Chapter 200: The Identity of the Old Lady
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 200: The Identity of the Old Lady
The Seven-Colored Bird was one of the world's leading intelligence agencies.
This meant they possessed information on nearly every major figure from the countless influential and wealthy families across the globe.
Yet, the elites of the Seven-Colored Bird could not even begin to guess the identity of the old lady with gray hair tied in a neat, elegant bun.
Their failure was understandable. Since she had arrived by ship rather than through a teleport gate, there were no travel records. Her face offered few clues, and her dress bore no family crest or insignia.
Furthermore, despite arriving on a large galleon filled to the brim with gold coins, she didn't have a single attendant. When the agents questioned the sweating sailors unloading the gold, they all gave the same answer:
"If you're from the Seven-Colored Bird, then hurry up and bring a wagon for the money."
She was undoubtedly an extraordinary individual. It was already bewildering enough that section leaders from the Viment Special Task Force had just visited, only for someone like this to appear immediately after.
Regardless of the commotion, the old lady approached the mansion with an elegant stride.
As Jet explained the situation, Casimir and Jin could only shrug.
"I reckon she’s a retired tycoon, sir. Heh, back when I was hustling in the back alleys, I never dreamed of receiving donations like this. I feel like I’ve really made it. A man really ought to live in the light."
"If she brought an entire galleon full of gold, she definitely has a purpose," Casimir said. "She’s either going to make a request we can’t handle or she’s after information we can’t give."
"Aw, maybe she’s just giving it out of the goodness of her heart?"
"An entire galleon’s worth of gold? Even by a conservative estimate, that’s over a million gold coins."
"Well, the young master right there gave about half that much to a pirate crew not long ago. Wasn't that out of the goodness of his heart?"
"That was a payment, Jet," Jin corrected him.
"Hmph. If I were you, Young Master, I wouldn't have given those pirates fifty thousand, let alone five hundred thousand. If they’d asked for more, I would’ve settled it with force… Ah, I’m dying of envy. Those lucky bastards."
"Stop talking nonsense. If you're that jealous of Cosmos, I'll give you a bonus. See? This is what you call 'goodness of heart.'"
"Gasp! As expected of the Young Master! I shall become a fool who knows nothing but you, sir!"
"At any rate, she seems like an enigmatic woman. Sir Casimir, send one of the Council of Seven to greet her," Jin said, pushing away the clinging Jet.
"I intend to. If by some miracle she’s a genuine donor, we’ll treat her with the utmost respect. If not, we’ll have to send her away appropriately."
Bran Puli, the youngest member of the Council of Seven, stepped out of the mansion to receive the old lady.
Thirty minutes later, when Bran returned, laughing and chatting amiably with her…
‘My god.’
‘Good heavens.’
Jin and Casimir, waiting on the second-floor balcony, involuntarily held their breath. It wasn't because Bran’s friendly demeanor suggested she was a genuine donor.
‘She’s not just any monster…’
It was because the old lady with the neatly combed gray hair was a truly formidable warrior.
Her firm hands, which had clearly held weapons her entire life, were covered by silk gloves. Her muscles, compressed to their absolute limit, were hidden beneath a refined and dignified dress. Though Jin and Casimir were seeing her for the first time, they knew instantly.
They could tell the moment they laid eyes on her.
She was by no means just a wealthy old woman. Even without knowing her name, they knew with absolute certainty that she must have been a legendary warrior.
The old lady simply walked calmly, a faint smile playing on her lips the entire time.
And like most powerful warriors, she was concealing her strength.
However, her aura control was a masterpiece. She hid her power from anyone who lacked 8-star senses, while simultaneously flaunting her full martial prowess to those who possessed senses at or above that level.
Smirk.
The old lady looked up and flashed a smile at Jin and Casimir. The moment she passed through the mansion gates, she had accurately pinpointed their locations—even though both of them were suppressing their energies.
"...This is quite disconcerting. Young Master, do you know who she is?"
"I have no idea."
"Uh, you two. Why the sudden long faces? Is that old lady someone important?" Jet asked.
It was chilling. The arrival of the Viment Special Task Force section leaders had sent the guards and the Seven-Colored Bird into an uproar, yet no one had recognized the arrival of this monster, who was beyond comparison.
"I should go down myself," Jin said.
"You go first. I’ll inform the others," Casimir replied. "Jet, go quickly and fetch Lady Alisa."
"And issue a top-level emergency alert to the Seven-Colored Bird," Jin added.
If an unfortunate situation arose with the old lady, they had to have their strongest allies on standby.
Furthermore, Jin’s intuition was screaming at him.
‘Somehow, it feels like she came here knowing I was here. Who on earth is she?’
The question was resolved as soon as Quicantel arrived.
"What is this energy? It’s similar to what the 'Terror of the Ante Mountains' used to emit... Don't tell me, is it that woman? It must be. Only she has this unpleasant energy."
Quicantel spoke in a stiff tone.
"The Terror of the Ante Mountains?"
