Fate: Kill

Chapter 48

Was there even a need to answer?

Just listening revealed how unconventional such a leader would be for any empire such that it had never been heard of before. Of course, that didn't mean it was impossible.

They were living it.

"That's right. Its fucking our Empire that would, and its both incredibly heartening and despairingly disgusting." Najenda could no longer prevent herself from cursing.

A leader who would put himself before the people was one that many would consider a benevolent ruler. However, those were the types of people who die early from recklessness in wars, or failed in kingdom management by trying to handle everything on his or her own.

"So that's why we have to show him that he does not have to bear everything. We must succeed, so listen well."

Briefly, Najenda shifted her gaze to glance at her allies one by one before coming to a decision she'd already been dwelling over.

"We cannot allow Honest to contact Syura at any cost. To this end, we split into two teams," Najenda began to issue orders, leaving no room for rebuttal. "Mine."

"Yes!" Mine answered with resolved features, Pumpkin held tightly in hand.

"You, Chelsea, and Bulat will intercept Syura." Najenda said. "If he enters your sights, kill him. Syura may no longer have legs, but just in case, Bulat will act as escort."

Bulat nodded in acceptance, while Mine snorted haughtily, the assignment as good as done in her eyes.

"What if he's not alone?" Chelsea was the only one who offered a counter argument. As the one who spent the least amount of time under Najenda, she didn't have the same level of blind faith as the rest. She narrowed her eyes. "Intelligence gathered indicates Syura to be the leader of a recently established unit known as Wild Hunt."

"Even so, it's unlikely to run into much interference." Najenda didn't even bat an eye to Chelsea's doubts and offered an explanation while speeding forward. "Syura's escape was not a deliberate act, or a foreseen one. He shouldn't have had time to organize a proper retreat. His arrogance would have ensured this. Let alone entertain defeat, he wouldn't have considered how to account for a failure. Bleeding and legless, he fled in panic, meaning that he's on his own unless he can contact his allies."

Chelsea looked like she still had her reservations about making assumptions, but ultimately deferred to Najenda's experience and the trust that Mine and Bulat harbored for Najenda.

"But where do we find him? It's not as if we can predict where he'd appear?" Bulat asked while Chelsea found herself nodding.

Najenda had already anticipated such a question.

"Both men and women are creatures of habit. Syura would have subconsciously teleported to a place he thought the safest unless he was attempting mutual destruction. Being as he escaped death on his own, it's unlikely that he'd be willing to throw away his life for nothing. He should be in the forest training grounds south of here. It was a place he always gravitated towards in times of hardship or neglect from his own father."

"He didn't strike me as a hard worker," Bulat muttered, reminiscing of his days in the military.

"He's not." Najenda's complexion darkened considerably. "Syura's training ground is less of a place to hone his skills, and is more of a place to relieve his stress. Stories abound of him kidnapping women, having his way with them, and then beating them to death while forcing their loved ones to watch. Obviously, he wouldn't do it in public, but rumours are rumours, and nothing was done at all."