Chapter 28: Then Kill Them All

Avoiding the spies from the Hall of Martial Souls within the guild was actually quite simple. There was absolutely no need to deliberately steer clear of anyone or take pains to circumvent certain people in advance. Groups of three or four could simply stride out of the guild in broad daylight. After all, even among the members working within the Magic Guild, very few were truly willing to remain cooped up inside, conducting tedious experiments or training in the cold, empty halls. There was rarely anything to do in the guild, and as for the external members, they were busy flitting from one minor noble’s ball to another or indulging themselves in luxurious pleasure houses. Who would waste time trailing after those internal guild mages who barely spared them a kind word?

After purposefully changing into a set of plain clothes, when Ver arrived at the central plaza, he found that the trio—Pretty Boy Samili and the others—were already waiting for him.

Like Ver, none of the three wore mage robes. Lise, the voluptuous female mage, was dressed in the simplest—no, the most revealing—attire, with only a short black bandeau over her chest, a small vest thrown on top, her bare, flawless midriff exposed, and her lower half clad in shorts so brief they barely covered her hips. She paired these with knee-high leather boots, her snow-white legs on full display, radiating an irresistible allure. Combined with her innate seductiveness, she was enough to drive any onlooker mad. Beside her, Westa was dressed far more conservatively, a long, azure dress lending her an almost breathtaking beauty. Yet, upon meeting her glacial expression, any burning passion would instantly be doused. As for Samili, he wore a robe so dazzlingly white it bordered on ostentation. With his almost feminine complexion, the visual impact was almost blinding.

Samili glanced Ver up and down, a hint of satisfaction flickering across his face. He couldn’t help but comment, “Not bad, you actually thought to change into ordinary clothes.”

Ver nodded, answering lightly, “Yes. Since we’re leaving the city, it’s best not to reveal ourselves as mages if we can help it. The identity is simply too conspicuous.”

“Hmph, only someone with a brain would think to do that!” Westa suddenly interjected, her tone as cold as if someone had just offended her.

After spending half a day together, Ver had begun to discern this ice beauty’s temperament. Sensing something had happened to provoke her, he asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“It’s those idiots Haus and his crew! Pig-headed fools. Not only did they leave the Magic Guild in their mage robes, they paraded out in a crowd—two of them even wasted gold coins to hire low-level soulmasters as guards! They left the capital in a luxurious carriage, as if they wanted the entire city to know the guild’s mages were departing on some grand mission!” Lise’s face was twisted in exasperation, her ample chest heaving with agitation, drawing the eyes of many passersby, who looked ready to faint from excitement.

Hearing this, Ver frowned unconsciously, glancing around before asking Samili, “What about Bobby and the others?”

Samili understood he meant Bobby, Claire, and Roger. In the entire Magic Guild, these three were the only true mages—not because their power greatly outstripped the rest, but because they possessed the pride and dignity befitting a mage.

“They were worried Haus and the others would cause trouble, so they left early to keep an eye on them,” Samili replied. He was clearly displeased with Haus’s antics, but could only shake his head in resignation. “Let’s not bother with them for now. Our priority is to get out of the capital.”

“Agreed,” Ver responded. The three hired an unremarkable carriage and left the city behind.

As the journey wasn’t far, they arrived at the rendezvous point by dusk. Since the place where they’d meet the Count had to remain secret, they disembarked from the carriage some distance from the grove, sent the driver back to the capital, and made their way on foot to the meeting spot.

“At last, they finally show up after all this time!” It was Haus who spoke, his exaggerated tone clearly meant for Samili’s benefit. But when he caught the “fierce” look Ver shot him, he immediately wilted, lowering his head and pretending not to notice.

As Samili and the others approached, Bobby and his companions hurried over and filled them in on all the “brilliant” things Haus and his group had done along the way.

After hearing the summary, Samili frowned. The plan had called for seventeen people—but now there were twelve more: nine soulmaster guards, a coachman, and two maids!

“Damn it, just look at what they’ve done! Is this a mission or a picnic?” Lise exploded, unable to contain herself. The nine soulmasters, perhaps, could be useful during the mission. The coachman was best forgotten. But to bring along two delicate maids—watching them lounge by the ready-made bonfire, sampling the pastries and fruits the maids served, Lise’s fury blazed in her chest.

Were they here to handle serious business, or just to enjoy themselves?

“We can’t bring them along any further!”

It was Westa who spoke this time; clearly, the ice beauty had reached her limit.

“If we keep them with us, we’ll definitely run into trouble, Samili!” Lise and the others chimed in, brows furrowed.

“But if we send them back now, they’re sure to make a scandal of the whole thing once they return!” Samili nearly agreed, but reconsidered, closing his mouth and thinking it over. Suddenly, he realized Ver had yet to voice his opinion.

Although Ver was only sixteen, by imperial law, boys of fourteen could already undergo the coming-of-age ceremony. Sixteen-year-old Ver could hardly be called a child. More importantly, he had a maturity of action and judgment that made him seem even more seasoned than most adults.

With that in mind, Samili turned to Ver for his view—only for the boy to calmly utter a statement that stunned everyone present.

“If we’re truly caught between a rock and a hard place, then just kill them all.”

Ver replied without a trace of emotion.