked with a bit of innocent confusion,

"What? I'm not giving up my dinner."

They'd already heard Kurome praise Haruki's cooking—especially the grilled meat. Now, hearing her say that to the others, even Akame nodded in agreement.

Clearly, the sisters were both hopeless foodies.

"Ugh, who wants to steal your grilled meat anyway? And can you even finish that whole thing yourself? What we're asking is—who exactly was that man just now?"

Cornelia, the oldest and most composed among the girls, chuckled as she asked Kurome.

"Oh, you mean my brother. He's been training us these past three years. I don't really know his actual status, but Nina said he seems to be someone really important in the Imperial Capital."

Kurome's response didn't clear anything up. Haruki's true identity remained a mystery. Even Nina, who knew him best, only knew that he had a high standing in the Capital—and that her father, the Emperor, and even the ministers seemed to respect him deeply.

"Seriously? That tells us nothing," everyone thought silently.

"Alright, enough gossip. Get that Danger Beast cleaned up and bring it back. We're having dinner with Lord Haruki tonight. And Akame, take this chance to talk with Kurome—she's leaving with Lord Haruki for the Imperial Capital tomorrow."

Feeling it wasn't appropriate to keep speculating about a high-ranking figure from the Capital, Gozuki cut off the conversation.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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