Chapter 145: Just Because I Glanced at You in the Crowd
Whoosh—
The icy longsword swung, and one person after another fell, like the sickle of the Grim Reaper harvesting the Sky Goblin Party members on the deck.
"Sh..."
Two Sky Goblin Party members standing behind their leader had just reacted and were about to raise their guns to shoot. But before they could even finish speaking, a fierce shout suddenly came from above their heads.
"Hah!"
Hard, long boots swift as the wind shot straight toward their faces!
It was Poney. Her long, powerful leg whipped through the air like a lash, instantly kicking their heads apart.
It all happened in an instant. By the time the Sky Goblin Party members on nearby ships had barely registered what was happening, everyone on the leader's ship had already been violently killed.
"Attack! Attack! There are only a few of them! Kill them!"
The Sky Goblin Party members scattered across the surrounding ships raised their guns and fired. In an instant, the roar of gunfire erupted, and a dense hail of bullets transformed into a curtain of lead, attempting to tear the small boat to shreds.
"Don't even think about it!"
Cornelia, clad in the Crushing King, leaped high from the boat and swung her fist toward the enemy vessel.
Like a cannonball, her punch shattered through the enemy deck, snapping the wooden ship's keel in two and breaking it apart at the middle.
The Sky Goblin Party members who fell into the water then encountered Akame and Kurome beneath the surface.
A few flashes of sword light flickered in the tranquil depths, and within moments, dismembered limbs floated up, staining the river crimson.
However, in group combat like this, the most formidable was Tsukushi, providing support from the rear. Her Teigu, Prometheus, was inherently capable of curved shots, rendering cover useless.
After Mahiro's modifications, not only did rapid firing not affect its accuracy, but it could also unleash multiple bullets in a single burst.
Originally, such maneuvers placed immense strain on the user's mind, but for Tsukushi, who had undergone physical enhancement, it was effortlessly achievable.
"How nostalgic..."
Watching Tsukushi's stance, Mahiro couldn't help but recall Mayumi's title of "Elven Sniper" from the Nine School Competition.
She was petite too, though a bit more buxom, and with a bob cut—different from Mayumi's loli build and flowing long hair.
Yet, he could still superimpose that magnificent image onto her.
Had he been away from home for so long that he was starting to hallucinate...?
"This is hopeless! We stand no chance on our own! But why haven't Babara and those two women come to support us?!"
The mercenaries, faces etched with terror, frantically leaped from their ships into the water, desperate to escape.
The assassins before them might look like children, but their strength was terrifying!
Even their strongest leader had died at their hands!
"Where do you think you're going, trash!"
Nahashu, brandishing the Water Dragon Sword, was like a cold, merciless reaper harvesting lives. The moment the Sky Goblin Party members tried to jump into the river, he swung his longsword, carving a arc of light through the air.
Before they could even hit the water, he tore them to pieces.
"It seems the mercenaries are no match for them at all." Taeko frowned slightly as she watched the flames ahead.
"Heh, of course. Our target is the Empire's upper echelon, and they're our peers—it was never going to be easy."
Babara chuckled lightly, completely unconcerned about the Sky Goblin Party's lives.
If anything, their deaths had allowed her to test many things; at the very least, she now knew their opponents were no simple foes.
"What do we do now? Should we go help?"
Taeko, standing at the bow of the small boat, instinctively wanted to charge into the fray.
"Hold it right there!"
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out.
Taeko's impulsive action earned her a sharp slap on the rear from her master.
"?!"
Rubbing her stinging bottom, Taeko looked at her master in confusion, only to see Babara already poised on the edge of the boat.
"There's no need for that now... The Sky Goblin Party is beyond saving. We're actually lucky to be at the very back."
"Huh...?"
Taeko turned away with an awkward expression, then fell silent upon seeing the corpses floating in the river and the crimson-stained water.
"Let's retreat before the enemy gets closer! Abandon the ship!"
Babara said this as she leaped directly into the water, showing no concern for the deaths of the Sky Goblin Party members.
"Understood..." Taeko replied softly.
Though reluctant, she knew this wasn't the time for battle—the enemy's situation remained unclear, and they lacked crucial intelligence.
The rest is up to you, Chelsea. This is your job.
Surfacing from the water, Babara glanced back at the blazing river before diving back into the dark currents with Taeko.
The screams on the river gradually faded, leaving only the shattered, burning wreckage of boats torn apart by gunfire.
"Captain, we've cleaned up everything. No survivors," Poney said, glancing at the severed head in Nahashu's hand.
Nahashu scanned the floating corpses on the river surface and nodded calmly.
"Actually, I spotted a small boat trailing a few hundred meters behind the main ship. But it was empty—they likely jumped overboard and escaped earlier," Cornelia countered, shaking her head.
"Huh? Could there really be survivors?" Tsukushi exclaimed in surprise.