"About forty years ago, no dragon would go near the Ante Mountains. If you carelessly settled there, you’d either be grounded for life or killed. Because of that woman."
"I’ve never heard of such a person."
"Well, you wouldn't have. Dragons aren't exactly going to go around bragging to humans about that shameful history. And that woman, Vanessa Olson, wasn't a warrior who was particularly famous in human society."
There was a reason such a formidable expert was unknown among humans.
Vanessa Olson rarely revealed her martial prowess in human society. In the few fights she did have, no witnesses ever survived.
Even the title "Terror of the Ante Mountains" was given to her by dragons, not humans. To be precise, it wasn't a title so much as a name that naturally stuck.
In short, she was a dragon slayer.
"Could she be here for Murakan and Lady Quicantel?"
"Mmm... No, that’s unlikely. Too much time has passed since Vanessa was active, and even in her prime, I never heard of her seeking someone out just to kill them. I thought she was dead, but it seems she’s still alive," Quicantel mused.
Murakan, who had been listening, shook his head.
"What a strange human. Based on what Jet said, she brought plenty of gold. Is she saying, 'I'm going to kill you now, so here’s some funeral money'? Thinking of it that way, she’s quite an arrogant one."
"Murakan, you need to move past your memories of your prime. The current you wouldn't stand a chance against Vanessa Olson in a one-on-one fight, not even if you died and came back to life."
"When you put it like that, it just makes me want to pick a fight with her."
While they were talking, Vanessa entered the first-floor drawing room with Casimir.
Jin thought for a moment and decided to face her directly. He was also concerned about leaving Casimir to deal with such an overwhelming individual alone.
"Stop talking nonsense and stay close to Lady Quicantel."
"Hah, I don't know how much stronger your shadow energy needs to get before my power returns. If even a quarter of it came back, Quicantel wouldn't be spouting such rubbish. The recovery speed feels far too slow..."
Leaving the grumbling Murakan behind, Jin headed down to the drawing room.
He did not take his sword. He felt it would be better to approach her as a 'guest' until she showed her teeth.
‘Perhaps…’
The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
‘She might be someone sent by Father.’
He couldn't imagine someone of her caliber visiting Tikan under the guise of a donation for any other reason.
‘Sir Casimir would have reported my achievements to Father, including details about the Pluto Sword and the Spirit Sword. He might have sent someone to ruthlessly test my skills.’
Unlike Casimir, who was struggling to maintain his composure, Vanessa was looking around the drawing room with a relaxed expression.
It seemed the others in the mansion still hadn't recognized her strength. That was how perfectly Vanessa was controlling her power.
To Bran Puli, who had first greeted her, Vanessa appeared to be nothing more than a donor with pure intentions. The explanation for her donation had already been settled during their walk to the mansion.
"Forgive my late greeting, Madam. I am Jin Gray, leader of Support Unit 1 of the Seven-Colored Bird."
"You’re the boy who was on the balcony with Sir Casimir. You’re quite young to be a section leader of the Seven-Colored Bird; you must be very capable."
"I’m a section leader in name only. Most of what I do is menial work."
"Is that so? Hmm... I don't think someone who only does menial work would suddenly intrude upon a meeting of the Seven-Colored Bird’s executives."
"Haha, actually, Jin is my nephew," Bran interjected smoothly. "I gave him the title of section leader to keep him from straying onto the wrong path. It seems he wanted to express his gratitude as a member of the Seven-Colored Bird as well."
Jin nodded silently at Bran’s words. At that moment, Vanessa stood up. She then offered her hand to Bran for a handshake, as if preparing to leave.
"In any case, it was a pleasure meeting you, Sir Bran. I hope no statues of me are erected in this city just because I gave a large donation. That wouldn't befit the name of a free city."
"Oh, are you leaving already?"
"Fufu, I’m quite busy these days, living for the fun of making surprise donations like this."
"No, but if you leave so soon… please, at least stay for a meal. We can't let you go like this."
"It’s fine, Sir Bran. Instead, I’d like to ask for one small favor. Ah, of course, I have no intention of making unreasonable demands based on my donation."
"I didn't think you were that kind of person. Please, say anything, Madam Vanessa."
Vanessa’s gaze turned toward Jin.
"I’d like to borrow your nephew for a moment. Please show me around, Young Master Jin. Even if I can't stay for a meal, I think I’ll have no regrets if I see a bit of the free city before I go."
Bran glanced at Jin and Casimir. The moment Vanessa spoke, Jin felt a surge of certainty.
‘Her arrival, her method of securing a private meeting with me, her swift departure—it’s all too clear. She’s definitely one of Father’s people, sent to test my skills.’
Even if he was completely wrong and found himself in danger after following her alone…
Jin possessed one final trump card to escape her. Therefore, he replied with a slight bow.
"I will serve you with all my heart, Madam. A glorious moment has finally come for someone who only did menial work."
"That’s very pleasant flattery, Young Master Jin. I look forward to it."