In reality, the Scarletfrost Manor did not feature any particularly intricate mechanical traps, nor was there any patrolling personnel within its premises.
Due to the multi-layered injunctions meticulously set by the arcanists dispatched by Grand Duke Greytower, these already served as highly effective countermeasures. Typically, even if one managed to breach the outer patrols, the moment they stepped into the manor's interior, they would trigger these injunctions, simultaneously activating alarms and potentially facing bizarre magical attacks.
Their current ease was solely attributed to the remarkable efficacy of the Aether-Suppressing Scroll—it was powerful enough to selectively isolate the Aether within the manor's injunctions without affecting the Revolutionaries or the external guards.
"Aether Concealment" was an exceedingly profound and esoteric technique, one that could not be understood in the slightest without reaching the fourth stage, the Scepter, and even among the rare fifth-stage Royal Crown, it was not a skill that all possess.
Aether is the blood, the soul, and the very essence of life and power for arcanists. To conceal and sever Aether connections is naturally a devastating and effective tactic. Therefore, the "Professor" mentioned by Wildfowl undoubtedly held a pivotal position within the Revolutionary.
However, utterly unaware of this, Sitana couldn't help but think—isn't this a bit too easy?
The ease was so unsettling that she felt an unshakable sense of being manipulated, a queasy discomfort that lingered.
"..." Sitana silently rubbed her arms, wondering if these people were actually sent by Hydra.
Don't tell me that jerk is hiding somewhere, watching me right now?
After pondering for a moment, she tentatively asked Wildfowl and Bee Sting, "What do you guys think about Hydra?"
Based on her knowledge of Hydra's subordinates, they were most intolerant of any disrespect towards Hydra. A mere hint of criticism would enrage them to the point of wanting to hack you to pieces—truly terrifying.
Therefore, if these two showed any signs...
"Hydra?" Wildfowl and Bee Sting exchanged a glance, their gazes somewhat peculiar. "Do you have a grudge against him?"
"......"
Sitana opened her mouth but didn't directly answer the question. Instead, she diverted the topic, asking, "You guys hate the nobles, and isn't Hydra now the biggest noble in Scarletforst?"
At the same time, Wildfowl, Bee Sting, and Snow Hawk conversed through their telepathic link:
"Is the Earl of Hardstone trying to incite a conflict between us and Hydra?"
"Hmph, what noble isn't afraid of Hydra? It's only natural."
"Wildfowl, how do you plan to respond to her? After all, we're going to sell her out in the end, so it doesn't really matter if we don't engage, does it?"
They were well aware that after selling Sitana out, anything they said would not be taken seriously, so they had no intention of engaging with her.
After all, with only fifteen minutes left, who had the leisure to chat? They were busy looting!
Wildfowl had collected numerous decorative items from the rooms along the way, yet the seemingly bottomless small pouch at his waist never seemed to bulge, leaving Sitana speechless.
This is way too professional. Are these guys specialized in robbing nobles? Is it some kind of... robbing the rich to help the poor?
So, Sitana couldn't help but ask again, "What are you going to do with all this loot after you cash it in?"
"For a Great Cause."
Bee Sting responded in such a manner, as if she took offense to Sitana's gaze that seemed to view them as mere robbers.
"......I thought you people would be handing it out to the common folk." Sitana pouted.
So it's just plain old robbing after all... "Great Cause" my ass! Who are they trying to fool!
At least Hydra is upfront about being a fraud, and he hasn't really done any harm. But you people, you do dirty deeds and then slap on a fancy names—you're clearly no good.
Seeing Sitana's disdainful gaze intensify, Bee Sting's anger flared. She wasn't usually impulsive-- but how dare a lackey of the nobility look down on us? Who are the real robbers here again?
Noticing the tension, Wildfowl quickly advised Bee Sting through their telepathic link, and while continuing to briskly lead the way, he spoke up:
"My friend, what brings you here?"
"......None of your business."
"Then keep your opinions to yourself." Bee Sting retorted sarcastically, "Do you really think you'll handle out the Scarletfrost family's assets to the common folk after looting them?"
"Of course!" Sitana replied without hesitation, "Do you even need to ask?"
How shameless can this person be!