Their operation had been swift, and with Akame and Kurome guarding underwater, no one should have escaped.
"Heh, it's normal to have survivors. Don't you think this was just a probing feint?" Mahiro remarked as he stepped out from the main ship, his expression unchanged as he observed the corpses in the river.
His theory startled the women.
Could someone truly exist who would use so many lives as mere bait for a test?
"They do exist."
Mahiro smiled faintly, then tilted his head to gaze at the night sky—or more precisely, at a peculiar pale eagle circling overhead.
Nahashu seemed to sense something too, lifting his head to look in the same direction.
He spotted the strangely behaving eagle.
As if noticing their scrutiny, the soaring eagle flapped its wings in alarm and flew away.
"What is it, Lord Yotsuba?" Gin noticed Mahiro and Nahashu both staring at something distant, but when she looked up, she saw nothing.
"Nothing important. I just saw a plump bird—it would probably taste delicious plucked and roasted, don't you think?"
"Eh, really?! If Lord Yotsuba wants to eat it, let me handle it!"
Tsukushi drew Prometheus and aimed at the fleeing eagle in the sky.
As a sniper, though her long-range skills paled in comparison to Mine and her master Tina, shooting a bird was no challenge.
However, Mahiro stopped her.
"Never mind. I'm in a good mood today—let it live. We'll deal with it another time."
"Alright..."
Though Tsukushi didn't understand his meaning, she holstered her pistol since he had made his decision.
However, the hawk that Mahiro had spared landed at a concealed house a few kilometers outside the town.
Inside the house hid two women, one old and one young, their clothes dripping wet.
Especially the young girl—because she wore a kimono over her outer garments, the soaked fabric now clung thinly to her flesh-toned skin, almost entirely accentuating her graceful figure, combining beauty and sensuality in one.
"Fortunately, we hid behind the Sky Goblin Party and managed to jump ship and dive away in time. But I feel somewhat sorry for the Sky Goblin Party; they aren't entirely useless folks."
The old woman Babara softly voiced her thoughts.
"Who exactly is the opponent..."
While wringing the water from her clothes, Taeko was also thinking seriously.
Their target this time was indeed the head of the Imperial Assassination Unit, but the earlier commotion clearly wasn't caused by one person alone. It seemed there were many strong individuals hidden among them, but under the cover of night, they couldn't see clearly.
"If they could easily take down the Sky Goblin Party, they might be on the level of the Four Rakshasa Demons..."
After muttering to herself for a moment, Babara shifted her gaze to the hawk and asked, "How about it, Chelsea? Did you see the enemy's faces? If you dare say you didn't, I'll turn you into roast chicken!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the hawk burst into a puff of smoke and transformed into a cute girl with headphones.
"Phew... It's really exhausting to turn into a bird. Luckily... I saw them." Chelsea immediately slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
"Hmm, as expected of my disciple Barbara, you performed very well."
"Rest properly; I'll draw their appearances later." Babara praised her.
It must be said, Chelsea's memory and eyesight were truly excellent. Just by soaring in the sky and glancing a few times, she had memorized the appearances of two of them.
Soon after, she transformed into the likeness of those two in front of Babara.
"They're actually younger than me, and the other one looks quite young too..."
Taeko said in surprise, looking at the recorded images.
The two portraits were of Nahashu, the squad captain, and Mahiro, who was leading the team.
But what surprised Taeko the most was Mahiro's appearance—young and handsome like a nobleman's son, completely unlike an assassin. From the portrait, he seemed as harmless as Chelsea!
"Yes, that's right. Both of these men gave me a lot of pressure, especially this harmless-looking one! It made me dare not stay any longer! Even if I continued using the Gaea Foundation, I wouldn't have the confidence to keep investigating."
Chelsea pointed at the portrait of Mahiro, speaking with some frustration.
Recalling that moment, although the other party had a charming, smiling, handsome face, the gaze within that smile seemed to strip her bare.
As if no secret could be hidden from him.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she even thought for a moment that she had been exposed!
Just who is this guy?!
"Our luck is good; it seems this young man is likely our target, the head of the Imperial Assassination Unit."
Babara looked at the portrait Chelsea pointed to and said astonishingly.
Whether it was the somewhat boisterous Chelsea or the most composed Taeko, both were shocked by Babara's words.
"Eh?!!! You're not seeing things or mistaken, are you? This young man is the head of the Assassination Unit?!"
Although Chelsea's question was quite rude, this time Taeko strongly agreed.
"Instructor, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"Heh, of course I'm not wrong. The Revolutionary Army didn't provide an accurate portrait, only saying our target is a young man around eighteen or nineteen years old. Other than this person, was there anyone else on that ship who fits the description?"
"You should know, ever since I was young and beautiful, my intuition has never been wrong..."
Ah, here we go again...
Still, she did have a point.
But the problem was, how could the head of the Assassination Unit be so young?
