n

n

n

"Now can you all shut up and listen? Or is this guild for a bunch of gossipers and not mercenaries?

" Nadia hissed with eyes full of disdain.

nOf course, those who heard it immediately reacted. They all have frowns in their faces as they gazed at the snobby woman who slighted them just now.

n

"H-hey! Why are you saying that--

" the blonde-haired guy spluttered at the side but got his words cut off when Elric reprimanded him with his eyes.

nThe rowdy man, on the other hand, was not pleased. His entire body stiffened from the insult, and glared at her.

n

"This damn-- We are mercenaries!

" He rebuked.

n

"Then act like one.

" Nadia countered straight in his face.

nHe suddenly felt like his blood was rushing on his head and stood up, his fists clenching on his sides.

n

"You!

"

n

"Shun,

" the round glasses guy warned. His eyes were giving him a warning, therefore stopping him from his outburst.

nHe then turned to Nadia, calm and composed, the total opposite of the others who were on edge--

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss.

"

n

"Mmm,

" was her only response.

nShe couldn't care less at all. She just wanted to wrap this whole thing up and leave. Even if the room was big enough for all of them, she still felt suffocated.

nAnd one more thing she hated aside from the stuffy atmosphere, is the way these men talked to her. They are clearly looking down at her for being a woman and it's only making her more irritated.

nShe also knows that she shouldn't have bad mouthed them in their own turf, but she could not just stand there and take their insults either.

nNadia was long fed up from the sexist views of most men in the empire.

n

"Everyone here is the best in what they do. Let me introduce you to them.

" The guy named Elric said, after a short silence that pervaded the whole room.

nNadia only glanced at him in acknowledgement and the latter took it as a yes.

n

"I am Elric, and beside me is Roy.

"

n

"Hello

", the blonde-haired lad voiced out.

nElric then gestured to the rest.

n

"That one is Shun, Seis, and Oli,

" and referred to them respectively--

"The woman at the back would be Eve.

"

nShun glanced at Nadia and clicked his tongue.

n

"Tch.

"

nRoy then cleared his throat,

"What do the young miss wants us to do?

"

n

"I hope it's certainly not about beating up runts you despise, Miss.

" Shun commented while trying to appear bigger. It made him look arrogant and annoying to Nadia's eyes.

n

"Shun!

" Oli, the third one from earlier, hushed him down.

nHe had seen the woman's sharp glares and had instantly acted to shut his buddy up.

nNadia, on the other hand, ignored his retort.

nShe has no time to take on his childish jibes.

n

"I only want information about a certain individual. A detailed one.

"

n

"Can't your men take care of that?

" Seis, the sharp-eyed man, remarked.

n

"Oh, they can. But what I want is the efficiency of mercenaries,

" Nadia replied.

nShe did not want to think of his words as something insulting, because he was merely saying the truth anyway.

n

"Is that all?

" Elric pressed on.

nNadia nodded.

n

"Yes. I do not wish for you to harm her. I only need the most complete details about her.

"

n

"Very well,

" Elric uttered as he fixed his eyeglasses.

n

"Her name is Estelle Forester.

" Nadia added.

nJust as the mood was getting better, Shun then ruined it for being a first class jerk. He voiced his frustration out from being reprimanded by a woman, and started bickering.

n

"Wait a minute. Why would we do this kind of work? Even a guard, if given enough money, would do the work for you! Our guild is not meant for puny tasks!

" He pointed out.

n

"That is right. Contacting a mercenary guild to only gather information is quite the stretch. Do you even know how much our fees are?

"

nSeis who has been in the business for a long time, seconded. There wasn't a time, even when they were just starting, that they ever accepted easy tasks like that. They focused more on the hard labor, like guarding, or killing a target.

nOli was just silent at the side, he's the youngest out of all of them, and the newest too. So he was still not used to any of it. Moreover, he had felt this brooding aura from the woman since earlier.

nHe knew that she's pissed off, and he had seen a lot of pissed off women, and what they could do. It's scary. Hence, why he was shutting his mouth.

nNadia removed the pouch which was tied from her waist and tossed it towards them. Oli caught it on one hand, seemingly amazed by how heavy it was and curiously looked inside. It was full of gold coins.

n'Woah! This is a lot!'

nSeis looked at it too, as he was sitting beside Oli and got tongue tied.

n

"Is that enough? Or do you want me to double it?

