I love this chapter *evil smile*

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Machiavellian City wasn't the city that they expected to be. Because it was an assassin city, they thought that this place would be creepy but it wasn't. It wasn't that lively, but it wasn't gloomy as well. The city was pretty normal to be an assassin city.

"It's my first time to be here, to think that it is my mother's hometown." Lesley said while they were walking along the city streets.

"Me too. My mother doesn't visit this city even though she came from here."

Assassins were known as people who didn't trust anyone for they preferred working alone– well, except for her mother and Gusion's mother– as well as the two of them since they trusted each other.

But it looked like these assassins got along pretty well since they could see them having casual conversation with one another.

Lesley wiped her sweat from her forehead as they continued to walk.

"Tired?" Gusion asked her, noticing she wiped her sweat.

She shook her head a little, "Not really. We should gather some information now if they knew about that group who kidnapped Harley."

"It wasn't easy, you know that Les." Gusion answered.

Lesley then realized that an assassin didn't easily give an information to anyone. It might take a lot of money– or even life just for an information.

"Don't you know any of your mother's relatives here? It will be a great help." Gusion asked.

Lesley shook her head once again, "None. We stayed at my father's hometown in Archer City for seven years before we stayed at the Vance household. How about you?"
(A/N: Archer City - city of marksmen. I only made this up too, okay? XD)

"My mother's clan was assassinated, she is the only survivor of their family." Gusion sadly said.

Lesley gasped, "I'm sorry about that."

"Nah, it's okay. Though this gathering of information will be hard." Gusion muttered. "But for a city like this, I'm sure there is someone who knows a lot of information. We can do a bargain."

"Don't you think that's risky?"

"That's how assassin works. I know you know that."

Lesley nodded a little. She knew that. But as much as she could, she stayed out of that kind of system.

"We should eat first before anything else." Gusion said before pulling her to a nearby restaurant.

=====

The towns' folk lead them into an abandoned house outside the city. They said that this was where the 'king' stayed whenever he was in the city.

"Stay behind me." Gusion told her as they reached the door.

Gusion was about to knock but they were startled when they heard some rustles behind their back.

They turned, only to see a monkey holding a gold coin.

"Wow, a thief monkey?" Lesley whispered.

"Wow, an inside gang?" They heard a voice of a man said.

Suddenly, the monkey was now replaced by a man. He had something on his arm, looked like a long range weapon. His hair actually reminded Lesley of an ice cream.

Gusion quickly moved to her front, "Perhaps you're Claude?"

"Oh, if isn't the famous mage slash assassin of the Moniyan Empire." The man named Claude said, the monkey landed on his shoulder. He tried to peep to her direction, "Well, would you mind introducing that beautiful lady behind you?"

"Fuck off." Gusion hissed.

Claude laughed, "Oh! Are you lovers?"

"We're not here to have a comical conversation with you." Gusion spatted while gripping on his dagger.

Claude raised both of his hands, "Calm down, will you?" Then he smirked, "What do you want? Things that I borrowed? Or information?"

"Information." Lesley answered.

"Finally, the lady has spoken." Claude said, "What about this? I'll give you any information you wanted..." He trailed, "But I want to talk to the lady in private. How about that?"

Gusion gritted his teeth and grabbed Lesley's hand, "Let's go Les. We won't get anything from this bastard."

He started to pull her away from the King of Thieves, but the stopped when Claude spoke.

"You won't get anything? Like the whereabouts of her little brother?" Claude said while smirking.

That made Lesley stopped on her tracks and looked back at Claude, "Do you know where Harley is and where is the hiding place of that group who got him?"

"Let's talk in private, and I'll tell you anything." Claude said, the smirk was still plastered in his face.

Lesley nodded, "Okay–"

"Les, no." Gusion cut her, holding both of her shoulders to make her turn towards him.

She smiled to him as an assurance, "Gus, I'll be fine. I know you'll come and save me if anything happens, right?"

"But–"

She pinched his cheeks, "Come on. We need this information, Gus. I'll be fine. You trust me, right?"

Gusion nodded and then sighed, "It's him whom I don't trust."

She brushed his hair, "Now go. I'll be okay."

Gusion was reluctant to leave Lesley alone with the asshole. But he trusted her, he knew she could kicked his ass in case something happened.

"I'll be around the perimeter. I'm watching you." Gusion told Claude, he even did the gesture of I'm watching you.

Gusion gave Lesley a final look, pinching her chin softly before he left.

"You have an overprotective lover." Claude commented the moment Gusion left.

Lesley felt her cheeks warmed, "He is a friend."

Claude's eyes widened as if she said something ridiculous, "Are you kidding me? Anyone who saw you two would think you are together."

Lesley took a deep breathe, "I believe that it isn't our main concern here. Would you tell me anything about my little brother?"

Claude casually brought his hands at the back of his head, "Aren't you going to ask me first how I know you are looking for your little brother?"

"It isn't really my concern. What I want to know is the whereabouts of Harley." Lesley said as she shook her head.

"Alright then." Claude said, "Dr. Rooney told me that there is a scientist who wanted to form a strong group aiming to rule the whole Land of Dawn."

"And who is that?"

"Dr. Leo." Claude simply answered, "Angela, an android created by his friend, Dr. Baker, was supposed to be sent to him through a capsule. But then the capsule crashed and they didn't find the android.

"The three of them were colleagues." Claude continued, "Not until Dr. Leo vanished without a trace. Also, Grock, the rock ancient or something, gone missing, as well as your little brother and the Scarlet ninja named Hanabi."

Lesley frowned, "But why of all people, why them? Why my little brother?"