In Chelsea's impression, the head of the Assassination Unit shouldn't be someone with a ferocious appearance who clearly looked difficult to deal with?
Or perhaps one of those disgusting nobles with bloated faces and fat bodies.
How could he be so refined and elegant?
Or perhaps...
"Could this person possibly be a body double?" Chelsea suddenly voiced this speculation.
"That possibility can't be ruled out, but someone who can project an aura strong enough to make you feel afraid is definitely no ordinary person. Remember that feeling—being able to see our previously unidentified opponent is already quite an achievement."
Babara said meaningfully.
"In that case, we should quickly report their appearances to the Revolutionary Army spies, have them thoroughly investigate in the surrounding towns, and monitor their every move at all times."
Chelsea skillfully unwrapped the packaging, put a lollipop in her mouth, and said in a delicate voice.
"...That's right, next time it will be our turn to attack."
Taeko stared sharply at the portrait.
Meanwhile, Babara kept looking at her proud disciple.
To be honest, she felt somewhat uneasy in her heart, especially about Mahiro in the portrait, who gave her an ominous feeling.
It wasn't just about strength—after all, among the younger generation, no one's abilities could surpass Taeko, whom she had personally trained.
Not even that General Esdeath of the Empire was worthy of her concern.
But this time...
I hope it's just my imagination. After all, Taeko is an elite I've trained since she was an infant—there's no way she could lose!
"Let's go, we're heading to the inn to soak in the hot springs!"
"Hooray! Long live Lord Yotsuba!!!"
The girls cheered with delight.
After dealing with the Sky Goblin Party at White Wave River, Mahiro brought Tsukushi and the others to the town's most famous hot spring hotel.
It was said that this hotel was not only renowned for its hot springs but also for its excellent cuisine, so they decided to indulge in a lavish meal here.
"Wow, what a beautiful building! Lord Yotsuba, you're too good to us."
Poney exclaimed like a child as she gazed at the ornately decorated hotel.
Mahiro simply smiled.
In truth, the hotel before them was just a typical hot spring style—not particularly extravagant, at best it could be considered classical.
"That's right, it must cost a lot of money, right?"
Cornelia blinked, somewhat worried about Mahiro's wallet.
It felt a bit inappropriate to have Lord Yotsuba spend so much just to let them relax.
"It's fine. Money isn't important; what matters is that you all enjoy yourselves. That's enough. After all, you need to rest well to perform your duties properly. Consider this a short vacation. Let's go."
Come to think of it, ever since they joined the Assassination Unit, the only break they seemed to have gotten was from Mahiro.
Though it was just one day, it remained their most profound and beautiful memory.
Staying and eating alongside Lord Yotsuba...
What kind of wonderful memories would they create at this hot spring hotel?
Both Cornelia and Tsukushi, among others, had looks of anticipation in their eyes.
After arranging for the horses and arriving at the hotel entrance, Mahiro's keen senses suddenly detected someone watching him.
Though he often received admiring glances from young girls, this felt entirely different—more like a covert scrutiny, an observation. Fortunately, there was no hostility or killing intent detected.
Turning around, his gaze directly met the peeping eyes!
An elderly, wrinkled face came into Mahiro's view, and beside her stood a beautiful young girl.
The old woman showed a hint of surprise, slowly withdrawing her indifferent gaze.
As if nothing had happened, she led the tall girl beside her and stepped into the hotel first.
"Instructor, according to the intelligence provided by Chelsea, the seven of them should be the Empire's Assassination Unit... but why is one person missing?" Taeko whispered in a voice so soft it seemed only she could hear.
Chelsea's report mentioned two men, but only one appeared now.
That cold-faced youth wasn't among them.
"Heh, it's simple. That young man is likely hidden outside as backup—a common tactic," Babara chuckled.
Her guess was correct; Nahashu had indeed been stationed in the forest as backup, along with Green, who had returned with intelligence from the Imperial City.
It was said that the northern tribes were showing unusual movements.
However, the main reason they were assigned outside was because Mahiro didn't want to soak in the hot springs with two other men, so he found them something to do.
"But speaking of which, most of them are much younger than you. The fact that each of them can restrain their aura shows they're truly promising material. And that man Chelsea mentioned is indeed not to be underestimated—so ordinary it's chilling."
"For a moment I genuinely thought he was just an ordinary person, but he actually detected me observing him from behind."
"Taeko, until I've formulated a thorough plan, you mustn't let your guard down!"
"Currently I've sent Chelsea to contact the Revolutionary Army, so we should receive news soon."
Babara calmly analyzed the current situation.
This man might truly not be so easy to deal with—perhaps some clever tactics would be necessary...
Babara thought of Chelsea.
If it came to direct confrontation, problems might arise, but if Chelsea served as the core, perhaps there would be unexpectedly effective results.
"Understood, Instructor!" Taeko responded as calmly as still water.