I stood in the Eastern Quarter, where the revolution struck its first meaningful assault on the Empire. A year's worth of rebuilding had barely repaired most of the devastation. The infrastructure was in ruins, with entire districts destroyed. Scaffolding wrapped around every tall structure in view, and the air still carried an aroma of poverty and dust.
A familiar smell of cooking fires carried its way over to me. My stomach growled slightly, and my attention diverted. Before, I probably would have sprinted to the nearest roast, as my appetite was always a source of amusement for Night Raid. Now, I barely noticed. Food became like everything else once the war ended- a necessity without pleasure, a motion without meaning, another reminder of what was lost.
"Last chance to change your mind," a voice peered behind Me. I instinctually jumped and drew out Murasame in a flash. Leone would have teased me for panicking- but Leone was gone, like so many others.
It was Najenda. She stepped up beside me. "The new government could use someone like you, Akame. There's still work to be done here." "Bureaucratic work," I replied. Although I knew I was no longer commanded by Najenda, refusing orders still felt unnatural to me. "The western territories are still unstable. Bandits, remnants of the Empire's supporters, there's opportunities for you there."
Najenda reached her hand into her coat and pulled out a sealed letter, the paper thick and official-looking with the new government's seal pressed into red wax. "Take this, at least. It'll help you find legitimate work. The revolution may be over, but people still need help." I accepted the letter, tucking it into my pack alongside sparse provisions. I had been traveling frugally since the war ended- dried meat, change of clothes, and Murasame.
The rising sun painted the sky red. I continued walking down the road, my head covered by a cloak and Murasame sheathed. A year had passed since the revolution and the sword had not tasted blood since. In times of peace like now, the brandishing of a weapon was taboo and tasteless to most. I know I don't need it, but letting go of the sword felt futile.
It should take a few days to get to the west. My first day took me through the farmlands and what remained of them. Fields that would have been green with produce layed empty and brown, and the few crops that rose above the soil were yellow and wilted. Like many post-conflict regions, the economic foundation had crumbled, leaving farmers struggling to reclaim their livelihoods from the war.
I kept to myself, avoiding any travelers I encountered. A few times, random men tried to engage with me - calling out or attempting to chat, but I didn't respond. I caught pieces of passing conversations about politics, danger beasts, and reconstruction efforts. Talk of food shortages and displaced people dominated many discussions, but hearing all of this made me grateful to have left the Capital.
As it got darker, I prepared to rest for the night. I made camp in a small grove of trees, keeping Murasame at arm's length. The detection skills that I learned through my life lost me some sleep, as every twig snap and distant voice woke me. The morning was cold and misty, and my muscles were stiff from sleeping against the tree. I ate some of the dried meat I had left in my pack, which tasted horrible. Made me remember spit-roasting danger beasts with the rest of Night Raid. I miss that a lot more than I thought I would.
I continued west for now. Eventually, I made it past the farmlands and continued through the forests. The war physically didn't go much further than here, and the little damage done was slowly being reclaimed by nature. The forest was thick, sheltering me from the sunlight and other dangers. A landslide had blocked the main road, forcing me onto a secondary path deeper into the woods. I overheard other travelers who sounded pretty nervous about them, so I'll have to be careful.
I waited until nightfall to walk the path, as the darkness would give me some more cover. No threats came about that night, but sleep eluded me. After traveling through, I got back to the main road and continued. The morning was rainy enough to make the road too muddy to walk, but I found shelter in an abandoned waystation a few miles ahead. I looked at the letter from Najenda again, still unopened. Whatever I'm gonna do in the west needs to be better than what I left behind.
After the rain stopped, I continued my journey. I encountered more of the same people, and they talked of strange activity happening in the coastal provinces- disappearances, unexplained fires, and danger beasts. I had traveled through plenty of villages and towns on my way, but I noticed they had more polarity than usual. In one village, children played freely in the streets. In the next one, windows and doors were barred shut for some unknown reason. Things still seem dangerous even with no Empire left.
