Chapter 87 - #86 Aftermath 2 (2/2)

”Everyone, we should go back to the camp for now...What are you planning to do?” Gozuki said aloud before asking me with a curious expression.

Hmm...I can spend a few more nights with them, I still need to look at everything that was upgraded by my special class. Kurome would also like to spend more time with Akame.

”I will go back with you, what about you?” I replied to him before returning my gaze at Esdeath.

”Well, I am not in a hurry to return to the Capital, since you are here, we might as well catch up and tell each other what had happened.” Esdeath said with a small smile before glancing at Kurome with a provocative smile.

”...” Kurome just narrowed her eyes when she was that smile.

”...Akashi?” Poney suddenly approached us, still with wet eyes due to Cornelia's disappearance.

”Poney!” Akame and others shouted at her with worried faces.

”Hm? What is it?” I stopped talking with Esdeath and turned at her. Esdeath herself frowned but she didn't say anything.

”*I just want to apologize for dragging you down. If it wasn't for me being with you...maybe everything would have ended differently*” Poney said in a low voice and with a guilty expression while looking downward.

”...There is no way for you to know that. Regretting something won't move you forward, look at your mistakes with raised head and face them head-on.” I shook my head with closed eyes before replying to her.

”...Thank you!” Poney shouted and bowed to me while a few tears dropped on the ground.

Everyone except for her teammates looked at her with a confused expression.

”Let's just return to the camp...” I muttered and helped Poney to stand straight before looking at Kurome and Esdeath.

---

”What kind of relationship those two have?” Uncle Bill asked Gozuki with narrowed eyes when they finally returned to the camp, right now they were talking inside the commander tent.

”...Who knows? But watching their interactions, I doubt they have any intimate relationship, probably just friends. Considering their natures and their Teigus, one would ȧssume that they would be rivals but it's still understandable.” Gozuki shrugged his shoulders with an uninterested expression.

”Anyway, what do you plan on doing with that missing kid of yours? Cornelia was her name, am I right?” Uncle Bill asked with a composed expression.

”Cornelia...huh? I don't know, we can remain here for a few days to see if she is truly alive but I highly doubt it. We need to move on and this applies especially to those kids. I guess I will be able to at least see their true natures since they will be in their most vulnerable state.” Gozuki muttered Cornelia's name while looking at the ceiling of the tent with dull eyes before replying without any change in his expression.

'...Cornelia might have been a useless child but it's still bitter not to be able to even see her corpse. At least she has been always obedient and did anything I asked her. I guess I will miss her presence a bit.' Gozuki thought behind his calm expression, one could only see a bit of sadness in his dull eyes.

”Well, it looks like I have caused you some damage by calling you out for this mission. The only unit that survived and has returned to the camp was a unit full of girls. They told me what had happened and apparently Akashi saved them but he still killed a few of them but I don't blame him, I would have done it in his stead after hearing the reason why he killed them.” Uncle Bill said with a slightly guilty expression.

”?” Gozuki gestured him to continue.

”They were used as breeding cattle, heh” Bill actually chuckled after saying this.

”?! Won't this influence their performance as ȧssassins?” Gozuki was slightly surprised by this but he immediately asked with narrowed eyes.

”Nah, they told me that Akashi took care of that problem already. Although I don't understand how he was able to do that without any drugs, after hearing their explanation, I simply threw it behind my head. Apparently he stuck his finger into them and they felt some kind of warmth inside them, most likely it was his Teigu but to have such control over it that he can dictate it who to injure and not...” Bill said with a thoughtful expression while holding his chin.

”Terrifying isn't it? A weird type of treatment but if it was able to take care of the problem, why not. Anyway, I will probably have one member down right now, not to mention that Gai has yet to fully recover...” Gozuki also said with the same thoughtful expression.

”Since I was the one who called you here, I will also compensate you. You can take 2 people from my strongest unit. Natala and Gin are the strongest ones in it.” Bill said while handing Gozuki papers with information about those two.

”...They are fine, however, we have a different problem.” Gozuki said while quickly looking over the papers.

”? What is it?” Bill asked with a confused and alerted expression.

”Akame told me that her enemy told her that we are the ones invading them without any provocation before he died. Which wouldn't be such a problem if Poney also didn't join in the discussion. She herself said that the boss said the same thing and Akashi replied with words: 'In this world, winning is everything. Winners are validated and losers are denied'. I managed to change their minds but it was only a temporary solution.” Gozuki said with narrowed eyes.

”I see...Well, at least his mind is working the same way as us. The strong feast on weak, that's how it has always been. My members won't get any of those ideas since I brainwashed them and taught them that ”Betraying the Empire is bad”.” Bill muttered while looking down at his table before he raised his head and said with a small smile.

”This isn't about his beliefs but him saying it aloud only made it apparent that he wasn't denying that boss's words. Although Poney might not be clever enough to notice that detail but Tsukushi was also with her.” Gozuki said with an irritated expression.

”Well, it's your problem so you need to keep a close eye on those 3 girls. You were the one who decided not to flood their bodies with drugs, solve it yourself.” Bill just shook his head.

”I know that even without you reminding me.” Gozuki replied before he turned around and left the tent.