" Nadia announced haughtily.

n

"D-double…

" Oli muttered.

nShe leveled her gazes amongst all the faces.

n

"I don't care who among you will do it. I just want it done no more than a week,

" her ruby lips then stretched into a cunning smile and caught the eyes of everyone looking at her--

"That's already enough time for you, right? Given how awesome this guild of yours is.

"

nShe had clearly said that in a form of mockery but the others were too stunned to speak.

nThey were smitten, if not for her pretty face, but from her boldness.

n

"If any of you gave me some half-assed report...

" Her demeanor then turned darker--

"I will hunt you down,

" she warned. Her eyes glinting coldly like the edge of a sword.

n

"Let's go Uno,

" and started to leave the premises. The former then tailed after her without uttering a single word.

nElric woke up from being stupefied and cleared his throat.

n

"Let me send you off.

"

nNadia's pale red eyes went to him, stopping him from further closing in.

n

"No need,

" and left afterward.

nThere was a short pause from the room. They were all gazing at the place where the woman had disappeared to. In any case, what they were feeling right now, shock would be an understatement.

n

"D-damn…

" Roy and Oli whispered at the same time.

nShun who was just aggressive a while ago had turned 180.

n

"She's... hot-- ow!

"

n

"Idiot!

" Seis exclaimed after hitting him in the head.

n

"Hey you, Shun! What the hell was that earlier? Do you want master to roast your ass?

" Roy remarked.

nThe latter rubbed the part of his head that was hit.

n

"Tsk. I didn't mean it,

" he uttered and averted his eyes to the wall.

n

"Of course you don't. You tend to show off in front of women after all. This is why you are single,

" Elric pointed out, hitting him where it hurts the most.

nRoy then scratched his cheeks as he peered at the hallway again.

n

"But you guys. Don't you think she's kind of familiar?

" He inquired.

nThis has been bugging him since earlier. As soon as he saw her face back at the textile room, it definitely struck him in the gut. He is certain that he had seen her before, but he had no idea where and when.

n

"What are you saying Roy? Got hooked by her pretty face too?

" Seis snickered.

n

"I feel like I've seen her face somewhere,

" Roy answered, totally ignoring whatever Seis had said.

nEve just glanced at the rambling idiots and continued scribbling on her notebook. She knows that face as well. After all, she drew it before for a report. Yvan had requested it from her.

n'Such a coincidence…'

nShe did not anticipate that she would ever see her there at their place. Moreover, she was also surprised as to how she had acted. Most of the noblewomen she knows, all act bratty and spoiled, especially from a high-ranked house like hers.

nJust like Roy, she was surprised upon seeing her there. It wasn't that long ago when she had painted her face, which was why she immediately recognized her.

n'And she's already infamous in the social circle as well. Everything she does would be a topic amongst nobles…'

n

"Master is coming today, you all better behave.

" Elric announced.

n

"Oh? Master will? Did not see him for ages…

" Shun perked up.

nRoy patted him on the back, hard enough to hear the slap echoed around the room.

n

"That's why you better behave Shun! Elric will probably tell what you did to him later.

"

n

"Wha--

"

nMeanwhile, the group of Nadia were passing by the narrow hallway for the second time that day. There were three other cloaked figures who were going the opposite way, but Nadia was too sour in a mood to even look at them nor spare them a glance.

nAs soon as they were out of sight, one of the cloaked figures craned his neck backward to take a look again.

n'Isn't that…'

n

"Master…

" Yvan muttered and looked at Lukas.

nLooks like he was not the only one who noticed the woman, because when he turned to look at him, he was also staring at her retreating figure.

nLukas's electric purple eyes followed Nadia diligently.

n

"Hmm…

"

n