Early the next morning, Ansu gathered everyone in the manor's drawing room.
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling onto the center of the long table.
Everyone’s eyes were focused on Ansu, filled with curiosity.
Was the Hermit calling them together so soon because he had already devised a way to lead the cult through this crisis?
Ansu looked around at everyone and got straight to the point.
"There is a threat more pressing than the prohibition right now. I have a plan, and I urgently need your help."
According to the information from the simulation, the church and the city guard would launch a raid on the third day.
He only had a window of less than three days to resolve the trouble caused by the demons.
"Assassinating the Squirrel Party members in the city?" Elder Barnes spoke with a slight tone of doubt after hearing Ansu's plan. "But we haven't found any traces of Squirrel Party activity in the city yet... There are even signs suggesting they might have already withdrawn from the Empire's borders."
"No." Ansu shook his head. "They are right here; they're just hiding very deep."
The elders looked at each other, none of them knowing why Ansu was so certain.
Elder Barnes pondered for a moment before confirming again, "Who do you plan to assassinate? The leader of the Squirrel Party? Or..."
Ansu looked around the room, then picked up a stack of pre-prepared documents and distributed them to everyone present.
"The targets of the assassination are not the enemy leader, but every single member of the Squirrel Party from top to bottom."
The elders opened the files, and after looking for only a moment, the atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.
"This..." Barnes looked up in shock. "Hermit, is this list... real or fake?"
"The list is accurate and without error." Ansu interrupted his question. "We must eliminate all of them before these guys destroy the entire city. Leave no one alive!"
The drawing room grew increasingly quiet, leaving only the sound of the elders quickly flipping through the papers.
This document was not some rough summary of intelligence, but an incredibly detailed assassination list.
It included not only the Squirrel Party but also the members of the demon branch above them.
Furthermore, the information on each person was as detailed as a dossier: name, appearance, disguised identity, home address, weapons carried, and magic specialties...
Elder Barnes's expression was a sight to behold; if this information was true, could this even be called an assassination anymore?
This was clearly a precise and thorough slaughter following a complete crushing on the informational level.
"Hermit, how did you get your hands on this intelligence?" Elder Barnes finally couldn't help but ask. "This isn't something that can be gathered from the outside. It's as if... it was copied directly from one of their internal members."
Ansu thought to himself that it was pretty much exactly that.
And back then, you were the one who copied it...
Facing the elders' suspicion, Ansu did not answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze slowly shifted toward Celia, who had been quiet for most of the time.
Celia was leaning back in her chair, and through her faint magic projection, he could see she was likely still studying the major breakthrough from last night, the basic purification rune.
Sensing Ansu's gaze, her eyes moved slightly as she returned to the present.
"Yes, the intelligence is accurate. As for the source..."
Ansu had already discussed the meeting with her beforehand, so she covered for him.
"The source of the information is a high-level undercover operation within the cult, but I cannot reveal the specific details. In short, all you elders need to do is trust Ansu."
Her tone was very natural, yet it carried an air that brooked no argument.
Elder Barnes nodded, thinking to himself that it was as he suspected—a mole from the cult had already been planted inside the demon ranks.
The Hermit truly had a knack for intelligence.
"Alright, I understand."
He asked no more questions.
...
After the meeting adjourned, the elders departed one after another with solemn expressions.
Only Celia, Freya—who had been listening quietly without interjecting—and Ansu remained in the meeting room.
Perhaps because various images were swirling in Ansu's mind, he felt the atmosphere in the air turn quiet and subtle.
Freya looked at the faint light of dawn outside the window and walked to Ansu's side, her voice soft and concerned.
"Lord Ansu, are you hungry? Since the meeting lasted so long, shall I go prepare breakfast for you?"
Before Ansu could speak, a laughing voice came from the direction of the head seat.
"How thoughtful~"
Celia had already set aside her research and was resting her chin on her hand, looking at the two with a smile.
"What delicious thing are you making?" She blinked, her tone sounding innocent and curious. "I haven't eaten anything either. Is there a portion for me too?"
"Um..." Freya turned to face Celia, her expression remaining gentle and calm. "If you want to eat, I can prepare an extra portion for you."
However, in her heart, she remembered the last time the witch had used teleportation to appear right by the dining table.
This woman always followed her whims, and what she said was very likely to happen.
