Chapter 152: Three-Colored Loli?
Time flies.
Unconsciously, two years had passed.
During these two years, the Imperial City appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it surged undercurrents.
First was the shift in the Imperial City's power structure.
If previously Prime Minister Honest had dominated alone, continuously squeezing the living space of the righteous faction, now it had become a three-way balance of power—
Mahiro's unexpected faction had completely risen.
Backed by General Budo, he integrated the Imperial City Guard and the Imperial Assassination Unit to form a new secret security force.
As before, they were responsible for the Imperial City's security, assassination operations, and some basic intelligence gathering.
This primarily stemmed from the resignation submitted by Bill, the former deputy head of the Imperial Assassination Unit. As a member of the minister's faction, he completely relinquished his authority over the assassination squad and chose to retire to his hometown.
Thus, Mahiro seized this opportunity to fully merge the two departments.
By then, Prime Minister Honest realized belatedly that everything had slipped beyond his control.
Not only did Mahiro have General Budo as his powerful backer, making him completely untouchable, but now the Assassination Unit had completely slipped out of Honest's control. To make matters worse, the young emperor kept meddling in everything.
This infuriated Honest so much that he gained several pounds in weight again.
If Honest hadn't realized what was happening in time, the imperial intelligence agency might have been handed over to Mahiro just because the young emperor felt like it.
Who knew what kind of bewitching potion this seemingly young boy had fed the young emperor!
The morning sun slowly rose higher, shifting from warm to scorching.
Remus and Womyn, the two maids, were hanging laundry in the courtyard. With the passage of time, they had shed their former immaturity and grown into capable adults.
Now serving as the two newly appointed head maids of the mansion, their main responsibility was training newcomers.
As for Mine, she remained their superior—Mahiro's most intimate personal maid, irreplaceable.
At this moment, while the two maids were hanging the laundry, Mine stood with her hands on her hips, looking up at the golden-haired girl lazily sunbathing on the roof.
Her slightly messy short golden hair and her figure bore some resemblance to Cornelia.
But she was not Cornelia.
Rather—
"Leone! You're slacking off and sleeping in again! I went through so much trouble to convince Master to let you work as a guard here, and I'm not paying you to laze around like this!"
Mine stood with her hands on her hips, scolding discontentedly.
That's right, this mature woman who closely resembled Cornelia was Leone, the kind-hearted person Mine had met back then.
Since the mansion's guard position had been vacant for a while and Leone's skills were quite decent, Mine had asked her master to hire her at a rate of thirty gold coins per month.
But who would have thought that this girl would either laze around or find someone else to cover for her every day!
It drove Mine crazy with anger!
"Head Maid, why don't we try using Master's method to tease her?" Womyn suggested, squinting her eyes at Leone.
Mine was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.
"You're right. Remus, please go to the kitchen and fetch a meat bone."
"Yes."
A mischievous smile also appeared on Remus's pretty face as she lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried toward the kitchen.
Two minutes later, she returned with a meat bone.
Mine weighed the bone in her hand, then shouted loudly, "Hey, Leone, catch!"
With that, she threw the bone toward Leone with all her might. It whistled through the air, flying right over her head.
Leone lazily cracked open one eye, completely ignoring the meat bone, and looked at the three of them with mocking golden eyes, as if saying, "Idiots."
"Damn it, stupid dog Leone! Why didn't you catch it?" Mine yelled furiously.
"Haha, shorty Mine, you're trying to mess with me like Mahiro-sama does? But you're still far from it. At least figure out my preferences first."
Leone lazily rolled over and continued basking in the warmth of the sunlight.
"Huh? Why didn't it work? Whenever Master threw a bone before, Leone would always dash out like a dog to fetch it," Womyn said, puzzled.
Neither Mine nor Remus could figure out the answer either.
Until Leone on the roof waved her hand and said, "When I please Mahiro-sama, I get alcohol. What do I get from pleasing you?"
Leone's words were like a wake-up call.
That was true.
Now that they thought about it, every time Master teased Leone, he was holding a bottle of alcohol. No wonder she was so cooperative—it was all for the sake of getting a drink!
She really had no principles at all!
Unable to teach Leone a lesson, Mine was grinding her teeth in frustration.
Just as Mine was sulking, Leone lazily announced, "Oh right, shortstack, I've got business to attend to at noon. I'll find someone to cover my shift and watch the place."
