Chapter 324
Najenda and Liver were far from the only ones who came.
A considerable number of civil officials also made their way toward the enormous Buddha.
Most belonged to what could loosely be called the Empire’s conscience faction.
Because they had opposed Honest in the past, many had been pushed aside, framed, demoted, or dismissed from office.
With no other choice, they had withdrawn from the struggles of the Imperial court, only for that very misfortune to unexpectedly save their lives.
When the former colleagues encountered one another again, nobody bothered reminiscing about old times.
They simply traveled in silence, each person’s mind filled with unanswered questions.
What kind of person was the young man who possessed power comparable to a god?
What did he intend to do with the political structure of the Empire?
What did he think of the ordinary citizens living under it?
Everything was unknown.
If he was fundamentally benevolent, then perhaps things would turn out well.
But what if he was nothing more than a selfish bastard who cared only about satisfying his own desires?
What could any of them possibly do then?
After thinking it over, they realized the answer was—nothing.
Before power that had already transcended anything mortal, the schemes and calculations of ordinary men became little more than jokes.
With the future so uncertain, everyone’s mood grew increasingly heavy.
Yet when this large group of anxious officials finally arrived beneath the colossal Buddha, the reality waiting for them was so far removed from their expectations that they could only stare.
There was no domineering air of one who considered himself supreme beneath heaven.
No transcendent detachment toward everything around him.
Not even the slightest hint of bloodthirsty cruelty from someone who had just annihilated thousands of enemies.
There was only... hot pot?
Yes.
Kiriya and the others were eating shabu-shabu!
The enormous copper pot had been specially commissioned from a blacksmith by Kiriya himself.
The broth base had been prepared by cooks from one of the Empire’s cities, while the meat came from Special-Class Danger Beasts they had hunted during their journey.
Everything had been preserved inside summoning scrolls, leaving the ingredients fresh and delicious.
The group was having an excellent time.
Akame and Kurome’s chopsticks moved so quickly they were practically blurring.
Neither girl said anything about "burial," "enemies of the Empire," or assassination missions anymore.
Their eyes contained only one thing—an intense desire for more food.
"Mmf... so good."
Kiriya’s cheeks were stuffed full. He swallowed a huge mouthful of beer and let out an immensely satisfied sigh.
This was the life!
"Uh..."
Najenda fell silent.
So did Liver.
So did the other military officers.
And so did the large group of civil officials behind them.
No matter how hard they tried, they simply could not connect the glutton happily stuffing his face before them with the monster who had destroyed Shikoutazer and summoned a mountain-sized Buddha earlier that morning.
"Oh, you’re all here."
Kiriya noticed the stunned officials and generals standing nearby.
"Want some?"
"No, thank you..."
The answer came almost unanimously.
Dozens of heads shook at once.
They possessed at least that much self-awareness.
Sitting down and sharing a meal with this man sounded like the kind of experience that might make them vomit from sheer nervousness.
"Then don’t mind if I do."
Two voices answered at the same time.
Najenda and Bulat naturally sat down, borrowed bowls and chopsticks, and began eating without the slightest hesitation.
Watching the two of them dig in as though this were the most normal thing in the world left Liver and the gathered officials speechless.
Wait.
He invited you to eat, and you actually accepted?
"Um... my lord..."
One civil official finally gathered the courage to speak.
Kiriya raised a hand before the man could continue.
"Whatever you want to discuss can wait until I finish eating."
"Yes."
The official could only close his mouth helplessly.
And so, a large gathering of senior ministers and military commanders stood awkwardly to the side, watching Kiriya and the others feast to their hearts’ content.
The aroma from the hot pot tormented them mercilessly.
Heaven knew they had spent the entire night running around dealing with disasters. Most had rushed here without even eating breakfast.
Now they were forced to stand there on empty stomachs and watch someone else enjoy a feast.
It was downright cruel.
...
About an hour later, the hot-pot feast finally came to an end.
The civil officials, who had spent the entire hour being tortured by the smell of meat, collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"My lord..."
An elderly man whose hair, eyebrows, and beard had all turned completely white cautiously opened his mouth.
Kiriya silenced him with a look.
"I hated what the Empire had become."
His opening sentence immediately made everyone’s heart tighten.
"So listen carefully to what I’m about to say. I don’t like repeating myself."
The officials exchanged glances.
The important part had finally begun.
"Please speak."
Several of them lowered their heads, their attitudes exceptionally respectful.
"First, the Empire’s taxes are too high. Lower them."
