Chapter 36: An Inexperienced Novice Holds Great Allure

Kobayashi was interested only in the Teigu. In his ideal scenario, he would join as a mercenary: the Revolutionary Army provides the Teigu, and he provides the labor. However, the Revolutionary Army would never relinquish such powerful strategic assets, and Kobayashi lacked the overwhelming strength to force them into such a deal. After weighing his options, he decided to simply play the slacker.

"Could you tell me your reasoning?" Najenda was unwilling to give up; she wanted to accommodate his demands if possible.

"Because there's no future in it." Faced with the question, Kobayashi gave an answer that was as unexpected as it was logical. "Being a shady assassin—how could that possibly compare to being a government official? Whether it's money or power, being an official is clearly the better choice, right?"

It was a very rustic, small-town mindset. Who doesn't like being flattered, and who actually enjoys being a wanted fugitive hiding in the shadows? Even a hot-blooded youth like Tatsumi, had he not witnessed the darkness of the Imperial Capital after his childhood friends were tortured to death and he himself was nearly humiliated by nobles, would likely have made the same choice as Kobayashi. After all, even a corrupt empire was far more prosperous than the foreign tribes huddled outside the borders.

Najenda tried another temptation: "If that's the case, then once we successfully overthrow the Empire's rule, I promise to grant you the position of General. What do you think?"

Although she was overstepping her authority, she saw potential and talent in Kobayashi. As long as he proved himself with achievements for the Revolutionary Army to see, offering a loan on the future was a reasonable gamble.

Unfortunately, Kobayashi wasn't buying it. He curled his lip and replied, "That would only happen after you succeed, wouldn't it? Besides, who can guarantee the Empire will definitely be overthrown? And who can guarantee I won't die before that day comes?"

Everyone knows how to draw a big pie in the sky, but he wasn't falling for it. Furthermore, he had no interest in being a general in this world; if this were *Konosuba*, it might be a different story.

Najenda found him difficult to deal with. Kobayashi’s stance was clear: to win him over, they needed to offer concrete rewards, and ones equal in value to a government position. But the Revolutionary Army was struggling; even Night Raid lacked funding and often had to take on other missions just to make ends meet. How could they possibly meet his demands? She racked her brain but couldn't find a way to persuade him.

Eventually, she resorted to intimidation: "You should think carefully. If you refuse, we won't kill you, but you will certainly be imprisoned. Does it really not matter to you if your personal freedom is restricted?"

"That's still better than losing my life as an assassin," Kobayashi insisted, refusing to budge.

"You'll be expected to clean the base, you know," Najenda continued, trying to provoke him. "You clearly have the talent of a general, yet you'd be reduced to a janitor here. Don't you feel frustrated having talent with nowhere to use it?"

"Not at all! I love cleaning!"

Leaving the life of an assassin behind to become a janitor—what kind of twisted logic was that? Most people would think so. However, Kobayashi was merely signaling that he wouldn't place his bets easily—at least, not until he saw hope that the corrupt Empire could truly be toppled.

Seeing that she couldn't convince him, Najenda decided to let it go for now. Observing the sky, she realized it was getting late. "It's late today. We'll discuss this tomorrow. Let Akame show you to a room to rest." She turned to the expressionless girl beside her. "I'll leave it to you, Akame."

"Understood," Akame nodded and said to Kobayashi, "Follow me."

As they walked away, Najenda rested her chin on her hands, lost in thought. Leone stepped forward and asked, "Boss, should I...?" She didn't finish the sentence, but she drew her hand across her throat. The meaning was clear: she wanted to seize the Teigu by force.

Despite Leone's carefree, big-sister persona, she had her own share of darkness—otherwise, she wouldn't have swindled Tatsumi when he first arrived in the city. In fact, everyone here harbored darkness and wouldn't hesitate to act if necessary.

"No! Absolutely not!" Najenda refused firmly. "That boy is a rare, uncut gem. To be honest, if possible, I want to recruit him into Night Raid."

"Whoa! This is the first time I've seen the Boss hold a teenager in such high regard." Leone let out an ambiguous exclamation, then added curiously, "I acknowledge his intelligence too, but he's just one Teigu user. Couldn't we just overwhelm him if we all attacked together?"

"Leone, I recall telling you that while Teigu vary in type, their destructive power is roughly equal, right?" Najenda sighed, reprimanding her. "That boy didn't show any fear when facing so many Teigu users; it's obvious he has something to rely on. Can't you see something so simple?"

"Is that so? Ahahaha..." The blonde lion-woman scratched her head awkwardly.

But it was precisely because Leone lacked such foresight that Najenda valued Kobayashi even more. Teigu users were rare, but one who was witty, sharp, bold, cautious, and rational was even rarer. His only flaw was that he was hard to manipulate. But that was fine; such people usually had firm convictions. Once recruited, they would serve the organization wholeheartedly, and his strength and intellect would bring a massive, all-around boost to their cause. Since he hadn't been corrupted by the Imperial Capital, she would do everything in her power to keep him.

She would never give up on this talent.

If that was what Najenda thought, then the image Kobayashi had cultivated was a success. To be recruited, one must demonstrate corresponding talent; to be as provocative as he was without angering the opposition, one needed even greater capability. Being a Teigu user was merely the prerequisite that piqued their interest; his personality was the fundamental reason they were willing to extend goodwill and patiently vie for his loyalty.

For a group like them, the temptation of a "clean slate" recruit was significant. Most importantly, while Kobayashi hadn't yielded on the surface, he had left a sliver of room for negotiation. Otherwise, they certainly would have resorted to killing him to seize his Teigu and eliminate a potential future rival.

***

On the other side, Akame led Kobayashi to a room. "This is your room." She turned to leave.

"Wait." Kobayashi called out to her.

Akame turned her head, asking emotionlessly, "Is there something else?"

"Your name is Akame, right?" Under her puzzled gaze, Kobayashi said something strange: "Do you believe in gravity? Just as Teigu users are drawn to one another, there is a gravitational pull between people as well. I've already come to believe in that."

"What are you talking about?" Akame tilted her head, looking completely confused.

The cold tone and the matching expression of innocent confusion caused a momentary flicker of déjà vu in Kobayashi.

"Never mind. Just consider it gibberish."

"Mm." Akame nodded and turned to leave.

"Akame!"

"What is it now?"

"Goodnight."

"...Goodnight."

After they exchanged goodnights, Kobayashi pushed the door open and stepped inside. Akame, who had been in such a hurry to leave, paused for a moment outside the room before finally walking away.