"Hmph! Are you slacking off again by bringing that airhead Sheele? Cut it out! Don't you know how much trouble she causes us?" Mine glared and scolded.
"Don't worry too much. I've already lectured her. Sheele won't cause any trouble this time."
"You say that every time!"
"Relax, it won't be like last time when she mistook thugs for customers," Leone said with a grin.
"I don't care! If anything happens, just wait until our master returns to deal with you," Mine retorted, hands on her hips.
Leone chuckled dismissively before flipping over and vanishing from the rooftop as nimbly as a cat.
...
Meanwhile.
Mahiro was unusually diligent with his work in the Secret Security Force, while Seryu focused intently on assisting him.
Over two years, as Mahiro's status steadily rose, Seryu's position had similarly elevated, skyrocketing to become the deputy chief of the Secret Security Force.
Though nominally the deputy chief, her actual duties remained unchanged—she still handled secretarial tasks and served as a squad leader, just as before.
The only noticeable change was in her figure and appearance, which had grown increasingly mature and radiant. Her valiant demeanor now carried a subtle hint of allure.
This transformation was primarily due to the substantial breakthrough in her relationship with Mahiro.
It had truly become a case of "business during work hours, and... ahem... pleasure during off-hours."
But because their relationship had progressed to intimate levels, Seryu had also become somewhat of a nagging wife.
If Mine worried about his daily life, then Seryu was the one responsible for urging him to work seriously.
She would frequently drag him back to the office to ensure he focused on his duties.
The result was that whenever he applied himself to work, it became a nightmare for the nobles in the Imperial City—each time, he would randomly raid one noble household.
Well, if they broke the law, he couldn't just ignore it, could he?
If they dared commit so many dirty deeds right under his nose, they had to pay the price, right?
However, the money seized from these raids wasn't turned over to the public treasury. Instead, he distributed it directly among the squad leaders under his command.
This kept the squad leaders well-fed, and nearly every one of them was genuinely loyal to him.
What was once a patrol captain position with little extra benefit had, under his management, become the most lucrative post in the entire Imperial City.
"Mmm~ Mahiro-sama, take a look at this first."
Seryu's tight Security Force uniform was slightly disheveled, her single ponytail swaying behind her. Her delicate, pretty face was flushed with a rosy hue.
At the moment, she was sitting on Mahiro's lap in his chair, yet even so, she hadn't forgotten her work. She pulled a document from the thick stack of files and placed it in front of him.
"As you requested... this is the list of people entering the city... investigated by Captain Cornelia and Captain Nahashu... Please... review it."
By the end of her sentence, Seryu's voice had melted into soft, breathy murmurs, her proud figure trembling slightly as ripe fruit sways on a slender branch.
Mahiro set aside his current task, focusing his gaze on the entry list Seryu had pulled out.
With the main storyline approaching, he had recently tasked Nahashu and the others with investigating incoming city personnel, intending to forcefully intervene in the plot's development.
Incidentally, all seven of Nahashu's group had now matured into competent assassins, each leading their own squad. Due to the merger of the security force and assassination department, their public identities were captains of the security team—always under Mahiro's direct command.
Why seven? The reason was simple: Akame had defected.
Just like in the original story, during a mission, Akame encountered Najenda and, persuaded by her silver tongue, defected from the Empire with Murasame. When this news reached them, everyone was shocked and struggled to comprehend it, especially Kurome, who nearly fell into darkness. She couldn't understand why her sister would betray the Empire, leave Lord Yotsuba's side, and join the rebels. Wasn't she happy with them?
However, one thing united them all: each swore to kill the traitor Akame.
Fortunately, Mahiro stepped in to stop them, warning that no one was to deliver a fatal blow to Akame—especially Kurome, who was forbidden from engaging her if they met. They didn't understand why, which was natural since Akame was a spy he had planted in Night Raid. When Najenda tried to poach from him, he had Akame play along.
Indeed, Night Raid was now active, carrying out assassinations in the city, and Akame, once one of the Imperial Assassination Unit's top members, had become a key asset for them. Though Mahiro enjoyed stirring up trouble and watching the drama, he had no desire to see sisters or former comrades fighting each other. Thus, he informed the elite group of seven about the truth.