The Revolutionary trio silently agreed to give Sitana an unforgettable lesson before they left, feeling it was only fitting for her shameless demeanor.
Sitana was also irritated but chose to remain silent, feeling that compared to these people, Hydra's hypocrisy hardly seemed like hypocrisy at all.
At least... at least that jerk, Hydra, never lies to me.
The trio navigated through the corridors and rooms in the darkness, twisting and turning. Wildfowl used an unknown method to unlock several sealed doors, ultimately leading Sitana to the entrance of the basement.
"We're almost there."
Wildfowl glanced at Bee Sting, then turned to look at Sitana, who had indeed been respectfully maintaining a distance from them.
The darkness did not hinder Wildfowl's vision, but the girl sent by the Earl of Hardstone was extremely cautious, disguising herself with a headscarf and mask, wrapped tightly so that only the collar around her neck was visible, leaving no other distinct identifying features.
"After entering the basement and passing through three more doors, we'll reach the treasure vault where the Scarletfrost family's assets are stored. Although it's unlikely that they've piled everything there, there's definitely a substantial amount."
He glanced at his pocket watch, "There are seven minutes and sixteen seconds left before the Aether-Suppressing Scroll loses its effect. We have plenty of time, so it's time for us to have another talk, friend."
Wildfowl maintained the vigilance and wariness one should have towards strangers, ensuring that the "lackey of the Earl of Hardstone" did not detect that she had been exposed: "We will only take the gold and other easily liquidated assets, as well as two crucial items. You can take whatever else you want."
"All… the gold?"
Sitana's eyes widened slightly, thinking, these people are way too greedy!
Although she initially came with the intention of succeeding with just a Image Projection Crystal, given the opportunity, Sitana had no qualms about taking more. After all, she was well aware that she was stealing and robbing, and the money she acquired would indeed be used for the benefit of the common folk, specifically her own village. However, before Wildfowl could continue the act, Sitana spoke up again, "Forget it, take as much as you want. I didn't really help much anyway."
"That is... for the best."
Wildfowl felt a slight suspicion, sensing that the girl... was too honest, almost off. Yet, he quickly dismissed the insignificant doubt from his mind.
Placing his hand on the door lock, magical patterns flickered as the mechanism automatically twisted, gears meshing together, and the lock core sprang open.
Following the same procedure, even the incredibly heavy treasury door was opened by Wildfowl in just about ten seconds.
In that instant, the glittering array of treasures before her stung Sitana's eyes—some gems emitted their own light, making them particularly dazzling even in the darkness.
Wildfowl and Bee Sting worked with high efficiency, frantically looting the gold and gems from the treasury, all of which were stuffed into the pocket at Wildfowl's waist. Sitana didn't pay much attention, focusing instead on searching through the pile of gems for a Image Projection Crystal.
However, as she searched... Sitana soon became confused—none of these were like the one in Hydra's possession!
This was to be expected, as Anselm's Image Projection Crystal was specially made by his father, unique in the world.
Seeing the treasure vault nearly half empty, and watching Bee Sting pocket a large jar that seemed to contain a heart and a blood-red crystal, Sitana didn't hesitate any longer. She grabbed five or six crystals that looked similar to Anselm's one, stuffing her pockets full.
"Dingling."
The sound of objects clattering to the ground was normal due to the rummaging, but since Sitana was handling mostly gems, the metallic sound caught her attention.
The young girl turned her head to see a beautiful ring embedded with an emerald rolling at her feet.
"......How did a ring end up in the pile of gems? Hmm... It's quite pretty, I'll take it for Lena to wear!"
Sitana wasn't particularly interested in gem-encrusted rings; if she were to wear one, she'd prefer a pure metal one, perhaps with an animal head design, like a wolf head, which looked cool!
She casually pocketed the ring, then patted herself up and down, stuffing every available pocket to the brim with whatever she could find.
"Should I take a couple more rings? Hmm... Taking that many might not be useful, but I can't fit anything else—!?"
Her intuition, honed to perfection through countless experiences where she could kill a target from a hundred meters away with a single arrow, never falter in hand-to-hand combat, seized the fleeting glimmer of life in the brink of death that felt like a blade slicing at the nape of her neck!
Her body moved before her mind could react, grabbing a handful of gems and flinging them fiercely behind her without a moment's hesitation!
