Centaurea hated working. She especially hated this feeling of being restricted by others. Originally, Centaurea was just an ordinary girl. She first thought that as long as she could become a knight, she could escape the fate of being restricted and live freely. However, after successfully becoming a knight, Platinum discovered that knights were also just tools of capital. To put it bluntly, they were just a bunch of laborers.
Just as Centaurea was about to become a Titled Knight, the Armorless Union appeared. These people were known as 'Knight-Killers,' an organization specifically designed to punish knights who made mistakes. At that time, the knights who had been arrogant and domineering were all scared stiff at the sight of even the most ordinary member of the Armorless Union.
At that time, Centaurea felt that perhaps joining the Armorless Union would allow her to gain the freedom she wanted and control her own destiny.
Later, Platinum participated in the Armorless Union's assessment and became the apprentice of the 'Teacher,' the previous Platinum. However, before she could learn any real skills, her teacher, the previous Platinum, fell in love with a mission target and abandoned the mission. The meaning of abandoning a mission was self-evident.
When she rushed to the scene, her teacher, the previous Platinum, had been nailed to the wall by a giant Darksteel arrow. The entire first floor of the building had been destroyed. Platinum, who had only recently become an apprentice, was somewhat dazed. She looked at her teacher, nailed to the wall, not knowing what to feel.
And her current superior, the Lazurite Roy, had very casually tossed the 'Platinum' badge to Centaurea, who was present at the time. And just like that, Centaurea became Platinum.
After inexplicably becoming Platinum, Centaurea found that she was still a corporate drone. And she often had to work overtime. Even in the Armorless Union, the position of Platinum Azurite was above all other ordinary members, a proper executive. However, only Platinum herself knew how unimportant the position of Platinum was to those above.
It seemed like she had a lot more freedom, but in reality, Centaurea had to be on call 24/7 for her superiors. A new mission target could appear at any time. And Platinum was like a ghost, haunting the edges of the Grand Knight Territory or the inter-city borders. To those above, it didn't matter *who* the Platinum Azurite was. Or rather, 'Platinum'... was more like a spokesperson, like a welcoming lady at a hotel entrance.
To outsiders, Platinum symbolized the power of the Armorless Union. But in reality, only Centaurea herself knew that the Platinum Azurite was nothing.
So casual that it could be tossed to any passerby.
Centaurea had also thought about leaving the Armorless Union.
But... leaving was impossible.
Once you joined the Armorless Union, there was no way out except death. Resigning was tantamount to betrayal. What awaited her would be the same thick Darksteel arrow that had met her teacher.
Centaurea felt that, in terms of true freedom, the Armorless Union was even worse than outside companies.
In an outside company, if you were tired and didn't want to work, you could just leave, stay home, and find a new job when your savings ran out. But the Armorless Union was like a dead-end with an entrance but no exit. Once you entered, you completely lost your freedom. There was only one way to get out: be strong enough to kill Darksteel.
For Centaurea now, the most enjoyable thing was to occasionally get a whole day off, then lie comfortably in her apartment, sleep until she woke up naturally, order takeout, and binge-watch dramas at home.
However, another overtime call once again shattered Platinum's dream.
The target of this assassination was an Infected knight, codenamed Flametail Knight, real name Sona. The faxed information had detailed information, including a photo.
When Centaurea saw the familiar, fiery-red-haired girl in the photo, she scratched her head helplessly.
Centaurea knew the Flametail Knight. Or rather, it was hard not to know her.
Centaurea also sighed. After all, the last time she saw this little girl was two months ago. Back then, the girl was penniless. She hadn't expected her to become such a hotshot star knight. Actually, without even guessing, Centaurea knew the reason for assassinating this little knight.
It must be because her popularity was too high. The Chamber of Commerce wanted to recruit her, and when they couldn't, they prepared to destroy her. Ever since the Radiant Knight, the Chamber of Commerce had become much more cautious.
According to the intelligence passed down from above, the Flametail Knight lived with several of her non-blood-related Infected family members. Her family members were also considered huntable targets.
Centaurea heaved a heavy sigh.
To be honest, she was sick of it. She was numb to it. Centaurea was tired of killing. She didn't want to kill these people who had nothing to do with her. Her original wish was just to be a person who could be free. How had she gradually become this kind of person?
