The morning sun cast its light over the godforsaken land known as the Empire. In the wealthier districts, nobles awoke from soft beds and silk sheets, stretching lazily as servants prepared their breakfasts and morning baths. Meanwhile, far beyond the comfort of the capital's shining streets, the people the upper class mockingly called low-born struggled to rise from filthy alleyways, worn-down homes, and cramped shelters barely fit for living.
To the privileged, it was simply another peaceful morning.
To everyone else, it was survival.
At one of the Empire's military outposts stationed near the capital, a particularly energetic young girl eagerly prepared herself for another day of duty. Her long auburn hair was tied tightly into a ponytail that swayed behind her as she moved around her room with enthusiasm that seemed impossible for that early in the morning.
After quickly putting on her military uniform, she reached down and picked up her trusted companion.
Koro.
The pint-sized beast wagged its tail excitedly while standing upright on its hind legs, almost mimicking the posture of a loyal soldier preparing for inspection. Despite its adorable appearance, the creature possessed frightening strength that few people in the Empire would dare underestimate.
The girl grinned proudly.
"Another wonderful day to serve justice, Koro!"
Koro barked happily in response.
Without wasting another second, the young soldier marched confidently through the military halls. Her heavy footsteps echoed loudly enough to make several nearby guards sigh in annoyance.
One unfortunate recruit immediately stepped aside after hearing her approach.
"She's coming," he muttered under his breath.
"Again?"
"Just pray for the captain's office door."
The two soldiers barely had enough time to move away before the office door suddenly slammed open with a loud bang.
"Seryu Ubiquitous, reporting for duty!" the young girl shouted proudly while raising her right arm in a salute and holding Koro securely with her left.
The impact nearly knocked one of the door hinges loose.
Inside the office, Captain Ogre sat behind his desk while quietly writing notes inside a worn diary. The large man did not even flinch at the sudden entrance. Instead, he slowly lowered his pen and stared blankly at the damaged door with the exhausted expression of someone who had already accepted his fate.
A long moment of silence filled the room.
Then Ogre let out a tired sigh.
"Seryu..." he began in a calm but irritated voice, rubbing the side of his forehead. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but could you stop kicking the damn door open every morning?"
Seryu blinked innocently.
"But Captain Ogre, a warrior of justice, should always make a strong entrance!"
"A warrior of justice isn't the one paying for replacement hinges," Ogre muttered.
Koro barked loudly as if agreeing with Seryu.
Ogre looked toward the small beast with visible disappointment.
"Don't encourage her."
Completely ignoring the captain's frustration, Seryu stepped further into the office with sparkling excitement in her eyes.
"Do we have a mission today, sir? Are they criminals? Corrupt officials? Evil-doers threatening the peace of the Empire?"
The sheer enthusiasm in her voice contrasted sharply against the dull atmosphere of the office.
Ogre leaned back in his chair before slowly closing his diary with a quiet snap. His tired eyes remained fixed on the overly energetic girl standing proudly before him.
Perhaps it's time I introduce her to him early on… before things get ugly.
For a brief moment, Ogre remained silent.
Seryu waited patiently, though the excitement practically radiating from her made it obvious she was struggling to stand still.
Finally, Ogre stood up from his chair.
"Actually, Seryu, we're going on a little patrol today," he said while adjusting the collar of his coat.
That single sentence immediately made the justice-obsessed girl even more excited than before.
"A patrol mission?!"
Koro barked enthusiastically alongside her.
"That's right," Ogre muttered.
Seryu clenched her fists with determination.
"Then I shall dedicate myself fully to preserving peace and justice for the Empire!"
Ogre merely sighed.
The three of them soon left the military outpost and began patrolling the capital's crowded market district. The streets were already alive with activity. Merchants loudly advertised their products while civilians hurried through the roads carrying bags, crates, and supplies.
To ordinary people, the sight of Imperial soldiers walking through the streets usually brought uneasiness.
