Things were moving in a direction Bruce could no longer control.
And the worst part was that he could do absolutely nothing about it.
By all rights, he ought to have been benefiting from this situation, yet somehow he could not feel happy at all.
Having Curze personally step in to solve the Legion's internal problems was unquestionably a good thing. It could even accelerate Bruce's plans by a considerable margin.
But the problem was…
This was supposed to be my debut!
A major milestone in my career as Acting Commander—so how did it just vanish like that?
Bruce had wanted to use this opportunity to establish his authority once and for all. At the very least, he had hoped to prove to the Legion that he, their Acting Commander, really did have some ability, and that taking over Sevatar's role would not be a problem.
But the moment Curze chose to intervene personally, everything changed.
Bruce was not the only one unable to keep his composure. Sevatar felt much the same way, and so did the members of the Night Haunter Council.
The Primarch's legitimate child had just called everyone to assemble and ordered them to campaign against another member of the Night Haunter Council.
Was that really fine?
Should they obey?
Or pretend not to have heard it?
After all, most of them still treated Remilia more as a mascot than anything else.
"M-My lady…"
Bruce forced out the question with a strained expression.
"Didn't you say this matter would be left for me to handle? How did it suddenly become you taking action personally?"
"What I decide to do requires your approval now?" Curze set down her teacup and rebuked him irritably. "I'm helping you deal with that insolent wretch!"
"What? Do you think I'm getting in your way?"
"N-not at all…"
Bruce immediately started explaining himself.
"But if you jump in like this, how am I supposed to establish authority within the Legion?"
"…"
Curze thought it over and seemed to realize he did have a point.
But if I don't personally peel Shavok's face off, how am I supposed to vent my anger? That insolent child needs discipline!
"Hmm?"
When Sevatar noticed the look Curze gave her—a silent plea for help—she did not quite understand it at first, but soon grasped what her Primarch meant.
She's asking me for assistance?
That's rare…
Still, with the Primarch looking like this, it really is hard to say no.
Really, what am I supposed to do with you?
"If it were me," Sevatar said at her own unhurried pace, "I would have two remedies."
"Let's hear them!" Curze brightened instantly and resumed drinking tea.
At moments like this, Curze always felt that having a capable Sevatar truly was a blessing. No matter how disastrous the state of the Legion became, there was always someone there to hold things together.
Wasn't that wonderful?
"One option would be to seize this opportunity and publicly reveal Your Excellency's existence. That way, they would all understand that even if your appearance has changed, you are still the ruler of the Night Lords Legion."
"It is also time for them to experience milady's dignity firsthand."
"The second option would be to have the recruit directly order the Dark Angels to begin the attack. That would also compensate for the fact that Your Excellency's entrance overshadowed the recruit's moment."
It did not matter who killed Shavok.
The real point was simply that he could not be allowed to live.
As long as that condition was met, Bruce would inevitably become the real power-holder of the Legion.
After all, there was an old Terran saying:
Kill the chicken to frighten the monkeys.
Even the most foolish or ambitious monkey would not dare keep causing trouble after watching the chicken get slaughtered.
"What? You want this ridiculous form of mine revealed to the entire Legion?!"
Curze shot Bruce a furious glare from the side as he poured tea.
"And all just for the recruit's authority?"
"It's not like I did this to you…" Bruce muttered pitifully, feeling very wronged.
"Tch."
"But ridiculous?" Sevatar said evenly. "And yet just now, were you not magnificent in your authority? Those members of the Night Haunter Council clearly feared you."
"No matter what form you take, a Primarch is still a Primarch. That is an unchangeable fact."
"…"
Curze fell into thought as she listened to Sevatar.
"That's right. If I openly reveal my current form, everyone would still fear and respect me anyway…"
But then hesitation crept back in.
"What if other people laugh at me?"
"Then let them learn what happens to those who offend the Night Haunter," Sevatar replied viciously.
