"'Ehe' my foot! Since when does assassination involve achieving your goal by soloing every single enemy! There's something wrong with the Hassan who taught you. If the people in Siracusa found out about this, they'd probably laugh their teeth off."
In her heart, Crownslayer was frantically nitpicking the countless bizarre points in Jeanne's words. However, she knew what was important, so she didn't speak and continued walking inside with Jeanne.
Watching the soldiers knocked out by Jeanne along the way and witnessing a speed that she couldn't hope to match even in her dreams, Lyudmila felt as though all her years of hard training had been wasted on a Lupo. Does this woman—with her massive strength, insane speed, incredible fighting skills, a bunch of weird abilities, and beautiful looks—actually exist in this world? I'm not dreaming, am I?
Jeanne could easily knock out every enemy they encountered without taking their lives; this level of precision was a real eye-opener for Lyudmila.
"This is it. You can see the person you want to see once you go in. I'll keep watch for you out here. Speed it up a bit."
Jeanne led Lyudmila to a door. Behind it lived the enemy who had ruined everything for Lyudmila, and there was no telling when more patrols might arrive outside.
"Alright then. Stay safe."
Full of rage, Lyudmila didn't waste any more words with Jeanne. She burst directly into the room and immediately saw Sergei sitting there, reading something.
The commotion of her intrusion startled Sergei; the book in his hand and the cup beside him fell straight onto the carpet, the coffee staining the clean fabric with a dark shadow.
"You again... Who exactly are you! Were you sent by someone to silence me? How did you sneak in here past the perimeter?"
Sergei was terrified by the sudden appearance of Lyudmila. He vaguely remembered that the previous assassin looked just like this—it had only been a few days, and she had already fought her way back?
"Who am I? Who do you think I am? Back then, you betrayed our entire family in exchange for this status. Have you forgotten everything now?"
With that, Lyudmila kicked Sergei in the stomach. The intense pain made Sergei open his mouth to scream, but Crownslayer pressed her hand over his mouth, preventing him from making a sound.
Sergei struggled agonizingly due to the blow to his abdomen; his face turned flushed and veins bulged from the pain, but despite his considerable strength, he was locked down by an expressionless Crownslayer. There was no way for him to break free.
Lyudmila watched her enemy writhing in pain in her hands, yet her heart felt none of the joy one might expect from getting revenge. Right now, she wanted the truth more than anything.
Seeing his struggles weaken, Lyudmila violently threw him to the floor. The impact left Sergei unable to straighten his back for a long time.
Outside, Jeanne leaned against the doorframe, listening to the commotion inside. Everything was perfectly audible from her position. On the other side, a squad of soldiers with sharp ears intended to come over and check the situation, but before they could even show their heads, they were knocked unconscious by Jeanne.
"I hope Lyudmila can hurry up. Otherwise, if she dawdles any longer, I'll probably end up taking out every single soldier in this vicinity."
Jeanne muttered to herself while hiding the unconscious soldiers in an inconspicuous spot.
"Someone who speaks to me in that tone is definitely no professional assassin. You... you are Ilia's daughter, Lyudmila?"
While still trying to guess Crownslayer's identity, Sergei suddenly saw Lyudmila's red hair, inherited from her father. This was a truth he had always been afraid to face.
For the sake of his own family's happiness and to protect his children, he had betrayed his friend, ultimately causing his friend's family to be destroyed. He had thought the Ilya family was dead and gone.
Hearing his words, Lyudmila realized he had remembered who she was. She stepped on his fingers, grinding them harshly several times before speaking with a voice full of fury:
"You have no right to mention my father's name, traitor! Now, tell me everything you know immediately, or don't blame me for turning this house into a haunted one."
Sergei knelt on the ground, not daring to cry out. He simply apologized to Lyudmila repeatedly, sweat dripping from his forehead like rain. After hearing Lyudmila's threat, he said hurriedly:
"I... I'll tell you everything I know. Just let Misha go. She's the only family I have left. She knows nothing; she wasn't involved in this at all..."
"Shut up and talk!"
As she spoke, Lyudmila exerted more pressure on his fingers. If not for her need to know the truth, she would never have let this man live this long in front of her.
"At that time, Chernobog wanted a certain research result of ours, but we decided to seal it away. So... to deal with your father, they took Misha and Alex. They used the children to threaten me, so..."
"So you leaked my father's whereabouts, causing my family to die here?"
Before he could finish, Lyudmila finished the sentence for him. Before he could explain, she unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, leaving Sergei with no choice but to defend himself passively.
"No, I really didn't intend to cause your father's death..."
Sergei's explanation seemed hollow and powerless at this moment. How could he not have known what Ilia's ultimate fate would be? He simply refused to admit he had killed him.
Outside, Jeanne looked blankly at a room full of soldiers. These fellows she had knocked out were lying scattered all over the floor, looking like some sort of sacrificial ritual. Jeanne still had a few unconscious guys slung over her shoulders. She fell into thought: Just how many soldiers are in this house? Would it be more appropriate to just toss them out the window?
Listening to the sound of Lyudmila pummeling Sergei inside, Jeanne couldn't help but wonder: if Lyudmila had come here alone today, would their roles have been reversed?
"Who are you? Get away from my father!"
Suddenly, Jeanne heard a girl's voice from inside. Peeking through the doorway, she saw a white-haired Ursus girl holding a crossbow, looking at Lyudmila with a face full of wariness.
"Misha, go back! This has nothing to do with you! No matter what happens here, do not come out!" Sergei endured the sharp pain and shouted at his daughter with all his might.
On the other side, the mist from Crownslayer's mouth began to spread.