To Seryu, however, the nervous glances from civilians were proof that justice was maintaining order.
As expected, she carried out her duties with extreme diligence.
She inspected suspicious-looking individuals.
She questioned merchants with unusual amounts of aggression.
She even helped an elderly woman carry groceries across the street while proudly lecturing nearby civilians about the importance of loyalty to the Empire.
Ogre watched the entire thing quietly.
Eventually, a small smile appeared on his face.
Seryu immediately noticed it.
"Captain Ogre!"
"Hm?"
"Were you just smiling because you're proud of my devotion to justice?"
"...Sure," Ogre answered flatly.
That smile of his, however, was neither warm nor reassuring.
It was the cautious smile of a man fully aware of what Seryu was capable of when provoked by even the slightest criticism against the Empire she worshipped so blindly.
He had seen it before.
The frightening change in her expression.
The madness hidden beneath her cheerful personality.
The terrifying conviction that allowed her to justify almost anything in the name of justice.
And that was exactly why Ogre felt uneasy.
"Seryu," the ever-nervous captain suddenly spoke while continuing down the crowded street.
"Yes, Captain Ogre?"
"Remember the things I taught you about good and evil?"
Seryu answered immediately without hesitation.
"Yes! A person is truly evil when they oppose our glorious Empire! By eliminating evil before it spreads, we can bring justice to everyone!"
Several nearby civilians quietly lowered their heads and avoided eye contact after hearing her declaration.
Ogre noticed.
Seryu did not.
"Yeah… about that," Ogre muttered carefully. "Perhaps it's time I taught you something else you haven't learned from me yet."
That finally caused Seryu to pause.
Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.
Something else?
Was there truly another lesson about justice she had yet to learn?
In Seryu's mind, justice had always been simple.
Protect the Empire.
Destroy evil.
Punish criminals.
Anyone who opposed those ideals deserved no mercy.
So why did Ogre suddenly sound uncertain?
Before she could ask another question, a loud commotion suddenly echoed from a nearby alleyway.
"Move! Move out of the way!"
A man came sprinting out from the narrow passage in complete panic while several Imperial soldiers chased after him.
The civilians nearby immediately scattered.
Seryu's eyes widened. Her body instantly tensed like a hunting animal sensing prey.
"Captain!" she exclaimed excitedly. "My Justice Radar senses evil nearby!"
Without waiting for permission, Seryu immediately rushed toward the alley.
"I'm going after him!"
She released Koro from her arms.
"Koro! Chase the criminal!"
Koro barked aggressively before sprinting forward on all fours with alarming speed.
The terrified man looked back just in time to see the small beast rapidly gaining on him.
"Seryu, wait! Damn it!"
Captain Ogre immediately ran after her, pushing through the crowd as startled civilians hurriedly moved aside.
His expression grew increasingly tense with every passing second.
Weaving desperately through the sea of people, the fleeing man searched frantically for an escape route. Sweat dripped down his face as panic overtook his thoughts. The market streets were crowded, noisy, and suffocating.
Unfortunately for him, Koro was no ordinary dog.
The Teigu sprinted through the crowd with terrifying speed, weaving between civilians effortlessly before leaping forward. Its jaws clamped tightly onto the man's leg.
"GAH!"
The sudden force immediately threw him off balance.
He crashed face-first onto the dirt road while nearby civilians gasped and backed away in fear.
Before the man could even attempt to crawl away, Koro climbed onto his back and pinned him down with a low growl. Its normally adorable appearance now looked horrifying beneath its glowing red eyes.
Seryu arrived only moments later.
"Excellent work, Koro!" she praised proudly.
The young soldier stood triumphantly over the struggling man with a proud smile plastered across her face, as if she had personally captured one of the Empire's most dangerous criminals.
Not long afterward, the group of Imperial soldiers finally caught up alongside Captain Ogre.
Unlike the others, however, Ogre appeared noticeably exhausted.