"Then turn them into women too," Bruce said without even needing to think.
We already managed to turn the lord of the First Legion into a girl—who else is getting away? If even the Emperor dares laugh at milady, then make him female too!
"Oh?"
Curze looked genuinely tempted.
"Recruit. What do you think?"
In the end, she chose to put the decision of whether or not to return publicly into Bruce's hands.
"You're really kicking the ball back to me…"
"If you need my help, say so. If you don't, then let's leave it for now. I'll find another chance later to help you take control of the Legion."
Curze knew she had been in the wrong, so her tone was unusually proper.
After all, she had promised one thing and failed to do it. Worse, she had let her own emotional state trip Bruce up instead.
No matter how she tried to frame it, that was entirely on her.
"That depends on whether you want to manage the Legion," Bruce answered, offering his own view in return. "Or rather, what kind of future you want the Night Lords to have."
"Ah…"
Curze instantly understood his meaning and pulled a disgusted face.
"Managing a Legion is way too troublesome!"
"I can assist with administration," Sevatar said.
"And what about the recruit, then? If you manage the Legion too, what does that make him?"
A mountain cannot hold two tigers.
If Sevatar returned as well, Bruce would immediately seem completely superfluous. At that point, everyone would naturally listen to the First Captain instead.
Bruce?
Who's that?
Oh, the Primarch's mount? Well, I suppose that's still a respectable role.
"That does not conflict," Sevatar replied.
"The recruit would still remain Your Excellency's Acting Commander. And unless I receive direct orders from you, I would obey him unconditionally."
Just like before, then.
Curze would hand the Legion to Bruce to manage, while Sevatar—who obeyed the Primarch above all—would assist Bruce in carrying out that work.
In that case, nothing really changed from the previous arrangement.
If anything, it improved.
After all, the Primarch would have returned.
"Emmmm…"
Curze listened to Sevatar's explanation, calmly weighed it all, then looked at Bruce, who had already completely given up resisting.
After hesitating for quite a while, she finally voiced the real concern in her heart.
"If I truly return, what if those people in the Legion laugh at me? I can't exactly kill them all, can I?"
"Uh…"
When Bruce realized that this was the thing Curze had truly been worrying about, he nearly burst into tears.
Good heavens.
Lord Curze is actually being this vulnerable?
If the other little batlings ever found this out, they'd probably cry harder than clingy children.
"Then we turn them into mortal women first," Sevatar said, pulling out a bottle of Transformation Drink with unprecedented seriousness.
While Sevatar personally did not mind having become a woman, if there was a choice, then what was wrong with dragging more people down into the same fate?
I'll make all of you understand the pain of becoming women too!
"Oh? You mean call them all in and make them drink this cursed potion too?"
Curze's eyes lit up at once.
When it came to displaying loyalty within a Legion, surely the clearest proof was suffering together.
If I've become a woman, then none of you are allowed to escape either!
"Exactly," Sevatar nodded. "That way, not only can we distinguish the truly loyal, we can also increase mutual intimacy."
Just like any Legion culture.
The World Eaters glorified imitating their Primarch by implanting the Butcher's Nails.
Then the Night Lords could create one of their own.
Take pride in becoming women.
Ideally, the smaller and cuter the body, the more adorable—and therefore the more loyal to the Primarch—you are.
"Good! Very good! But…"
Curze suddenly had another thought and looked at Bruce suspiciously.
"What about him? If we do this, then he'll be the only normal one in the entire Legion."
"Rest assured, milady!" Bruce immediately straightened and swore solemnly. "I only allow you to approach me. If any other woman dares touch me, I'll send her flying with one kick!"
"Good. I'll trust you once."
Curze nodded and gave her order.
"Then gather them all."
And so, through one bizarre accident after another, the fate of the Night Lords Legion took yet another sharp turn.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 150)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter69)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter100)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 60
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 50
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 50
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 50
The Way the Umamusume Look at 31
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 26
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 26
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin