General Selene

The Imperial Palace, Council Hall.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the explosion last night was indeed caused by me."

"During the siege on the bandits, we unexpectedly encountered a unit of the Revolutionary Army. Taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, they scattered and escaped through hidden tunnels. In a moment of impulse, I resorted to extreme measures."

"I used the Teigu: Radiant Knight · Moonlight's wide-area attack capability to level the entire mountain range where they were hiding..."

"However, since it was my first time using this ability, it went out of control, resulting in excessive destruction."

"I await Your Majesty's punishment."

After hearing Selene's explanation, the Emperor smiled and said, "Why would I punish you? You did well. Dealing with rebels requires no leniency, though you were a bit reckless—something typical of youth."

Having said that, the Emperor didn't press Selene further on the matter but instead shifted his attention to something else.

"Bring them in."

At the Emperor's command, guards brought in two prisoners. They were in a miserable state, barely clinging to life after severe torture.

"Following last night's incident... we conducted a thorough investigation throughout the night and uncovered some rats collaborating with the rebels. They were planning to sell intelligence on Selene and other Imperial Guard officers to the southern rebels! They truly deserve to die!"

"What is this?! The Imperial Guard! They are my last line of defense! Are they planning to assassinate me?!!"

"Take them away and execute them. Exterminate their entire families! For those who conspired to sell Imperial military secrets, execute their clans! Kill all individuals involved in this case!"

The Emperor gazed down at the two men kneeling before the throne, his heart filled with fury. Selling the intelligence of high-ranking Imperial officials for profit was a direct affront to his authority as Emperor.

Most importantly, based on the interrogation carried out by the Imperial Prison Warden, these two had not made contact with Selene, ruling out the possibility of a ploy to gain trust through self-inflicted harm.

On this point, the Emperor had great confidence in the Teigu: Omnipotent Five Sights · Spectator's abilities.

Selene kept her head lowered and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Overcome by emotion, the Emperor began to cough violently. "Cough, cough... My ministers, cough... what rewards should be given to Selene?"

"Your Majesty, I have a proposal."

No sooner had the Emperor finished speaking than a civil official standing behind Honest stepped forward. "Your Majesty, Selene's strength is formidable, and she thwarted the rebel conspiracy against the Empire. Her achievements are outstanding and must be rewarded."

"I propose that Selene be promoted to General of the Imperial Guard!"

With that, the official knelt before the court.

"We support this!" Honest's faction, led by him, all voiced their support for Selene's promotion to General.

"I concur."

In an instant, nearly a third of the court knelt down, including many neutral officials who seemed eager to curry favor with Selene.

"And what do you think?" The Emperor stroked his beard thoughtfully as he looked at the divided court and turned his attention to the military officials on the right side of the hall.

At the forefront stood a tall, nearly two-meter-tall man with short blond hair and a square-jawed face. Draped in a white cloak, his expression was stern, exuding a sense of self-discipline honed over decades.

It was none other than General Budo. He knelt on one knee and said, "I concur."

Cough, cough... "Then, Selene, by the authority vested in me as the Emperor of the Empire, I hereby grant you the rank of General and appoint you as the commander of the 8th Legion of the Imperial Guard."

Although it was unclear whether Budo and the Emperor had coordinated this beforehand, the Emperor ultimately promoted Selene to General, granting her command of a core legion.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Selene accepted the decree and expressed her gratitude.

"May you continue to strive and bring glory to the Empire," the Emperor said with satisfaction.

As he spoke, an attendant approached Selene with a luxurious, pure white sword in hand. The Emperor's voice then rang out again, "However... with great merit comes reward, but errors must also be punished."

"After rewarding the merit, we must address the errors." With that, the Emperor, supported by his attendants, slowly descended from the throne.

"Hmm? Is he going to reprimand me for causing such a big commotion?" Selene wondered to herself, curious about the Emperor's intentions.

"As actions have consequences, Selene, you are being promoted for your success in quelling the rebel threat to the capital, but you also caused extensive damage to the roads and infrastructure in the southern region. Therefore, I am assigning you the task of overseeing the reconstruction."

"Additionally, cough, cough... I bestow upon you this Imperial Sword, symbolizing my authority, to lead the campaign against all rebel forces surrounding the capital!"

With that, the Emperor took the sword from the attendant and, with some effort, presented it to Selene.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Selene accepted the sword with both hands, her voice ringing out loudly.

...

After leaving the palace.

Selene examined the pure white sword in her hand. Although she wasn't familiar with the specific materials used, the sword seemed to be forged from something incredibly valuable.

Gathering some Honkai particles around her hand, she was surprised to feel the sword's subtle amplification effects. "Could this be... Orichalcum?!"

"Congratulations, General Selene. To be personally rewarded by His Majesty is something even I am envious of."

As Selene sheathed the sword, she turned to see the rotund Honest holding a plate piled with meat, which he was stuffing into his mouth. His fingers, lips, and napkin were all greasy.

"Minister Honest? Aren't you worried about getting fatty liver, eating like that?" Selene joked.

"Fatty liver? What illness is that? Selene, would you like some?" Honest replied, casually offering her a piece of his beloved meat with a face full of exaggerated sadness, which, paired with his plump figure, looked utterly comical.

"This is premium danger beast meat, you know."

"No thanks... I prefer my meat fully cooked. Please, enjoy it yourself, Minister." Selene declined without hesitation, eyeing the rare, still-bloody steak.

"Well... Minister Honest, let's talk later." Just as she was about to say something, Selene spotted General Budo emerging from the hall, and she quickly changed the subject.

Noticing Selene's gaze and seeing Budo, Honest understood and quickly excused himself, eager to avoid spending any more time around the stubborn old general.

"General Selene, a warrior should not meddle in politics!" As expected, before Budo even got close, he was already lecturing her with what had practically become his catchphrase.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in politics. Today, Minister Honest was just showing goodwill. It was merely a normal exchange."

"I believe, just like in the martial world, court politics is not just about fighting; it's about human relationships."

"I must go. I have the Emperor's mission to attend to."

With that, Selene turned and left, having no interest in listening to Budo's long-winded lecture.