To make it more convincing, he even issued a bounty on Akame, ensuring the Revolutionary Army believed it completely. He couldn't help but wonder what expression Najenda would wear when she discovered the truth—shock, disbelief, or something else? He looked forward to finding out.
Mahiro slowly shifted his gaze from Akame's bounty notice on his desk to the entry list, where he spotted a few vaguely familiar names—not the main trio, but: "Air, Luna, Fal?" he murmured, reading them aloud.
"Lord Mahiro, is something wrong with these people?" Seryu leaned in, curious about the three names.
"No, it's nothing. Seryu, go notify Nahashu and the others—it's time to work."
"Yes, Lord Mahiro!"
At the mention of work, Seryu immediately stood up from him.
Pop!
She uncorked a champagne bottle on the spot.
Suppressing her trembling legs, Seryu hurried into the office's back bathroom to clean up.
He did have some recollection of the names Air, Luna, and Fal.
If he remembered correctly, they were three lolis of different colors.
And it's unclear whether it was the TV production team's mercy, but their futures turned out completely different from the manga.
In the TV version, they survived peacefully and witnessed the day the Revolutionary Army overthrew the Empire. However, in the manga, the three suffered terribly tragic fates.
Fal had both legs broken for resisting, then had her teeth smashed out and fingers chopped off. Luna had her eyes cruelly gouged out.
And Air, forced to watch her two companions die one after another, endured humiliation alone to keep living.
For revenge, Air catered to every preference of the nobles. Even when forced to breed with the nobles' Danger Beasts, she still compelled herself to show an ingratiating smile.
Eventually, she saved enough money to hire Night Raid to eliminate the noble, but she then committed suicide in a corner of the square, dying quietly.
"You'll come with me later, understand?"
Mahiro put down the list in his hand and suddenly looked up toward a dark corner in the office.
A faint outline appeared there, seemingly nodding gently toward him.
"...I understand."
...
"We've finally arrived at the Imperial City. By the way, Luna, what kind of person do you think our master is?"
Inside a carriage outside the Imperial City walls sat three twelve or thirteen-year-old girls from the countryside.
One of them, a little girl with long pink hair wearing a pink dress and pink hat, exuding a sweet pink aura throughout, whispered to the girl sitting in the middle who was dressed entirely in blue hooded clothing.
"Probably some middle-aged man. Maybe he's like a beast only interested in our bodies."
Compared to the others, the girl in the middle was entirely blue-themed, including her pupils and hair. Particularly her eyes were as magnificent as sapphires.
"If that's really the case, I'll break his dick and escape," said the final golden-haired girl.
"....Huh?"
The pink-haired loli Air had two question marks popping above her head, unable to understand what the blonde loli meant.
The three of them were pink-haired Air, blue-haired Luna, and golden-haired Fal, collectively referred to as the three-colored lolis.
Hearing her companion's words, Luna felt somewhat worried.
"Fal, is this really okay?"
"Of course it's fine!"
Fal patted her chest and said with yearning, "We're different from those country girls sold off to random places. The three of us were chosen elites going to serve in the Imperial City! We must work hard, then find good men to marry and begin our dream life in the Imperial City!"
Like other country folk, Fal was full of longing for the Imperial City, completely unaware of how dark it truly was.
"I think you're overthinking things, Fal."
Unlike Fal's naive romanticism, Luna was a sensitive girl.
In reality, due to poverty caused by the empire's heavy taxes, many impoverished villages had long begun selling their children to make ends meet.
They were just lucky to have been bought by Imperial City nobility, but in essence, they weren't much different from companions sold to other cities.
Meanwhile, the carriage finally passed through the Imperial City gates, then proceeded along the streets toward the noble district, eventually stopping before a mansion.
When the three-colored lolis stepped down from the carriage, they immediately saw a young man waiting for them.
"Ah, hello! My name is Buch. Starting today, I'll be your master." The young man smiled.
"So... so young!"
Far had originally guessed her master would be an uncle, never expecting someone only a few years older than them.
Air seemed to have a good first impression of him. Relieved to see he wasn't some creepy uncle, she cutely patted her developing chest and said happily:
"Wow, he seems like an easygoing and gentle master."
"Don't let your guard down, remember all men are wolves." Luna cautioned.
"If things get bad we'll just run away. Don't worry, I'll rely on my martial arts that can handle Danger Beast unicorn rabbits to escape!"