As I got further, the terrain became more challenging than before. The roads were windy, and went through several mountains. It was much colder than I expected, and Danger beasts also roamed around freely. I passed by several caravans that learned this truth too late.
Eventually, I stood on a hill overlooking the village I was supposed to go to. This must be the place. I continued down the remainder of the road until I reached the entrance of the village. There was an administration office across the main street, so I headed there. The administrator, a woman with graying hair and burn scars along my neck, saw me walk inside. "Morning hun, what do you need?" she asked me.
I handed her Najenda's letter, to which she read carefully. Akame handed the woman Najenda's letter. The administrator read it carefully. "We've had serious trouble with dangerous beasts in the local mines," she explained, spreading a map across her desk. "They've killed twenty workers in the past month. The miners are threatening to quit, but we need those resources for reconstruction."
I studied the map, noting the terrain and potential nest locations. This was the work I understood- clear objectives, definite threats, and no political machinations. "I'll need information about the beast types and their patterns," I replied. The administrator smiled slightly. "Thank you very much hun, we will be watching you with great interest." I rolled up the map and stuffed it into my bag, before looking back, nodding in acknowledgment and leaving the office.
I continued walking down the street of the village, stopping to examine a public notice board with a detailed map of the area. After memorizing the route, I headed toward the mines, where workers were starting their morning shift. Their tense postures and nervous glances told their own story.
The mine's foreman, a burly, balding man, showed me the attack sites. "They come from deeper in the tunnels," he explained. "Always at shift change, when we're most vulnerable. Smart bastards."
I see.
The mine entrance opened before me, and I stepped down into the tunnel, the damp air clinging to my skin. With each careful step, I gripped Murasame with practiced familiarity. The weight of it felt familiar and comforting, amidst the uncertainty of what waited deeper in the mines. As I ventured down further, the shadows became more prevalent, and unintelligible sounds quietly reverberated around the tunnels.
A low growl echoed through the mine, alerting my senses. It rumbled again, louder this time, and I slowly moved towards the sound. Every step I took was calm and calculated; my days as an assassin were clearly paying off. Suddenly, a glowing gold eye opened in the dark, causing me to stand back and draw out Murasame.
The danger beast emerged from the mines- a cyclopean, slithering monstrosity with a maw of teeth as sharp as the walls of the caves. It loudly hissed and lunged at me, and I sidestepped the flailing creature and delivered several blows to its skin- not to much success. Me and the monster exchanged swipes at each other, until I eventually planted Murasame into the back of the danger beast's head.
The monster collapsed onto the ground, creating a large thud that echoed through the tunnels. The job wasn't over yet- there were several nests located on the administrator's map she received. I examined the locations, and continued walking down the tunnel. Eventually, I found the nesting spots- a singular swing of Murasame destroyed a few eggs. I was now finished with my first job. I felt no way about it so far, as it was just the same old action of killing as before. I walked up the tunnel, my hair and skin now lightly plated in dust. She eventually saw the light from the end of the mines, and continued outside.
The foreman who greeted me stood present at the entrance. "Thank you, miss. I didn't think you could do it," he said. The foreman revealed a small bundle of coins, and dropped it in my ashy hands. I nodded politely and began to walk back to the town. I carried myself to a hostel, opening the door to reveal the musty scent of old timber and smoke. Tired faces glanced my way, lingering just long enough to make me feel the presence of their curiosity before they returned to their conversations.
I made my way to the counter, the shadows of the afternoon still clinging to her. The hostel keeper, a plump man with a scruffy beard, looked up from his ledger, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of me. "You look like you could use a wash," he said, his tone teasingly considerate. I exchanged a few coins for a room, and he directed me to the back, where a small hot spring awaited. After locking the door, I tiredly began to remove my clothes until I was nude, and stepped in the hot spring.
The warm water felt good. I scrubbed the dried blood and dust off my skin, and washed my hair. Once clean and dry, I changed my clothes and walked upstairs. I entered my designated room, and immediately sank into the small bed in the corner.