Awoo—!
Following a cute cry, a massive mountain range rose from the ground.
No, perhaps it was not a mountain at all, but a living creature—the Little Earth Beast named Wild Flute by Cerydra.
Now possessing the ability to change its body size, it was fully capable of serving as a means of transportation to the South.
Although its speed was quite a bit slower than that of a Chrysos Heir, this served Cerydra's plan. The victory sought by Imperator was not merely a Blitzkrieg to directly capture cities, but also a psychological war to exert immense pressure on the opposition.
A certain powerhouse once said that if you want to strike a person down, the best way is to let them feel fear in their heart first; then, there is no need for you to act, as they will strike themselves down first.
Imperator intended to use her advantages to instill immense fear in the Empire and the Revolutionary Army of the South!
Cerydra's leisurely composure.
Earth Beast Wild Flute's mountain-like size.
Several thousand magnificent Millelith.
Hundreds of thousands of resolute-faced Northern Army soldiers.
And the terrifying killing intent permeating the air.
Cerydra sat upon the back of the Earth Beast in the posture of an Empress, radiating her presence at every moment.
When such a magnificent army marched out of the Northern Kingdom Capital, all the people of the Northern Country came to watch, letting out earth-shaking cheers.
Long live Empress Cerydra!
Victory! Victory!
The cheers of the people rang in her ears, and Cerydra waved to these subjects who supported her.
The faces of anyone swept by the Empress's gaze turned flushed; many even shed tears of excitement, all caused by being overly thrilled.
＼o／＼o／＼o／＼o／＼o／
Although it had not been long, Empress Cerydra's rule over this land had reached an unsurpassed level.
Even if Numa Seika, the former Prince of this land, wanted to raise an army to resist again, no one would respond. They would only look at him with strange eyes and then quickly report it to the Northern Kingdom Palace.
What would then await Numa Seika would only be the respect due to the dead...
Furthermore, as individuals with special status and favorites of Empress Cerydra, Hysilens and Esdeath naturally occupied a place upon the back of the Earth Beast Wild Flute.
"Oh, what is that?"
Just as Hysilens was responding to the people of the Northern Country, the appearance of several figures suddenly caught her attention, even causing Hysilens to reveal an expression of surprise.
"Where is Lady Dux Gladiorum?"
"She seems to be beside Her Majesty the Empress... right on that big monster!"
A nun was leading a large group of children, walking at the very back of the crowd. Many children stood on their tiptoes, searching for the figures of Her Majesty the Empress and Dux Gladiorum.
"Ah, is that Her Majesty the Empress? So small and cute! She's not even as big as us!"
"Exactly, exactly! I didn't expect such a small person could become an Empress. I want to become an Empress in the future too!"
"Haha, Mine, you'd be more suited to being a maid for Her Majesty!"
The children's voices were not loud and were soon drowned out by the surrounding crowd, but the hearing of Cerydra and Hysilens was, after all, at the Demigod level; they could naturally gather this information.
Aren't these the children from the Golden Orphanage? I didn't expect that nun to bring them out as well.
With just a glance, Cerydra found Mine and the sisters, Akame and Kurome, in the crowd. When she first heard those praises, the corners of Cerydra's mouth turned up slightly, but she soon found herself unable to smile.
These children really have no filter, daring to say anything. But considering their young age, she would let it slide.
Cerydra: ...Heh! Just the innocent jests of children. I don't care at all. Not at all!
Out of sight, out of mind. Cerydra simply waved her hand casually toward the crowd and turned her head to look the other way.
But Hysilens was different. As the person who had once taken Mine, Akame, and Kurome to the Golden Orphanage, she had visited them in private with some small gifts.
Therefore, the black-haired beauty looked toward those small fry who had yet to grow with a gentle gaze and lightly waved her hand.
She was both greeting the children and bidding them farewell. After all, after this campaign, neither Cerydra nor Hysilens would likely have the chance to visit the Golden Orphanage again.
But the future of the Northern Empire might rely on these children...
What Cerydra and Hysilens could do now was engrave their figures in everyone's eyes, leaving a sliver of hope for this terrible world of Akame ga Kill.
Even if hope was slim, it still existed and would one day radiate true light!
Just like in Amphoreus, even if Cerydra and Hysilens died, the seeds of hope would take root and sprout, and the people would continue to move forward... until they welcomed the true dawn!
As the Northern Army completely departed, the surrounding crowd slowly dispersed, but everyone had a smile on their face.
However, the children of the Golden Orphanage showed no sign of leaving; instead, they stared blankly at the departing figures of the army...
"As expected of Lady Dux Gladiorum. Even as a girl, she is so elegant and cool..." Akame's expression was very flat, but a strange light sparkled in her eyes, as if she had found her life's goal. "In the future, I want to become a person like Dux Gladiorum!"
"Then I'll assist Sister and be her Adjutant!" Kurome placed her hand on Akame's shoulder at this moment. The sisters smiled at each other, everything understood without words.
The Golden Orphanage provided guidance for the children's studies, and the sisters had a clear understanding of their own abilities. Kurome was stronger than Akame in terms of intellect, while Akame was stronger than Kurome in combat. The two formed a perfect complement.
However, Mine was a bit different. Her physical condition was clearly not very strong, and she usually ranked in the middle to lower tiers during physical tests... It seemed she had indeed suffered quite a bit while wandering before, to the point where she had not yet recovered.
"Hmph... I don't care! Don't you dare think of leaving me behind!"
From the beginning, little Mine's gaze had remained fixed on Cerydra. That proud, upright, and dignified appearance of the other party had truly hit Mine's sweet spot.
It was the first time she had seen someone like Cerydra, and her heart was filled with envy.
After all, Mine herself was a half-blood with Western Foreign Tribes lineage and had been wandering the streets daily. If she hadn't met Sister Hysilens, she probably would have died on the road long ago.
To repay Hysilens for this kindness, Mine wanted to help her, make the Northern Country better, and let more children like herself live happy and joyful lives.
Empress...
It was indeed too far from her current self, but that didn't stop Mine from fantasizing about it.
"One day, I will stand at the peak of the Northern Country!"
"And become an Empress like Cerydra!"