Ding!
A crisp chime echoed through the treasury, followed a few seconds later by the sound akin to a steel needle hitting the ground.
Sitana slowly turned her head, her dark red eyes gradually igniting with a fiery rage.
"You... What exactly are you trying to pull here?"
"......What do you mean?" Wildfowl snapped back to reality from his momentary surprise, his expression turning cold, "It's not good to cry thief when you're the one stealing, friend."
Crying thief?
You thieving bastards, pretending to be all high and mighty with your "great cause," now you're trying to double-cross me first and when it backfires, you accuse me of crying thief!
What's the difference between you and those shameless nobles! Do you even have the right to call them animals?!
The stinging sensation on her skin struck again, but this time, with prior preparation, Sitana's movements became even quicker and smoother. She raised her hand, clutching the hard gem to block, but this time... the sound that rang out was not that of metal clashing.
Shh--!
The sharp steel needle sank deeply into Sitana's palm, and the gems she had intended to use as a temporary shield... shattered instantly!
The magical matrix patterns in Wildfowl's hand disappeared, and he watched Sitana's expression gradually turn sour. He smirked, "Thought I was just a locksmith? Sorry to disappoint... disassembling, constructing, and reassembling are all essential parts of the Fragmentation Spell curriculum. Practicing lock-picking is just part of the course, friend."
He shrugged, ignoring Sitana, and walked straight out.
Sitana didn't understand what this guy was babbling about, but she could feel... after that steel needle pierced her palm, her body was gradually, somehow, losing control.
"My neurotoxin will destroy everything within you."
Bee Sting looked at her expressionlessly: "Control over your body, your senses, your consciousness will be trapped like a ghost in this corpse-like shell... No need to thank me, you deserve this."
"Bee Sting, it's time to go, we only have two minutes left."
The woman looked down at Sitana as she slowly collapsed, the resentment and anger bubbling up in her heart at the memory of the disdainful gaze this noble's lackey had given them, prompting her to throw out one final taunt:
"Hate us Revolutionaries in your struggle and despair, parasites of the old world."
With those words, she turned and left.
Sitana did not feel the despair that Bee Sting had described.
This so-called "neurotoxin" merely paralyzed her.
She was now filled with an unprecedented rage, a rage so intense that it made her forget how dire her situation was.
"Wildfowl... Bee Sting... and whoever is the bastard behind you..."
The she-wolf struggled to force out a voice, almost out of tune, from her throat.
Her dark red eyes, twisted with fury, glared: "Just... you wait!"
*
Outside the manor, Wildfowl and Bee Sting, having successfully escaped through Snow Hawk's short-range teleportation, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thankfully, it was a close call but no harm done," Wildfowl exhaled deeply, "I thought Greytower might have placed one of the latest golem from the Magic Dynamics Institute inside. I heard that monstrous genius from Babel Tower recently developed an Aether internal circulation for golem that even Aether-Suppressing couldn't stop. If that thing had been there... we'd have been in big trouble."
Bee Sting also nodded, "It was indeed much simpler than we anticipated. If it's just this, there was no need for us to be involved."
"Haha, feeling like we wasted manpower? Wendigo is still holed up in some remote village eating black bread every day, so let's not complain," Snow Hawk stood up, disassembled his sniper rifle, and pulled out a signal gun, firing it directly into the opened short-range teleportation portal.
In the next second, a dazzling signal flare shot out from within the manor. Snow Hawk stretched, and amidst the guards' furious roars, he said to his companions, "Let's go. With the heart of the Red Ice Python and its crystal core, we've finally gathered all the ingredients. It's a happy ending."
"Indeed."
In the windless, snowless night, a fourth voice echoed.
"Thank you for your efforts, members of the Revolutionary."
The radiant golden hair that seemed to light up the night and the sea-blue eyes that embraced everything were so out of place with the quiet night.
"However, for me."
Hydra, in the increasingly terrified eyes of the three, looked at his own reflection and announced cheerfully:
"There are just a few insignificant steps left to achieve a happy ending..."
"First, your illicit earnings—"
The solemn and cold serpent-headed cane transformed into a blade that tore through everything.
The beast wielding the steel serpent whispered with a smile under the night sky:
"I shall take care of them for you."
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