You Take the Shogunate Too Seriously!
"You care about him a lot?"
Inside the cell, Biba Amatori watched as the Mumei, dressed in a beautiful red outfit, paced anxiously back and forth, and a subtle change occurred to her feelings.
Previously, this nominal younger sister only showed him admiration and care, but he didn't care about that back then because he was surrounded by such gazes.
But now, I inexplicably feel a sense of loss.
It's like watching your younger sister grow up, and then suddenly she has a boy she likes and stops being affectionate with you.
"Although Ikoma is a big idiot and clearly weak, he always acts all brave. But he is indeed a very special person. He even said he would turn me back into a human so that I could eat Rice every day."
Mumei stopped and leaned against the cold wall, looking down at the shoes and speaking softly.
"Brother, you lied to me. I was very angry at first, but after thinking about it, apart from the fact that you didn't explain clearly why we were going to Kongokaku, everything else was indeed the truth."
"What you said about only the strong surviving still makes me believe it's true, even though Ikoma has always disagreed, but he's just too naive."
"Becoming Kabaneri was my own choice. Ultimately, I am grateful to my elder brother for raising me, but from now on..."
"I don't want to be 'Mumei' anymore, I want to go back to my original name, 'Hozumi'!"
In the dark cell, the little girl poured out her heart, but her head was always bowed, which didn't match the firmness and confidence in her words.
Ultimately, her elder brother still held considerable prestige in her heart.
"Really? That's good."
"Brother?"
Mumei looked up in surprise at the smiling Biba Amatori, whose attitude didn't seem as angry as she had imagined.
"While the name 'Hozumi' is full of hopeful expectations for the future, it was too weak for you in the past, which is why I gave you the name 'Mumei'. Now, you are strong enough, both in terms of ability and spirit, and it's time for you to have expectations."
Biba Amatori looked tenderly at the petite girl in red before her.
Humans are not plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? Over the years, with each call of his elder brother, he realized that the other person was not just a tool to be used.
Although, given his character, if it were truly necessary to sacrifice Mumei, he would most likely still do so.
His heart had been hardened by the fire of revenge over the past decade, and the Mumei was like a sliver of warmth from the sunlight shining on that hardened stone.
"If you are no longer 'Mumei,' would you still be willing to call me elder brother?"
The Mumei —no, the girl in red who was now Hozumi— froze for a few seconds, then a bright smile appeared on her face. She stood up straight and put her hands behind her back.
"Of course, you will always be my elder brother!"
"Yeah."
[Tap, tap, tap, tap]
Just then, footsteps approached from afar. Hozumi quickly turned around, and Biba Amatori also looked up, her gentle expression returning to its calm state.
"Ikoma!"
Hozumi watched with surprise Ikoma, his face grim, stepped into the cell door opened by the man in black, then walked to a corner and squatted down without saying a word.
"What's wrong with you?"
Just as Hozumi was about to go over and ask, the man in black did not immediately close the cell door, but instead said, "Biba Amatori, come out."
"Is it finally my turn?" Biba Amatori wasn't surprised; on the contrary, she had been looking forward to it for a long time.
Hozumi his teeth and asked, "Where are you taking my elder brother?!"
"Go to where that kid just went."
While the man in black was speaking, Biba Amatori had already walked out of the cell door, and soon the two disappeared from Hozumi's sight, one after the other.
This forced her to focus her attention back on Ikoma. She quickly went over, knelt down, and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Did they hurt you?"
"They want me to kill people, to use my things to kill people, only then will they help us turn back into humans."
Ikoma looked up at the girl's delicate face, her eyes filled with struggle, and asked in a low, painful voice, "Mumei, what should I do?"
Hozumi squatted there, unsure of what to say. She knew all too well how unacceptable murder would be for the boy in front of her.
The girl cupped the latter's face in her hands, revealing a lovely smile with dimples.
"Whom do they want you to kill? I'll kill them for you!"
[Knock knock knock]
The door to the Base Director's Office was knocked on again. Senior Director Addison leaned back in his chair and casually said, "Come in." Biba Amatori's handsome figure slowly walked into the room.
"Please have a seat, Chief of the Hunters."
"I think the identity of being the son of a general is of greater value to you, isn't it?" Biba Amatori sat down in the chair that Ikoma had been sitting in, and calmly looked at him as she spoke.
"No."
Senior Director Addison shook his head. "So far, the value brought by your Hunters is greater. As for the identity of the son of a general, which will soon no longer be the son of a general, what use is it?"
"You underestimate yourself, and you underestimate the World Government!"
"You're planning to overthrow the Shogunate?" Biba Amatori was quite surprised by this.
"No, that's not it. The Shogunate is still the Shogunate; it's just that the higher-ups have decided to change the ruler." After saying that, Senior Director Addison picked up his cup, took a sip of coffee, and immediately a fragrant aroma filled his nostrils.
"Why?"
"Keisuke Amatori is a tough-looking but cowardly man. You should already know that he is an extreme conservative. As long as his rule continues, he will obediently follow all your orders."
After listening to Biba Amatori's words, Senior Director Addison smiled, put his coffee cup back, and said, "Perhaps that's true, but the higher-ups still feel more comfortable with a new person."
"This is not the best option. The Amatori Family has ruled the Shogunate for over two hundred years. Doing this will definitely provoke retaliation from the regional governors," Biba Amatori said expressionlessly.
"Oh~ I thought you'd be happy to see Keisuke Amatori suffer, but it seems you still have a deep father-son bond?"
"No, this is just stating the facts from a practical perspective."
"My original goal was to destroy Kongokaku first, and then continue to destroy those despicable people who participated in the killing of 400,000 soldiers ten years ago. That would probably require destroying 80% of the 'post stations.' Your organization's goal is to rule Hinomoto, right? Then there's no need to make enemies of everyone."
Biba Amatori naturally described the most terrifying thing in an incredibly brief way, but if he were to succeed, one can imagine how many people would die in the war and under the Kabane.
Senior Director Addison also witnessed the young man's ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness, and somewhat understood why the higher-ups appreciated him.
"Hehe, you know what? For a person, whether to eat the chicken in front of them or switch to the chicken next to them, the only difference is their mood and whether they are willing to put in the extra effort."
He took out a document from the drawer containing basic information about the World Government and placed it in front of Biba Amatori.
"Just wait and see. Once you realize the true meaning of the words 'World Government,' you'll understand how narrow-minded and limited your perspective is. You're taking the Shogunate far too seriously!"
A huge thank you to the leader of the Spear of Longinus alliance for the 50,000 Qidian Coin reward! 50,000! I bow deeply in gratitude! Thank you so much for your kindness and support!
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