"Second, people in the countryside don’t have enough land. Redistribute it."
"Third, people in the cities don’t have work. Organize public works projects. Give them jobs so they can eat and support their families."
"Fourth, there are too many corrupt officials. Deal with them."
"Fifth, there aren’t enough people in government who are actually willing to accomplish something useful for ordinary citizens. Find some."
"Sixth..."
Kiriya continued speaking, listing more than a dozen requirements in one stretch.
Ryuu and Esdeath, who had almost no experience with civil administration, were naturally dumbfounded.
But even the knowledgeable officials standing nearby were staring at him in amazement.
"Why is everyone looking at me like that?"
Kiriya seemed genuinely confused.
"Kiriya... you actually understand things like this?"
Jeanne quickly asked.
Governing a country was nothing like adventuring.
You could not simply swing a sword and charge forward.
Administration required knowledge, judgment, perspective, and a deep understanding of how society functioned—precisely the things most adventurers tended to lack.
𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
"Well..."
Kiriya looked slightly smug beneath everyone’s astonished or admiring gazes.
"Before becoming an adventurer, I did go to school for a couple of years."
He had never personally managed a government.
But he had, at least, once been a proud member of that great civilian think tank known as—the internet comment section!
Or, more accurately, one of the countless keyboard political strategists who loved discussing how countries ought to be run.
He might never have butchered a pig himself, but he had certainly watched plenty of people do it.
Many of the ideas he had grown up hearing seemed utterly ordinary to him at the time.
But those ideas were the accumulated experience of an ancient civilization with an enormous territory, a vast population, and thousands of years of history.
For a nation still operating under something resembling a medieval social structure, even fragments of that accumulated wisdom offered considerable value.
The civil officials rapidly took notes.
The more they listened, the more frequently they nodded.
Many of Kiriya’s points seemed to answer questions that had troubled them for years, giving them the strange sensation that several pieces had suddenly fallen into place.
Their respect for the young man rose even further.
"I believe I understand most of what you’re proposing."
One official frowned with concern.
"But land redistribution and fighting corruption... the bureaucrats and landowners will resist fiercely. It could cause considerable unrest."
Several other officials immediately nodded.
"Yes. Some ordinary citizens who don’t understand the situation may also be manipulated into joining them."
"What?"
Kiriya looked at them as though the answer were obvious.
"Are the weapons in your hands just a decorative?"
He pointed toward Najenda and Bulat.
Then he pointed toward the mouths of the civil officials.
"And are those mouths of yours only useful for eating and breathing?"
The officials blinked.
"Use public opinion."
Kiriya’s eyes widened slightly.
"Expose them. Condemn them. Make sure everyone knows exactly what they’ve done."
"And when you’re finished talking—fight."
"If they still refuse to behave after that, what’s the problem?"
Kiriya slapped one of the enormous wooden Buddha’s toes beside him.
"And if you really can’t handle someone... tell them to come talk to me."
The officials and generals, who had been looking troubled only moments before, immediately straightened their backs.
Right.
They had almost forgotten.
Standing behind them was quite possibly the strongest person in the entire world.
Someone effectively invincible.
Dealing with a few stubborn officials, corrupt bureaucrats, or powerful landowners hardly seemed impossible anymore.
If anyone truly refused to cooperate, they could simply crush the resistance head-on.
"Speaking of dealing with corrupt officials..."
Kiriya suddenly reached over, grabbed Honest, and tossed him forward like a sack of garbage.
"Don’t we already have a perfect example right here?"
He flashed a bright smile.
"Hold a public trial. Present the evidence. Then execute him in front of everyone."
"Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?"
Honest: "..."
’Is nobody even going to offer me one last bullet and get this over with?’
Unfortunately for him—no.
Everyone present hated Honest to the bone.
More than a few would have happily carved him into pieces themselves.
Frankly, if Kiriya hadn’t been standing there, the meat going into the hot pot earlier might have ended up coming from a very different source.
After finishing his instructions, Kiriya placed a Flying Thunder God mark on each of the civil and military officials and briefly explained what it did.
"Work properly and you’ll never have a problem."
His smile became unsettlingly friendly.
"But if you start cutting corners, abusing your power, or trying anything clever behind my back..."
He tapped one of the marks.
"I’ll come find you."
Cold sweat immediately began running down the officials’ backs.
Kiriya ignored their suddenly rigid expressions.
With the important matters settled, he gathered the girls and headed back toward the Imperial Capital.
After all—there were still plenty of valuable things waiting there to be collected.