Return

Due to the collapse of the tombs, the nearby city must have already sent people to investigate, therefore Gozuki ordered for the group to get ready to leave.

Akame and Kurome got a chance to travel back together. And Zero only now realized how much time he spent talking to Guy on the previous journey. He obviously exchanged a few words with everyone but Akame who was probably the second person he spent the most time with was now preoccupied with catching up with her sister.

Since Najasho was no longer with them, Gozuki appointed Cornelia to be in charge. After being appointed as a leader, Zero noticed that previously gloomy Cornelia turned back to a reliable big sister who was always positive.

Since Zero had no one to talk with most of the time, he at least tried to spend some time with Cornelia because he could sense she was just wearing a mask. Out of everyone, Cornelia was probably affected the most yet she wasn't showing it outside.

"This truly brings a smile to my face" Cornelia said while watching the black-haired sisters talking from behind.

"Hm, at least someone received a happy 'ending'" Zero muttered with a faint smile however that smile quickly turned sour once he replaced that sight with him and his family.

"Ehm, anyway, was the thing you consumed a Teigu?" Cornelia sensed how the mood has changed so she decided to change the subject, keeping her voice down.

"Teigu?" During his time at Capital, Zero has naturally heard of some super-powerful weapons but aside from that, he had no further information.

"They are extremely powerful relics that only the strongest can wield. Of course, the strongest doesn't always mean in power, some of the Teigu can require an enormous amount of mental power instead. Those relics were made from extremely powerful Danger Beasts, granting them supernatural powers. Daddy's Teigu is named Murasame, just a single nick from that cursed blade can kill anyone so be careful and stay away from his weapon. We on the other hand use weapons named Shingu, basically they are a downgraded version of Teigu and even their requirements for wielding them are slightly lower." Cornelia explained and the moment Zero heard the word "daddy" his right eye twitched but he continued to silently listen.

"Interesting, going by that logic, I would say yes, the thing I have consumed must have been Teigu. Thank you for explaining this to me, you are very knowledgeable. It's as everyone says, you are dependable like a big sister." Zero said with a friendly smile however his compliments were meant to get more information out of her.

"Tehee, I am not as good as you make me out to be but I am glad you feel that you can rely on me! I kept pestering daddy about those things so it's natural that I know more than others." Cornelia scratched the back of her and replied with a slightly embarrassed smile.

'I didn't expect her to immediately tell me about Gozuki's weapon, this could turn out to be extremely valuable later. This unit is bound to be dispersed one day, some of them have absolute trust in Gozuki but some of them are more reserved. Of course, that is if they can survive long enough to naturally disperse due to internal conflicts. Still, you are a big girl, stop calling him "daddy" for fuck's sake! Every time I hear her say that word, an image appear in my mind that sends chills down my entire being.'

"It's good to know that I can rely on you but don't be afraid to rely on the others too. Just because you are a leader, you don't have to take all the burdens on yourself. Try to lean on someone else's shoulder when you feel down so you can do the same for them once they need it the most." Zero said while looking at Cornelia just out of the corner of his eye.

"Zero..." Cornelia stopped walking and stared at Zero with wide-open eyes. Zero also stopped and impatiently put his hands on his hips but a warm smile crept across his face as he was waiting for Cornelia to recover.

"Maybe I will take you up on that offer, thanks!" Cornelia caught up to him and they once again started walking but this time, Cornelia was a bit closer to Zero, not like he noticed such a small detail.

"Hmph, I have never said it has to be me. I am sure everyone here would offer you their shoulder so don't be too prideful, it could hurt you in the end." Zero snorted at her words but his smile didn't disappear.

"You are probably right...Really, thank you, I feel much better now." Cornelia said and she definitely sounded very genuine which left Zero slightly embarrassed, though, he wouldn't show that outside.

"No problem, if our leader is down, be it either mentally or physically, how can we move forward?" Zero said, hinting that he was doing it for everyone.

'Heh, looks like this kid is much more mature than his peers. He was able to lift Cornelia's mood with only a few words. If only we can ensure his loyalty to the Empire...' Gozuki was quietly watching everything from the back of the group and he seemed both surprised and impressed how Zero has dealt with Cornelia. He actually intended for time to do the job but it looked like Zero's involvement would cut the time required by a considerable amount.

'Anyway, I will have to report that a new Teigu user might have popped out in our unit. I hope they won't transfer him to the army, it would make it much easier for me to have a fellow Teigu user nearby.' Gozuki thought with a tired expression.

During their journey, Zero could swear that Kurome was occasionally observing him which left him slightly puzzled.

'What is her problem? Well, I won't know it unless I talk to her and Akame, still, I am not sure if I should interrupt them.' Zero was thinking whether it was worth it to interrupt their sister bonding time.