Fal completely dismissed Luna's warning, confident that her abilities would allow her to easily escape from nobility.
Little did she know, danger was quietly approaching.
Watching the three whispering among themselves, Buch showed a gentle smile and said:
"Well, you all seem quite wary of me. In that case, why don't I show you around the Imperial City and buy you some clothes?"
"Really?"
The three exclaimed in surprise.
"To be honest, as my servants now, you can't dress too shabbily. So I'll give you my budget to buy clothes you like yourselves—consider it training for work!"
"O-okay."
Air felt happiness had come too quickly—this person was as gentle as the master she'd hoped for!
And judging by the master's attire, he must be quite an impressive noble.
The three girls followed happily behind Buch, gazing at everything in the Imperial City like curious babies, secretly marveling at its grandeur and prosperity.
Recalling the backward village they were born in, it could only be described as utterly unsightly.
The group entered the city like country bumpkins and arrived at the most prosperous commercial street in the Imperial City! With the gold coins Buch had given them, they were able to buy themselves several beautiful outfits—something they had never dared to imagine!
From around two in the afternoon until six in the evening, the three lolis, carrying large and small bags, followed Buch to a restaurant for a meal.
"It's so delicious," exclaimed the golden-haired loli Fal, who began eating voraciously without a hint of girlish etiquette.
"Fal, slow down. Our master is watching," Luna said.
"It's fine. Your happiness is what matters most," Buch said, reclining on the sofa and smiling at the three girls.
Throughout the day, they truly felt blissful—it was the first time they could freely purchase new clothes and, in the end, dine at such a luxurious restaurant!
Moreover, their master had even reserved the entire place just for them!
He's really too kind, even better than my own parents, thought the pink-haired loli Air, her heart swelling with emotion.
How fortunate to have come to the Imperial City to serve him!
About ten minutes later, all the dishes on the table had been completely devoured by the three girls.
"Master, thank you so much for treating us," Air said with a sweet smile.
"Burp, it's been so long since I've eaten this much," Fal remarked, patting her belly and sticking out her tongue cutely.
"Hehe, are you full? Then let's begin the main course."
Though Buch was smiling, a faint, chilling aura emanated from him.
He clapped his hands, and suddenly over a dozen bodyguards dressed in black appeared around them.
Three of them forcefully grabbed the girls' arms, instantly restraining them.
"Hahaha, Buch, you've brought back some fine goods!" Behind Buch, three men appeared simultaneously.
At the forefront was a seemingly refined middle-aged man, leading a canine-like Danger Beast!
"Hehe, which one catches your eye?"
"That pink-haired one is quite pretty. My beloved son Doki has taken a liking to her."
The "son" the middle-aged man referred to was the Danger Beast he was leading, which was now panting with its tongue out, clearly in heat.
The sight sent shivers down Air's spine.
"I think the blue-haired girl has captivating eyes. Licking them would probably feel incredibly adorable," remarked a noble who resembled a Dragon.
"Bastards, let us go!"
A chill ran through Fal's body as she realized her mistake.
What kindness was this? He was nothing but a cunning, hungry wolf!
She leaped up, kicking forcefully at the bodyguard behind her.
But as a guard for nobles, Fal's meager combat skills were insignificant, failing to harm him in the slightest.
The black-clad guard sneered and punched her in the stomach.
Fal's eyes widened, and she slowly collapsed to the ground.
"So, Mr. Suka has chosen this girl? She seems quite wild and in need of training," Buch said, shaking his head.
"Yes, yes. It's only fun when you break such a girl bit by bit."
The speaker was a bald man, eyeing Fal—whose legs were already seized—with keen interest.
Those slender, jade-like legs looked as if they would snap with the slightest force from the burly bodyguard.
These individuals were among the most depraved nobles. Since Prime Minister Honest couldn't protect them, as faction supporters, they not only had to guard against assassinations from Night Raid but also remain vigilant against the damned secret security forces' investigations!
This had forced them to abstain from torturing girls for a long time, and today they finally couldn't resist procuring several.
Buch immediately understood Mr. Suka's implication and smiled as he spoke: "Understood. In that case, let's start by breaking both her legs."
Hearing the man's words, Fal's eyes widened instantly as if she'd been plunged into an ice cellar.
She could feel the bodyguard's tight grip on her legs, slowly twisting them against the joint direction...