Claude sighed, "Dr. Rooney saw a folder that Dr. Leo left. A folder of information of individuals he wanted to modify to form his group. There were five of them."

Lesley fell into deep thoughts.

Angela, Grock, Harley, Hanabi–

"Who is the last one?" Lesley asked.

Claude looked at her and told her the last name that Dr. Leo wanted to add to his group.

Lesley felt her knees weakened and covered her mouth with her hand.

No way.

"You need to be careful. Save them before it's too late." Claude showed her a map and put a mark on a certain place around the area, "This is where his laboratory located. I suggest you need to create a plan with the SABER squad first before you go. I heard Dr. Leo is actually looking for a Magic Cube. It's not as powerful as the Twilight Orb, but powerful enough to rule the majority of the Land of Dawn."

Lesley accepted the map and smiled at him a little, "Thank you."

Claude returned the smile and hopped onto the tree with his monkey, "Anyway, aren't you curious why I want to talk to you in private?"

Lesley frowned, "A bit. But may I know why though?"

"Tell that mage-assassin hybrid that he needs my approval first before he gets you, cousin." Claude said while smiling.

Her eyes widened, "Cousin?"

"Oh, our grandmothers' on your father's side are siblings, so we are cousins. Your brooch is a proof." He said while also showing the same brooch that she had and then he hid it again on his pocket, 'Til we meet again, cous! I believe you can save Harley!" And then he vanished into the forest.

Lesley was left in dazed, still sinking the fact that she had a cousin.

"Wow." Lesley muttered.

First, I still have an aunt, and now I have a cousin.

She shook her head lightly as she hid the map on her bag.

She started to walk as she planned to find Gusion when she felt another presence.

She sharpened her senses. Assassin?

Before Lesley could moved, someone jumped into her, knocking her up.

What the–

"Dance for me!" She heard a female voice said.

Lesley was knocked up to five times before she landed on the ground, her knees almost gave up but she manage to hit the girl in front of her but then it disappeared.

A mirage?

"Would you help me find my brother?" She heard the female voice said.

"After knocking me up, you asked for my help?" Lesley couldn't help it but to be sarcastic.

She looked at the girl, she was smaller compared to her, curly hair and wore a violet dress.

But then when she saw the familiar stone on her dress, Lesley felt rage and glared at her.

A Baroque.

The Vance family's rival.

The one who sent assassins to the Vance household, aiming to kill all of them.

"The Baroque princess." Lesley spatted as if that word was a poison.

"You know me? Oh, of course, I'm popular. I am the top student of the academy after all." The Baroque princess smuggly said.

"Oh, right after my little brother was gone in the academy, yes?" She smirked.

The Baroque princess was seemed taken aback with the realization, "You're a Vance..." She looked at her rifle, "But they are a mage family."

"And Baroque is an assassin family, who has a princess that acquired magic talent." She said, emphasizing the word acquired, to make the Baroque princess remembered that she was not born naturally a mage.

"A jealous family just because their princess was defeated by a Vance kid, yes?" Lesley mocked her.

"How dare you!" The Baroque princess angrily said, before throwing a magic ball towards her but she easily dodged it and fired a bullet towards the princess, right beside her ear.

The Baroque princess' eyes widened, she almost hit her.

"I purposely did that. That scared you? Aww, poor her highness." Lesley mockingly said.

She could see that the Baroque princess was furious that she vanished in the scene but she could still her presence.

Lesley knew she was trying to jump on her again in surprise.

"Wow, you're hiding? What a coward." Lesley said as she used her Ultimate Snipe to know where she was exactly.

She saw her and she jumped towards her, but then Lesley used her grenade to knock her back so she won't get knocked up.

She swiftly got her pistol on the holster wrapped in her thigh and pointed it on the Baroque princess' head.

She saw fear in her eyes but it was only for a second.

"What are you waiting for? Kill me." The Baroque princess said.

Lesley sighed and brought the pistol down, "I'm not as low as your parents."

But then, Lesley didn't know that the Baroque princess would be attacking her once again, as she fell on the ground.

Lesley was caught off-guard as she didn't know what to do when she saw the princess was about to attack her with a magic ball in her hands.

But then, the Baroque princess halted in her position when she felt a slash on her cheek, some of her hair locks were even cut because of it.

And in a blink of an eye, Gusion was already beside the startled girl, pointing a dagger on the Baroque princess' neck.

"Gusion!"The Baroque princess exclaimed.

"Guinevere." Gusion said, no emotions hinted in his voice.

"It's so nice to see you again! I miss you!" The Baroque princess named Guinevere was about to hug Gusion but Gusion held the dagger firmly that was pointed on her neck.

"Move and you'll die." Gusion warned.

"How dare you! You left me before and I thought we have something special and now you will kill just because of this sniper?" Guinevere said angrily.

"Who said we have something special?" Gusion asked, "We only share the same sentiments of not having freedom, but other than that, none. You're bethrothed to my brother, in case you forgot."

"But I don't like him! I like you, you're the one I want to marry." Guinevere whined like a child.

We'll, she's really being a child.

"The feeling is not mutual. I don't and I will never like you. Sorry." Gusion said, but there was no hint of being sorry in his voice.

"Is it because of her?" Guinevere said and glared at her, "Might as well as kill her, so she could be with her father already."

Lesley was in rage with the mention of her father. She held her rifle, ready to shoot the Baroque princess.

Gusion was fast enough to point his dagger on her neck once again when she tried to jump, stopping her.

But Gusion and Lesley were shocked to see another gun pointed to the Baroque princess' head.

Lesley looked at the newcomer with widen eyes, "Granger?"

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Dun dun dun dun~

This book is alive, as well as the author. Don't worry XD