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[RNZO] Ch 294: The Reform Plan Begins
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 17:06:14 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
On her way to Royal Villa No. 2, Esdeath finished reading the detailed plan in her hands.
"Well, well… this is going to be fun. Looks like there's about to be rivers of blood flowing through the Capital," she said to herself with a grin.
Not long after, she officially took command of the Empire's Emberlight Force.
This elite unit included several powerful Teigu users: Kurome, Run, Bols, Wave, Seryu Ubiquitous… and a few others.
Oh, and also the son of Prime Minister Honest, Syura, along with his little wild gang.
Instead of killing them outright, Renzo had picked a more creative approach—he brainwashed them. Not old way but classic.
He actually learned this from Ottoman, who aimed to conquer the world without bloodshed. His goal was similar—to rebuild the empire with as little damage as possible.
So he planned to have Syura and his likes to do some of the dirty work—slaughtering corrupt nobles and taking the blame for it—lightening Esdeath's burden during the purge.
Of course, Renzo had already extracted all of Dorothea's knowledge about this world's version of alchemy. And as for the Teigu Shambhala, he secretly left a mark on it—so he could track and retrieve it whenever he wanted. Escaping was impossible.
...
"Minister Honest! General Esdeath! Grand General Budo! Officials of the Empire—the Rebirth of the Empire begins now!"
Once everything was in place, Renzo activated the wrist communicators he had distributed to all key operatives, issuing his orders at once.
Later that day, a massive announcement was broadcast via virtual projection—not just across the Capital, but throughout the entire Empire. Renzo publicly revealed parts of the upcoming reform plan.
At its core, the message was simple: Purge the corrupt. Wipe out the wicked. Cleanse the Empire's rotting heart and give it a new life.
But that wasn't all.
He used this opportunity to declare sweeping reforms—covering land redistribution, the economy, military restructuring, education, culture, and more. In total, 737 revolutionary changes were announced.
Even the political system itself was being overhauled.
Most shockingly of all, Renzo proclaimed the complete abolition of noble privilege—every last special right or exemption they enjoyed would be revoked.
And this was a live broadcast.
The common people across the Empire exploded with excitement.
If Renzo really pulled off even half of what he promised, then yeah—maybe their long-suffering days were truly about to end.
But of course, not everyone was cheering.
Nobles, bureaucrats, officials, all those with vested interests? They were furious.
Hatred for the young emperor surged.
Plots started forming behind the scenes.
Some nobles began quietly organizing. Others, bolder ones, launched outright rebellions—slaughtering local officials and seizing control of nearby cities, dragging the Empire into sudden chaos.
Even the Revolutionary Army was stunned by the emperor's sudden moves.
"What… what the hell is the little emperor thinking?" one of their top brass muttered, dumbfounded. "Is he trying to destroy his own base of power?"
"I don't get it," another said. "He's really going through with this? Actual reform?"
"Just straight-up abolishing noble privileges? That's insane! He's doomed."
"And what's with that creepy projection? How are we even receiving this? Did they find our location already?"
"Word is: that broadcast hit every corner of the Empire."
"So what do we do now?"
"What do you think?! We seize the moment! Time to push forward—retake cities and strike back against the Empire!"
A debate exploded within the Revolutionary Army.
In the end, they decided this was their best shot. While the Empire was in chaos, they would launch their uprising and seize as many territories as possible.
But here's the thing—why didn't they consider joining Renzo's reforms?
Weren't they supposedly fighting to purge corruption too?
Heh. That's the kind of fairytale only idealists still believed.
Truth was, the Revolutionary Army wasn't that different from the corrupt officials they claimed to oppose.
Most of their leadership? Former nobles, ex-officials, disgraced generals. They hadn't been cast out because they were pure or righteous—they were just on the losing side of court politics.
Sure, there were some genuine patriots among them. Men and women who truly wanted to build a better future.
But they were rare. Very rare.
And even those few idealists? They weren't necessarily thrilled about abolishing noble status, redistributing land, or handing over power to the common folk.
It wasn't about loyalty—it was about class.
Where you stand determines how you think. Simple as that.
They were nobles, raised with certain privileges. It was only natural that they'd resist losing those privileges.
People fight for what's under their feet. That's how it's always been.
They were humans.
---
Meanwhile...
