Although Ogre was far weaker in combat than any member of Night Raid, he had, after all, become captain of the Imperial Guard, and he possessed solid abilities.
Specifically, Ogre's strengths lay in psychological tactics like these and his powerful will.
Long ago, Ogre had maintained financial dealings with all sorts of merchants.
Using the convenience of his position in the Imperial Guard to cover up merchants' crimes and frame others, profiting in the process, was Ogre's usual practice.
Once, Ogre had pinned a crime on a married couple. They had an adorable daughter, something he only learned afterward.
When he saw the daughter of the couple he had personally killed sobbing her heart out, Ogre felt not the slightest guilt. He merely told the little girl:
"Your parents were killed by bandits. They're all evil forces, and they must all be brought to justice!"
That girl was Seryu.
As the mortal enemy who had killed Seryu's parents, Ogre deceived her and served as her teacher. Because of this, Seryu had always held a special position in the Imperial Guard.
Who knew how many years he had spent living with such shamelessness? Yet Ogre could still carry on without batting an eye. That was what set him apart from ordinary people.
Perhaps his shamelessness made him better suited to this cold age than most.
Today, however, Ogre sensed that,
among the "children he had raised single-handedly," there was someone who wanted him dead.
"Too much of a coincidence... no matter how you look at it, it's too much of a coincidence..."
Ogre took a small sip of whiskey, his eyes filled with menace and calculation.
"As if he'd calculated when Akame would come, and he just had to pick the time when that fellow Jamal was visiting. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Lin Feng.
Thanks to his formidable strength and extraordinary efficiency, this young man had already earned considerable prestige among the public.
There were even rumors on the streets that he would be Ogre's successor.
Previously, Ogre, who was considerate toward his subordinates, had paid these rumors no mind,
but what truly made him sense that something was wrong with Lin Feng was the previous night, when Akame attacked him.
Of everyone, only Lin Feng had stayed at the station specifically to report on his work, and Akame had acted as soon as he left.
It was hard not to suspect that the two had coordinated-Lin Feng was the informant who confirmed his location.
Ogre lit a premium cigarette and began imagining what Lin Feng stood to gain.
The answer he finally reached was-an enormous amount.
Lin Feng was undoubtedly the strongest member of the Imperial Guard now.
After Ogre's death, Lin Feng would only need to do something to draw attention, and he would surely catch the higher-ups' eye and easily earn a promotion.
Furthermore, maintaining contact with Night Raid would allow Lin Feng to operate on both sides of the law, making his influence ever greater.
At that thought, Ogre no longer dared to think any further.
Next, he had to eliminate this thorn in his side completely, leaving no future trouble.
As for Night Raid, they were a ticking time bomb,
but regardless, as long as he dealt with their informant, Lin Feng, his situation would probably improve considerably.
The Imperial Guard's combat training ground.
Lin Feng had finished warming up and was ready to throw himself into intense training.
"Wait... Lin Feng!"
His taut nerves relaxed again at the sound of a familiar voice.
Having received tacit permission from the guards outside the station entrance, a tall girl with long purple hair hurried over, carrying a lunch box.
Sheele had come to bring Lin Feng lunch again.
"Lin Feng, here. This is today's portion..."
"Thanks, Sheele. It must be tiring, running back and forth every day."
"Not at all..."
Usually, after delivering Lin Feng's meal, Sheele would say goodbye and leave, trying not to interfere with his training.
Today, however, Sheele seemed eager to see his reaction after eating lunch. She stood there blankly, blinking.
"What's wrong? Go on and eat, Lin Feng."
"Nothing. It's just a little embarrassing having you stare at me."
Lin Feng looked at Sheele teasingly. His words made her feel embarrassed instead.
"All right, I'll dig in."
Lin Feng opened the lunch box, and an unusual rush of steam hit his face.
It was the transition between winter and spring. With the imperial capital's low temperatures and such a long journey, even a well-insulated lunch box shouldn't have kept the food piping hot.
After taking a bite of rice that seemed to have been baked with some kind of herbs, Lin Feng grew so excited that he nearly choked.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
"Lin Feng, are you all right? I'm sorry. Is it not to your taste?"
Sheele panicked at once. She hadn't expected her preparations to produce this result.
"No, no, Sheele. This meal wasn't made by the restaurant, was it?"
"No..."
Sheele flushed and lowered her head slightly, as though she had terribly wronged Lin Feng.
"I made it myself."
"You made it, Sheele?"
"Yes. I asked the manager to teach me how to make herb-baked rice, guiding me through it step by step. This is my best dish now..."
Hearing this, Lin Feng was both astonished and delighted by Sheele's progress.
"Sheele, I choked because I was surprised. Surprised that you could make something with such a distinctive flavor!"
"There's still a gap between this and the manager's cooking, but the seasoning and cooking time are already fine. This is a properly made dish, Sheele!"
"R-really?"
Lin Feng spoke with a smile, then reached out with his right hand and tapped Sheele on the head.
"Ow!"
"Haha, Sheele, you're a warrior who can hold her own now, too!"
"Stop making fun of me..."
Seeing the affection in Lin Feng's eyes, Sheele knew he wasn't lying, but she still felt terribly embarrassed.
The bashful Sheele could only change the subject to Seryu to draw attention away from herself.
"Seryu, is that cute little dog of yours a police dog?"
"You could say that. He's my combat partner!"
"Wow! That's amazing..."
"Well, this is actually my first time trying him out in real combat, too. Anyway, I'll give it my best shot! Justice will never lose!"
As Seryu spoke, she thrust her hand in front of her chest, seemingly brimming with motivation.
"Then I'll give Seryu her introduction! Three... two... one... begin!"
Lin Feng returned to his position and looked at the strange creature that resembled a police dog-though it was far too tiny and cute to call one.
Seryu entered combat mode. Her usual gentle expression vanished, replaced by a coldness and seriousness that seemed excessive even for a warrior.
"Koro, arm."
The next second, something happened that even Lin Feng hadn't expected.