The blizzard ended. Without outside interference, Cerydra and the group from the Assassination Society soon walked out of the snowy plains and entered a major city of the Northern Tribes.
However, the person going to meet up with the Imperial resistance was no longer the entire Assassination Society, but Barbara alone.
"I'll leave the matter of assassinating the Emperor to this old woman; I'll have to trouble you to stay here for a while..."
To ensure that Barbara would act as she intended, Cerydra had the other three stay behind as hostages, temporarily remaining in this city.
After all, among these four, only Barbara was truly capable; the other three were still a bit underqualified.
For something like assassinating an Emperor, the three of them would only be a hindrance. It was better for Barbara to act alone; even if she failed, she could escape quickly.
At night.
In the guest room where they were staying, Esdeath tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
It wasn't just today; most nights lately had been like this. Whenever Esdeath closed her eyes, the figure of the one named Cerydra would appear in her mind, along with the speech in the cave that day.
Especially that last sentence, which made Esdeath's heart surge with emotion, and she even kept muttering it under her breath.
"I came, I saw, I conquered..."
With just that one sentence, Cerydra had left a deep impression on Esdeath's heart, one she likely wouldn't forget for the rest of her life.
"As expected of Lord Caesar, I will follow you for the rest of my life..."
The peaceful time didn't last long. Just ten minutes after Esdeath closed her eyes, a figure quietly approached her bedside.
So she's finally making a move?
To ensure the three hostages wouldn't escape, Cerydra used Barbara's money to rent three rooms in the city. Cerydra, Hysilens, and Esdeath each guarded one member of the Assassination Society.
Cerydra and Chelsea in one room.
Hysilens and Taeko in another.
And Esdeath... naturally, she was in a room with Meela.
So the person standing beside the "sleeping" Esdeath at this moment could only be Melad Oarburgh!
Does this girl intend to kill me?
No, that's unlikely... Lord Caesar and Hysilens are right next door. Any commotion here couldn't possibly be hidden from them, so Meela wouldn't dare strike!
While Esdeath was pondering the other's intentions, the shadow cast by her bedside finally moved.
She lunged at Esdeath with extreme speed, her movements not even hidden. What exactly did she want to do?
As a veteran hunter, Esdeath could spring from the bed even from a lying position. She simultaneously used the bedsheet to pin the attacker beneath her, completely neutralizing the other's movements.
"Tell me, what do you plan to do?"
At point-blank range, Esdeath stared into Meela's eyes with a cold gaze. A faint killing intent filled the air, like a lurking beast ready to lash out with sharp claws at any second.
"What do I plan to do?"
Even though her body was seized by Esdeath, Meela's face didn't betray a hint of tension; she didn't even show a shred of hostility toward Esdeath.
Faced with such an unexpected situation, even Esdeath couldn't help but frown. She truly couldn't see through the thoughts of the person before her.
"Naturally, I plan to have a good exchange with you~"
From beginning to end, Esdeath didn't sense even a spark of hostility from Meela. While she couldn't predict her opponent's actions through intent, physical movements could not be hidden from Esdeath.
A bedsheet could certainly lock down an opponent's movements, but it couldn't completely restrict them—especially not an expert like Meela!
Indeed, in Esdeath's perception, this girl named Meela, who was close to her own age, was her equal in terms of strength.
If it weren't for the fact that Lord Caesar and Hysilens were right next door, Esdeath might not have been able to take her down on her own.
Of course, Esdeath was incredibly confident in her power, but the opponent clearly wasn't a warrior, but a so-called "Assassin."
One strike fails, flee a thousand miles.
If nothing else, an Assassin's ability to escape is surely first-class, right?
The bedsheet binding her body suddenly tore apart, and Meela's hands appeared near Esdeath's ears before she even realized it.
Approaching an opponent while hiding one's presence and then delivering a killing blow is the most common attack method for an Assassin. As a member of the Assassination Society, Meela naturally knew how to conceal her presence.
Seeing her hands about to wrap around Esdeath's neck, a smile of victory appeared on Meela's face, only...
Esdeath's reaction speed seemed to be a bit faster than she had imagined?
The sudden turn of events did catch Esdeath off guard, but the experience and physical conditioning gained from years of fighting Danger Beasts were not necessarily inferior to Meela's training as an Assassin.
Her extraordinary reaction speed gave Esdeath a chance to respond in that moment. Her free hands found the right timing to grab Meela's hands, thwarting the other's intention.
Everything happened too quickly; even Meela couldn't help but be surprised. This girl named Esdeath was truly...
Interesting!
What Meela loved most were girls!
Especially powerful girls!
If you were to ask why Meela didn't make a move on Cerydra and Hysilens, she could only say she couldn't beat them...
Please, even a lesbian has to face reality, okay?
Going after Cerydra and Hysilens—was she tired of living?
"So Esdeath, I'll be taking your first time!"
Even though her hands were held by Esdeath, this gave Meela an opportunity. She gripped her hands tight and instantly spread them wide to both sides at maximum speed.
Even for someone as powerful as Esdeath, reacting was useless. Because of Newton, there is a rule in this world called "Universal Gravitation."
Even if Esdeath could break free from Meela's hands, her body would uncontrollably fall downward.
And the distance between Esdeath's and Meela's noses was less than a decimeter; even if she wanted to block it, it was impossible...
Quick, say thank you to Newton!
Just one second later, a strange atmosphere filled the entire room. Esdeath's eyes widened with an expression of disbelief, while Meela "pressed forward" with a look of slight enjoyment.
Intense!
Too intense!
And at this awkward moment, a familiar song seemed to play in the surroundings.