"Haha... as expected, right?"
On Renzo's end, the whole situation was under satellite surveillance.
He was watching everything unfold—especially the Revolutionary Army's reaction.
Sitting in a private room with Najenda, Bulat, and Akame across from him, he looked at them and said flatly, "You saw the broadcast."
"That's the true face of the Revolutionary Army's leadership."
"In my eyes, they're no different from the corrupt officials they claim to hate. Just another bunch of power-hungry schemers."
"They wave the banner of fighting for the people, but come on—that's just a cover. What they really want is power. They want to replace me, replace the minister, and take everything for themselves."
"At the end of the day, they're just a bunch of losers looking for a second chance."
Renzo turned to Najenda, gaze sharp.
"You're not stupid, Najenda. You're smart enough to see through this. Do you really think the world they'll build after toppling the Empire will be any better than what we have now?"
Yes, right after launching his reform plan, Renzo had come straight to Night Raid's base.
He stopped them just as they were getting ready to head toward the Capital to investigate the chaos—and then played the unfiltered video of the Revolutionary Army's high command.
At this point, none of the Night Raid members looked good. Najenda, Bulat, even Akame—all of them wore dark, heavy expressions.
Because what they saw in that footage… it was damning.
Those leaders they once trusted were exposed—cruel, arrogant, and blinded by ambition.
"At the very least… not everyone in the Revolutionary Army is like that," Najenda said at last, forcing her voice to stay calm. She stared at Renzo with the last bit of defiance in her eyes.
She hadn't expected any of this.
Let alone the fact that the so-called little emperor turned out to be terrifyingly powerful.
The video alone had shaken her. Renzo's words hit even harder.
"You're right about one thing," Renzo replied with a small smile. "The lower ranks of the army? The everyday people? They're honest. Their dreams are simple—they just want to survive, to live a decent life."
"And I respect that. I admire them, actually."
Najenda clenched her fists. She stared at him and asked, "So what's your goal then?"
She didn't believe he'd come all this way just to gloat.
"Isn't it obvious?" Renzo replied casually, spreading his hands. "I'm here to recruit you. I want you to join the Empire. Join me. Help me carry out the greatest reform this world has ever seen—give the Empire a second chance at life."
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Truth was, Renzo really did value Najenda and her team.
Of course, he also couldn't deny—he had a soft spot for Akame, Sheele, Leone… all those beautiful girls he remembered from the original story.
Yeah, yeah, just like you're thinking. But in the end… wouldn't that actually be better for them?
At least this way, he could guarantee they'd have a future.
Not die as assassins in some forgotten alley, sacrificed before victory was even in sight.
"You've got to be kidding me! You think we'd actually join the rotten Empire? Do you even know why we turned against it in the first place?!"
Before Najenda could respond, Lubbock exploded with anger, glaring at Renzo.
"geez…," Mine muttered, crossing her arms with a cold stare. "You've got some nerve."
"Well…" Bulat finally spoke up, arms folded, thoughtful. "If His Majesty can really pull off these reforms… and actually follow through with them… honestly, that might be better than just tearing everything down."
"To be fair, I've had my doubts about the Revolutionary Army for a long time. That video? It just confirmed them."
"Bulat! Are you serious right now?!" Lubbock gaped at him like he'd just betrayed their entire cause.
But Bulat just nodded calmly. "Lubbock, think back—why did we join the Revolutionary Army? Why did we start Night Raid in the first place?"
"Was it really just about destroying the Empire?"
"No. We wanted to change the Empire. To fix the rot. To give the common people a better life. Isn't that what we've always fought for?"
Lubbock faltered. The anger faded a little from his eyes.
"I… I mean… yeah, but…"
"Enough, Lubbock," Najenda cut in, raising a hand to stop him. Her tone was quiet but firm.
"Bulat's right. Our mission was never just to smash the system and walk away. We wanted to build something better."
"…Fine," Lubbock muttered at last, rubbing the back of his head with a sigh. "I'll follow your lead. Whatever you decide… I'm in."
And just like that, the tone shifted.
Luckily for them, Renzo was doing all of this just to avoid killing them. Deep down, he admired Lubbock and the others when he watched the anime—they gave everything for the sake of change.
They were heroes. That's why he chose to come to them himself.
The world was about to have a new future.
.
.
.