He leaned against a nearby wooden stall while catching his breath.
Normally, a short pursuit like this would not have affected him at all. But the wounds from the recent assassination attempt still had not fully healed.
Every sharp movement strained his body. Every deep breath sent a dull pain through his side.
"Nice job… Seryu… Koro…" Ogre muttered between breaths. "Damn… I'm getting old."
One of the nearby soldiers immediately stepped forward with concern visible on his face.
"Captain, you should be careful. Your injuries—"
"I am careful," Ogre interrupted with visible annoyance before straightening himself.
He then shifted his attention toward the man pinned beneath Koro.
The terrified civilian looked utterly defeated. Dust covered his clothing. His hands trembled violently.
And most importantly… he looked starving.
Ogre quietly narrowed his eyes.
"Anyway," the captain continued calmly, "what exactly did this guy do?"
"This evildoer disrupted the peace of the Empire and deserves immediate punishment!" Seryu declared proudly while standing at attention.
Several nearby civilians instinctively lowered their heads.
Some looked nervous. Others looked afraid.
No one dared speak.
Ogre glanced sideways at Seryu.
"Yeah, but what kind of evil?" he asked with clear irritation.
Seryu paused.
For a brief moment, confusion crossed her face.
To her, evil was evil. Did the details really matter?
Before she could answer, another voice suddenly cut through the crowd.
"Because that lowborn thief stole from me."
The crowd immediately parted.
A nobleman slowly approached with several armed escorts surrounding him.
Unlike the exhausted civilians nearby, the man carried himself with the arrogant confidence of someone who had never struggled a single day in his life. His elegant white suit was spotless. Golden rings decorated nearly every finger. A thin mustache rested above a permanent expression of irritation. Even the way he walked radiated superiority.
The nobleman covered his nose slightly with a handkerchief as if disgusted by the mere presence of the surrounding crowd.
"Captain Ogre," he continued in an annoyed tone, "I expect that criminal to be executed immediately."
His cold eyes shifted toward the trembling man pinned beneath Koro.
"That filthy lowborn thought he could lay his disgusting hands on my money."
The civilians nearby remained silent.
No one dared question him.
No one dared object.
Because in the Empire, a nobleman's word held more value than a commoner's life.
Ogre stared quietly at the man beneath Koro.
Then at the nobleman.
Then back at the man again.
"Seryu," Ogre said calmly, "get Koro off him."
"Yes, sir!"
Without hesitation, Seryu pulled Koro away from the civilian.
The man immediately curled into himself while clutching his injured leg. Even then, he still kept his head lowered. He did not dare make eye contact with anyone.
Ogre stepped closer.
"Is it true?" he asked.
The man's entire body stiffened.
Slowly, he looked around.
First at Ogre.
Then at Seryu.
Then at Koro.
Then finally toward the nobleman and his armed escorts.
The fear in his eyes became painfully obvious.
He wanted to deny it.
Ogre could see that much.
But surrounded by Imperial soldiers, a nobleman, and a living Teigu staring directly at him, the man's courage quickly crumbled.
His lips trembled.
His voice refused to come out.
Finally, with shaking hands, he slowly reached into his ragged clothing and pulled out a small bag filled with coins.
The nobleman immediately scoffed.
"There. You see? A worthless thief."
The man suddenly dropped to his knees.
"Please…" he begged desperately.
His voice cracked.
"Please spare me… I only stole it because my family hasn't eaten in days. My children are starving…"
The nobleman immediately sneered at him with visible disgust.
"And why should we care about vermin like you?" he asked coldly.
He stepped forward slowly, his polished shoes stopping just inches away from the trembling thief.
"It's because of pathetic commoners like you that the Empire is constantly troubled by those delusional fools in the Revolutionary Army. You people refuse to understand your place."
His lip curled.
"Only the strong and worthy deserve to live peacefully within the Capital. Filthy lowborn pests like you and your family should be grateful the Empire tolerates your existence at all."
