Little Esdeath, I'm Not Giving You Leiva

"By order of Grand General Selene, General Leiva, you have been pardoned!"

Creak. The iron cell door opened.

Inside the cell sat a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing tattered prison clothes. He had striking silver hair swept to one side and a neatly trimmed mustache. Sitting cross-legged on a straw bed, he had his eyes closed, meditating. This was Leiva, the former general of the Empire, who had been imprisoned after refusing to bribe the overseer sent by Minister Honest. His upright nature had led to his fall from grace and eventual imprisonment.

Upon hearing the warden's words, Leiva immediately opened his eyes. "Grand General Selene? Why would she save me...? I'm not even part of the Imperial Guard."

Standing at the entrance of the cell, the warden replied indifferently, "Who knows?"

"Perhaps she sees you as a man with potential," the warden continued, motioning to the guards to unlock Leiva's chains.

As the shackles were removed, Leiva slowly stood up. "I never thought I'd live to walk out of this death row."

The warden shrugged, then handed over the pardon decree. "Take this. Congratulations, General Leiva, you are free to go."

"Let's go. Don't keep the Grand General waiting."

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor. Esdeath, wearing her signature white high-heeled boots, stepped into view. She paused upon seeing the warden and Leiva emerging from the cell.

"Warden, I'm here to request a prisoner…"

Was she too late? Esdeath's expression remained unreadable as she took in the scene. "Warden, what's going on here?"

"By order of Grand General Selene, General Leiva has been pardoned and is to report to the Imperial Guard headquarters for an audience with her," the warden explained.

"I see." Understanding the situation quickly, Esdeath said no more. She produced a list of prisoners she had selected and, with a quick glance, crossed Leiva's name off the top before handing it to the warden. "These are the ones I need. Release them."

"Do you have authorization for this?"

"This is Minister Honest's pardon decree."

"Understood. Please wait a moment, General Esdeath." The warden nodded, taking the decree. He turned to a guard and instructed, "Escort General Leiva to the Grand General."

Imperial Capital, Palace, Imperial Guard Headquarters.

In the grand and opulent hall, despite still wearing his ragged prison clothes, Leiva stood tall and proud, his posture unbroken. "Grand General, what orders do you have for me?" he asked.

Selene took a sip of her coffee, savoring the rich and slightly bitter flavor before speaking directly.

"I had you released because I see potential in you. The provincial defense forces are no longer an option for you, so I want you to become my vassal."

Leiva let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle and shook his head. "I'm just a disgraced soldier, someone cast aside for refusing to curry favor with Minister Honest's lackeys..."

Selene, anticipating his reluctance, cut him off sharply. "You know full well who caused the delay in battle. You aren't to blame."

Leiva fell silent, then sighed. "I'm tired... I don't want to fight anymore."

Selene's expression hardened. "Are you pretending not to understand, or do you genuinely not get it?" She put her cup down, staring coldly at Leiva. Simulate—Gravity.

"Kneel."

Bang! Leiva was instantly forced to his knees by an overwhelming pressure.

Selene stood up and approached him slowly. "I believe you don't want to die. And I think you still have a desire for power, for victory. If you accept, you'll become one of mine, and not even Honest will dare touch you."

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing. "Now stop being so hesitant. Answer me: Life or death—what is your choice?"

Leiva stared up at her, surprised by the forceful recruitment. Yet, everything she said was true. He didn't want to die. He still yearned to make his mark, to reclaim the honor stripped from him, and to settle his grudge against the overseer who had betrayed him.

"I am willing to serve you." As the weight lifted from his body, Leiva quickly made his decision, placing his right hand over his heart and bowing.

Selene, satisfied with his resolve, nodded. A purple-red particle formed in her hand, condensing into a glowing sphere. "Eat this. It will gradually enhance your aging body. However, you understand the consequences of betrayal, correct?"

"I understand," Leiva replied without hesitation, swallowing the particle Selene offered. Then, standing upright, he raised his hand in a formal salute and made his vow.

"I, former General Leiva of the Empire, solemnly swear that from this moment forward, I will serve Selene von Habsburg with absolute loyalty, as her vassal. I will obey her commands without question, and even if it costs me my life, I shall remain true to my oath."

"Good. Here's your first mission." Selene handed him a folder from her desk. "Dr. Stylish, head of the Imperial Science Bureau, will be relocating his research lab to the north in a week. You will escort him."

Taking the folder, Leiva bowed deeply. "Understood."

Selene smiled approvingly. "Excellent. Someone, take General Leiva to be properly outfitted."

Watching Leiva's obedience, Selene was pleased. Even though her use of the Ideological Branding would take time to fully control someone of Leiva's strength, his willing subservience made the process smoother.

Sorry, Esdeath, she thought with a smirk. Leiva is mine now. I'll leave you with those two remaining brutes—one's just muscle and the other's a deranged creep. Consider it a test of my affection and a bit of training for you. No need to thank me.

Feeling content, Selene stood up and opened the large window overlooking the city. The capital gleamed under the sunlight, its bustling streets stretching far into the distance. "I wonder how Sebas is doing with the development of my fief..."

"Ah… ahchoo! Who's talking about me?" Sebas muttered to himself, wondering who might be thinking of him.

Meanwhile, back in the prison, Esdeath was frustrated by the loss of Leiva to Selene. She had her eye on him as a valuable recruit, but now she had to shift her focus to finding other "talents."

"Esdeath, are you certain you want this one?" the warden asked, holding out a prisoner dossier. "This one's… quite unique."

Esdeath glanced at the file and then back at the warden, unconcerned. "Yes, release him. I'll evaluate his usefulness. If he doesn't meet expectations, I'll kill him myself."

The warden hesitated before confirming, "Very well."

The dossier showed a name: Nyau.

Name: Nyau

Gender: Male

Crimes: Theft and dissection of rare, valuable danger beasts from royal estates; first-degree murder; property damage. Notably, he has a tendency to target lone women, collecting the skins of young, beautiful girls for his own disturbing purposes. He's highly skilled in disguise.

Sentence: Death by execution, scheduled for autumn.

"You're sure about this?" the warden asked one last time.

Esdeath's eyes gleamed coldly. "Yes. Release him. I'll handle him personally."