"I'm just joking." Celia laughed softly as if it were truly just a casual remark, then her gaze slowly shifted to Ansu. "You two go ahead and eat. I won't disturb you."
Ansu felt this scene of 'harmony' before him was somewhat strange.
After all, in his most recent memories, these two had been fighting to the point of shattering the heavens and the earth, trying to kill each other.
"Er... well, I won't eat for now. I'm taking Vera out to eat." Ansu coughed lightly, looking at Freya as he subconsciously used his sister as an excuse.
"Eat breakfast yourself. I promised to take Vera out. Besides... I need to stop by the Magic Mutual Aid Association to check on the situation there."
"Oh..." Freya nodded, a trace of disappointment flitting through her eyes, though she quickly hid it.
Celia caught the avoidance in Ansu's eyes and asked curiously, "Ansu, why do you seem a bit nervous today?"
Freya had actually noticed it too; whenever Ansu faced her and Celia today, he seemed particularly restless.
Yet the three of them being together like this wasn't anything new.
While she and Celia weren't exactly friendly, they wouldn't actually start an argument... She really didn't know what Lord Ansu was so nervous about.
Concern appeared in her pale gold eyes as Freya asked, "Lord Ansu... are you worried the plan won't go smoothly?"
"Yes, right, exactly. A little bit." Ansu let out a laugh, thinking that the little Holy Maiden had made a great pivot in the conversation.
"If you're worried about the plan~" Celia's magic projection rose from her seat and flickered in front of the two in the next second. "I can come and help with the assassination personally. Isn't it just slaughtering a few little bugs?"
Ansu looked at her face, which was inches away, and shook his head.
"There's no need to trouble you with such small fry. You have a much more important task. I need your help."
After all, in the simulation, the enemy commander Shadowhide had been instantly strangled by Danielle and the others.
This time, with the weakness intelligence in hand, the cleanup work would only be faster.
"Oh? What task?" Celia asked curiously.
"Accompany me to 'meet' the two major figures of power in Norvigel..." Ansu said with a smile. "Count Alston of the Northern nobility and Bishop Gordon of the Church of Holy Light."
Fine steel should be used on the blade's edge.
The City Lord's Mansion and the Church of Holy Light were heavily guarded, and both individuals were powerful transcendents in their own right.
To ensure 'smooth communication,' he naturally needed the Lady Witch herself to provide backup.
After briefly discussing the preliminary ideas on how to 'visit' the two great figures, Celia's gaze drifted between Ansu and Freya before she smiled and waved her hand.
"Alright, alright, you two go eat now~ I'm going back to continue researching this basic rune."
Ansu gave a forced smile. "I really did make plans with Vera..."
He thought to himself: If Freya and I really ate together alone, you'd be the one who's unhappy again...
"Also, you should go eat something too!" Ansu looked at Celia, his tone carrying a hint of stern concern.
Lately, she had truly been forgetting to eat and sleep in order to research the magic pollution problem.
"No matter how important the research is, you need to have a healthy body first!"
"Yes, I know, I know~" Celia was always pushed by his nagging-like encouragement.
Although her face was full of impatience, the corners of her mouth were quietly curling upward.
"Alright, I'm off~"
Celia watched Ansu with a smile, and the magic glow suddenly flashed as her translucent, exquisite face instantly drew close to his.
Then, she lightly pressed her lips against his.
After the brief touch, she winked playfully. "Since I told you to go eat, just go! It's just a meal. Do you really think I get jealous that easily?"
She waved her hand, and the deep blue magic projection slowly vanished into the air, leaving only a faint ripple of mana.
The atmosphere grew quiet.
Freya stood to the side, watching that incredibly sweet scene between the two from a close distance.
Even if it was just a magic projection... it was still a kiss.
She silently lowered her head, and the light in her eyes dimmed quite a bit, like a candle blown out by the wind.
Ansu felt a wave of helplessness, almost able to hear the sound of the little Holy Maiden's heart breaking.
If there was some kind of blackening progress bar... had the little Holy Maiden just silently gained a tiny bit?
His great plan to protect the little Holy Maiden's mental health was about to fail before it even started...
"Um..." Ansu coughed, keeping his tone as gentle as possible. "I'll go call Vera. Let's the three of us go out and eat together?"
Freya suddenly looked up.
Her dimmed eyes seemed to be reignited as she nodded joyfully. "Okay!"
Rate on N.U.
