The moment Cerydra's words fell, the surrounding air instantly became freezing. Not just the elder named Barbara, but even the other three girls stopped their movements.
And our old acquaintance, Chelsea, who was happily eating a lollipop, couldn't help but freeze in place. The scene was once very awkward.
"Hahaha, I'm just an ordinary old woman bringing three disciples to help my family deliver goods. How could I possibly be an Assassin?"
As the only elder in the four-person team, the decision-making power naturally lay with Barbara. She wore a joking fake smile, while opening her hands to show she was not a threat.
But this was just a surface action. In secret, Barbara had already made full preparations, ready to take down the three people in front of her at the fastest speed.
Although she could judge that two of the three were experts, was she herself not one as well?
Moreover, most experts are conceited; she could completely exploit the opponent's underestimation to kill them directly!
Of course, unless it was absolutely necessary, Barbara was still unwilling to act casually. After all, as an Assassination Society, they had to have income, right?
If I kill them and get no money, wouldn't I have killed them for nothing?
However, Cerydra chose to persist, completely disregarding Barbara's warning, and directly spoke that name...
"Assassination Society 'Oarburgh'... right?"
If the previous mention of 'Assassins' was just a probe and Barbara couldn't be sure if the other party was friend or foe, then when the four words 'Oarburgh' were spoken, it was an explicit statement.
Cerydra knew their identities and very likely had been waiting here for a long time.
It's a trap!
"Run!"
Barbara unhesitatingly stayed behind to cover the retreat, while signaling the three behind her to leave quickly. In her view, since the other party knew they would come, there must be something here to deal with them!
Any sane person knows that unless necessary, you should never fight on the enemy's home turf, otherwise the outcome will be miserable. To put it another way: never agree to a scheduled fight with Batman!
In fact, it's not just Batman; scheduled fights with anyone should be minimized because the other party will have made full preparations to deal with you.
In Barbara's view, they had to leave this cave as quickly as possible. Because after Assassin training, Barbara's body could already resist over 600 types of poison; she was also the most suitable person to cover the retreat.
"Teacher, be careful!"
After the black-haired girl behind her gave a warning, she took Chelsea and the other girl and fled at maximum speed.
A blizzard was raging outside now. If they couldn't be found in a short time, there probably wouldn't be a second chance.
Meanwhile, Barbara, covering the retreat, took out a dagger and blocked the cave entrance to prevent Cerydra and Hysilens from pursuing.
"Don't look at this old woman as just an Assassin; my combat methods are not sloppy at all!"
Facing Barbara, who was tense and ready to exert her maximum strength at any moment, Cerydra merely snapped her fingers.
"Daughter of the Sea..."
What then entered Barbara's eyes was a sword light she had never seen in her life!
Three minutes later.
Not just Barbara, but even the three girls including Chelsea were all tied up like dumplings with rope, discarded carelessly on the ground inside the cave.
Originally, Cerydra didn't have rope, but who could blame Hysilens for finding a large amount of rope in Barbara's luggage? Wasn't it just perfect?
It's over! All over!
The girl Chelsea's face was full of panic, and the same went for another girl about her age.
Among the four, the only ones who could remain calm were Barbara, the elder, and the girl who looked to be about the same age as Esdeath.
"Teacher, it seems we have indeed met with disaster this time."
The young girl showed no signs of panic; instead, she started chatting with the newly awakened Barbara.
"What a pity, Meela, that I won't be able to see you grow up."
The casual exchange between Meela and Barbara immediately drew Chelsea's intense dissatisfaction.
"Hey, hey, hey! What time do you think it is? You're still saying things like that? We're about to be killed by them!"
It had to be said, a nervous Chelsea looked quite amusing, but the joking ended there.
"When did I ever say I was going to kill you?"
Cerydra's voice drifted over from not far away, instantly drawing the attention of the four.
"Eh? You're not killing us?"
"Isn't that obvious? Ever since we were tied up here, the other party hasn't shown even a hint of killing intent... Chelsea, your perception of killing intent is still lacking!"
"And if they wanted to kill us, wouldn't they just do it? There's no need for the extra step of tying us up here, right?"
Looking at the bewildered Chelsea, Barbara sighed helplessly. Her new disciple did have some talent; after all, she had gained the recognition of a Teigu and learned assassination techniques very quickly.
However, things like intuition cannot be learned instantly. Chelsea still lacked experience!
"Since the three of you have no intention of killing us, I assume there's something you need our help with?"
"Can you tell me who you need us to kill for you to let us go?"
Before Meela had fully matured, Barbara was the leader of the Assassination Society and the most powerful Assassin within it.
Yet even someone like her couldn't last a single round against Hysilens. The other party's ability as a warrior was undoubtedly top-tier, but she clearly lacked any assassination skills.
Barbara saw this, which was why she was certain that what the other party needed was their identity as Assassins!
Furthermore, she looked directly at Cerydra while speaking. It was obvious that among these three, the shortest one, Cerydra, was the one in charge.
"Very good. Dealing with smart people is convenient; it saves a lot of time!"
"I need you to help me kill someone..."
Cerydra brandished the scepter in her hand and walked toward Barbara step by step.
Everyone watched Cerydra nervously, no one knowing what kind of request this gorgeously dressed girl would make.
However, these few people didn't seem to be among the powerhouses of the continent. Cerydra shouldn't make any outrageous demands, right?
Then, a smile appeared on Cerydra's face. It was a very warm smile, but the words she spoke were exceptionally cold.
"Help me kill the King of the Northern Country!"