The crowd remained silent.
A mother nearby quietly pulled her child closer.
An elderly man lowered his gaze.
Several civilians clenched their fists in frustration before quickly forcing themselves to relax.
No one dared challenge a noble openly. Not here.
Not in the Capital.
Even some of the Imperial soldiers appeared uncomfortable hearing the nobleman speak so casually about another human life.
But none of them interrupted.
Seryu's expression, however, remained firm.
Her eyes held no sympathy.
Only conviction.
To her, theft was still a crime.
And criminals were evil.
Simple.
Clear.
Absolute.
Ogre, however, remained silent.
His tired eyes lingered on the bag of coins.
Then on the starving man.
Then finally toward the smiling nobleman.
And for the first time since the chase began…
Seryu noticed something strange.
Captain Ogre did not look certain anymore.
The large captain slowly approached the kneeling thief. The crowd instinctively stiffened.
"Give me the purse back," Ogre ordered calmly.
The starving man trembled violently before slowly handing over the stolen pouch. Resigned to his fate, he lowered his head completely.
He expected execution.
At best, imprisonment.
At worst… torture.
That was simply how the Empire dealt with commoners accused of crimes. Especially when nobles were involved. Ogre opened the pouch briefly before tossing it back toward the irritated nobleman.
"There."
The nobleman quickly inspected the contents.
"Hmph. At least the rat had enough sense not to spend any of it."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Ogre reached into his own coat pocket. The captain pulled out several gold coins. Ten of them.
Without hesitation, he handed them directly to the stunned thief.
The entire alleyway fell silent. Even the nearby soldiers stared in disbelief.
"Here," Ogre muttered.
The thief blinked repeatedly, unable to process what had just happened.
"U-Um…"
"Use it to feed your family," Ogre interrupted. "And don't make me regret this."
His voice suddenly hardened.
"The next time I hear about you stealing again, I'll personally hang your body in the town square for everyone to see. Understand?"
The man nodded frantically.
"Y-Yes! Yes sir! Thank you!"
Tears began forming in his eyes. For several seconds, he looked completely unable to speak.
"B-But why would you—"
"I said no questions," Ogre snapped.
His intimidating glare immediately silenced the man.
"What? You want me to change my mind?"
"N-No!"
"Then scram before I decide to arrest you properly."
The thief immediately stumbled to his feet before running away in panic. Yet despite his fear, something inside him had clearly changed. The hopeless terror that consumed him moments earlier had faded. In its place remained a tiny spark of hope.
The civilians watched him disappear into the crowded streets. Some appeared relieved. Others looked confused. A few even glanced toward Ogre with newfound respect.
The nobleman, however, looked furious.
"What are you doing, Captain?!" he demanded angrily. "Why did you let that lowborn criminal escape?"
Beside him, Seryu still stood frozen in place.
"Ogre… sensei?"
The uncertainty in her voice was unmistakable.
For perhaps the first time since meeting him, Seryu genuinely failed to understand Ogre's actions.
Had he not taught her that evil deserved punishment? Had he not always preached justice?
Then why spare a criminal?
Ogre ignored both of them.
Instead, he calmly approached the furious nobleman. The captain leaned downward slightly before whispering quietly enough that only the noble and his escorts could hear.
"That man? I know exactly who he is. More importantly… I know where he lives."
The noble frowned.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Ogre's eyes narrowed.
"If something happens to him, do you honestly think the people protecting that district will sit quietly after one of their own gets executed without question?"
The nobleman scoffed.
"And who exactly would oppose me?"
Ogre stared at him like a disappointed parent looking at an idiot child.
"My god… Little Italy. Vito Corleone, for fuck's sake."
The noble blinked.
"Who the hell is Vito Corleone?"
The moment the name left Ogre's mouth, the atmosphere changed. The nobleman's escorts visibly tensed. One of them subtly stepped backward. Another quietly avoided eye contact. Even several nearby soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
Seryu noticed all of it.
Who is that?
The name meant nothing to her.
Yet everyone else suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Ogre simply sighed.
"Seems your guards are wiser than you are," he muttered before tossing the recovered purse back toward the noble.
The noble barely caught it.
"Listen carefully," Ogre continued in a lower tone. "Don't blame me if something unfortunate happens to your mansion. Or your business. Or your escorts."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"I warned you."
The nobleman's face paled ever so slightly. For the first time since arriving, genuine nervousness appeared in his expression.
Still, pride prevented him from backing down completely.
"Tch… ridiculous."
But his voice no longer sounded confident.
Ogre turned away dismissively.
"We're leaving," he ordered.
The Imperial soldiers immediately obeyed.
One by one, they began dispersing from the alleyway. The civilians quickly moved aside to avoid trouble.
Before following the others, Seryu glanced back one final time at the nobleman.
The man was still visibly shaken.
Not by Ogre.
Not by the soldiers.
But by the mere mention of a single name.
Vito Corleone.
As Seryu quietly followed behind her captain through the busy streets of the Capital, confusion continued swirling inside her mind. The sounds of the marketplace slowly returned around them. Merchants resumed shouting about their goods. Children ran through the streets. Civilians continued moving from stall to stall as though nothing unusual had happened.
Yet to Seryu, the world no longer felt quite as clear as it did that morning.
Justice was supposed to be simple.
Those who oppose the Empire are evil. Those who commit crimes are evil. Those who spread disorder must be punished.
That was what she had always believed.
That was what she had devoted her life to.
So why did today suddenly feel so complicated?
Her steps slowed slightly.
Behind her cheerful expression, thoughts she had never experienced before quietly began taking shape.
The thief had stolen. That much was undeniable.
But…
He had stolen to feed starving children.
And Captain Ogre had spared him. Not only that, he had given the criminal money.
Seryu tightened her fists.
None of it made sense.
Up ahead, Captain Ogre suddenly glanced backward after noticing her unusual silence. Normally, Seryu would have spent the entire walk loudly praising justice or proudly discussing how many criminals she hoped to arrest that day.
Instead, she now looked strangely distracted.
"Ogre… sensei?" she asked carefully.
"Hm?"
"Why did you help that thief?"
Her voice carried genuine confusion.
"Wasn't he evil for disrupting the Empire's peace?"
For a few seconds, Ogre did not answer. He simply continued walking while staring ahead at the crowded streets.
Eventually, the captain let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Not because he was annoyed at Seryu.
But because of what had just unfolded before her eyes.
Because for the first time since becoming his student…
Seryu had started questioning things, and Ogre honestly did not know whether that was a good thing or a dangerous one.
"We're not making any arrests today, you understand?" Ogre finally replied.
Seryu blinked.
"Huh?"
Ogre glanced sideways at her before smirking faintly.
"I told you before, it's time I taught you something else you haven't learned from me yet. Today ain't about the rulebook," he muttered. "Today's about learning how this capital really works."
Seryu tilted her head.
"I don't understand, sir."
"Of course you don't." Ogre shoved his hands into his coat pockets as they continued walking through the crowded streets. "The Empire teaches you fairy tale crap about justice, good guys, bad guys, laws… all that neat little nonsense."
His eyes drifted toward the nobles laughing outside a gambling hall.
"Out here? The streets decide what justice is."
Seryu frowned slightly.
"But the Empire—"
"The Empire," Ogre interrupted sharply, "only controls what people see. The rest?"
He smirked again.
"The rest belongs to men with power."
For the first time all day, Seryu felt a slight chill run down her spine.
Ogre looked toward the distant district ahead.
"We're just doing a little patrol," he continued more casually. "After that, you're meeting an old friend of mine."
The moment he changed the subject, Seryu immediately straightened herself and saluted.
"Yes sir!"
Her usual enthusiasm quickly returned. At least on the surface.
However… the doubt inside her had not disappeared.
As the two continued through the streets, Seryu quietly looked around at the civilians surrounding them. Workers carried crates heavier than their own bodies. Small children begged for scraps of food near alleyways. An exhausted woman sat beside the road while holding a sleeping infant close to her chest. Meanwhile, only a few streets away, nobles laughed loudly while exiting expensive restaurants and casinos.
The difference between the two worlds was impossible to ignore. Yet Seryu had never truly paid attention to it before.
Because whenever she saw suffering, she simply assumed evil people somewhere were responsible.
But now…
Her thoughts drifted back toward the starving thief.
Was someone like him truly the same kind of evil as murderers or traitors?
The thought unsettled her.
"Ogre sensei," she suddenly spoke again.
"What now?"
"Do you think…"
She hesitated.
Even forming the question felt strange.
"Do you think some criminals can still be good people?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Ogre's expression changed slightly.
Not surprise.
Not anger.
Something closer to concern.
The large captain remained silent for several moments before finally answering.
"That depends on who gets to decide what 'good' means."
Seryu frowned.
"I don't understand."
"Yeah," Ogre muttered while scratching the back of his head. "I figured you wouldn't."
The captain stopped walking.
Seryu nearly bumped into him.
Standing before them was a narrow street branching away from the crowded marketplace. Unlike the bleaker areas of the Capital, this district felt livelier. The buildings were tightly packed together, with laundry hanging between windows overhead. Several men stood near nearby storefronts smoking quietly while watching the street.
The moment they noticed Ogre approaching, their expressions subtly changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
One of the men gave a small nod.
Ogre returned it casually.
Seryu immediately noticed something unusual.
None of these people looked afraid of Imperial soldiers. That alone felt strange.
Normally civilians either avoided eye contact or immediately lowered their heads whenever Imperial officers passed nearby.
But not here.
The atmosphere felt… different.
Almost like the people in this district answered to someone else entirely.
Koro growled softly.
Seryu tightened her grip on the small Teigu.
"Ogre sensei…" she whispered. "Where exactly are we?"
Ogre looked toward the street ahead.
"Little Italy," he answered simply.
Several nearby civilians immediately glanced toward them after hearing the name.
A heavy silence briefly filled the area.
Then, just as quickly, everyone returned to their business.
But Seryu noticed the subtle tension.
Even Ogre's own soldiers had looked nervous earlier after hearing that name.
And now…
So did the civilians.
The young girl swallowed quietly. For reasons she could not explain, it suddenly felt as though she had stepped into territory completely separate from the Empire itself.
Ogre started walking again.
"Come on," he muttered. "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting."
"Him?"
Ogre smirked faintly.
"My friend."
As they moved deeper into the district, Seryu began noticing more strange details.
The streets here were cleaner than many parts of the Capital.
The shops looked modest but stable. Children played outside without fear. Several civilians even greeted Ogre politely as he passed by.
One elderly shopkeeper waved.
"Captain Ogre," the old man greeted warmly.
"Still alive, old bastard?" Ogre replied casually.
The old man laughed loudly.
Seryu stared.
She had never seen Ogre speak to civilians like that before. Not once.
Eventually, the pair arrived in front of a large restaurant near the center of the district.
Unlike the luxurious establishments owned by nobles, this building felt welcoming rather than extravagant. Warm light poured from the windows. The smell of freshly cooked food drifted through the air.
Gauri stood near the entrance.
The moment he saw Ogre approaching, he immediately stepped aside and opened the door respectfully.
"Captain Ogre," Gauri greeted.
Ogre nodded.
"Tell the Don I'm here."
The man froze briefly after noticing Seryu.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"...And her?"
"She's with me."
The man studied Seryu carefully for several uncomfortable seconds before finally stepping aside.
"Understood."
As Seryu followed Ogre inside, the nervous feeling in her chest only grew stronger.
Because despite being inside the Capital itself…
It no longer felt like they were inside the Empire at all.