But... Centaurea knew.
She was just a pawn of the Armorless Union, one that could be replaced at any time.
As long as she said 'no.'
She would completely lose her usefulness, and what would greet her was her former superior's sharp arrow.
After organizing all her equipment, Platinum left her apartment and headed to the target's location according to the investigation data. Although the mission clearly stated that the Flametail Knight's family could also be killed, Centaurea didn't want to involve these innocent people.
According to the data, the Flametail Knight had not left her home today. It was now one in the morning, and she should have already fallen asleep. Hiding on the windowsill of the opposite building, Platinum could see the Flametail Knight's room through a special device. The Flametail Knight seemed to have already burrowed into her blanket and fallen asleep. After all, she had just finished a match and was exhausted; there was no way she would stay up late.
After confirming the target's location.
Centaurea used her agile body to climb to the roof of the opposite building in just a few movements.
Nocking a special sharp arrow, Centaurea used her slender but powerful arms to draw the jet-black bow into a full moon. Then, Originium energy was channeled by Centaurea. Crimson Originium energy gradually gathered at the tip of this special staff-style arrow, aiming at the Flametail Knight sleeping in her room.
Centaurea shook her head helplessly, then muttered.
"I'm sorry..."
With that, her fingers, holding the bowstring taut, released. *Shoo.* The arrow, completely enveloped in crimson Originium energy, turned into a dark red meteor in mid-air. It silently pierced the window glass and accurately nailed the 'Flametail Knight' to the bed. The body, which had been rising and falling under the blanket as if asleep, now became completely motionless, as if its life had been extinguished. Faint traces of blood flowed out, dyeing the blanket red.
After firing this arrow, Platinum felt even more disgusted with herself. She wiped her hands hard on her stockings, then, like a ghost in the night, she agilely moved to the Flametail Knight's floor and passed through the window, smoothly entering the Flametail Knight's room.
To be on the safe side, Platinum habitually checked the body to confirm death.
Looking at the motionless body on the bed... perhaps her family would faint from grief when they saw the dead Flametail Knight tomorrow. After all, she had just made it to the top eight, just had the chance to improve her family's living conditions. However, the good life had ended at her own hands before it even began.
It really is.....
Centaurea murmured, "I'm sorry, Miss Flametail Knight. I have no choice either. I'm just a tool...."
Centaurea walked over and pulled back the blanket. However, the moment she did, Centaurea froze.
"????"
Wh... What the hell?!!!
Centaurea's eyes widened. Because what was in front of her wasn't the Flametail Knight at all, but a dummy!!! Her arrow just now had only burst a pre-prepared blood pack.
This!!!
Instantly, Centaurea's back went numb.
Since this was a dummy, it meant...
The opponent might have known long ago that she would be assassinated after refusing the Chamber of Commerce, so she used this to deceive the incoming knight-killer. The real Flametail Knight had probably already run off somewhere.
But!! How is that possible!!
The intelligence from above clearly stated that the Flametail Knight hadn't left her home?
The intel from above was wrong!!
Platinum found it hard to believe. The Flametail Knight had actually managed to deceive the surveillance network from above. Outsiders might not know, but as the Platinum Azurite, Centaurea was well aware of how ridiculous the surveillance network under the Chamber of Commerce and the Armorless Union was. No one could escape the network's pursuit. Even if you hid in some remote wilderness, threw away your phone, and lived the most primitive life, as long as you were within Kazimierz's borders, the Chamber of Commerce would find you. And the Flametail Knight had actually managed to evade the surveillance?
No... or rather, the thing on the bed was just a decoy.
Centaurea immediately left the room. However, the ambush she expected never came. Centaurea closed her eyes, using her killer's instincts to sense the surrounding movements. In her perception, she suddenly discovered that there was no one in the entire apartment.
In other words...
The Flametail Knight knew long ago that the Chamber of Commerce wouldn't let her go, so she immediately took her family and hid, avoiding the Chamber of Commerce's omnipresent eyes.
Platinum let out a sigh of relief.
To be honest, she really didn't want to kill this little squirrel. Guessing that the little squirrel had already escaped, and had even deceived the Chamber of Commerce's observers, the blame wouldn't fall on her. It wasn't her problem; it was a problem with the intel from above.
Centaurea checked every room and corner of the not-so-large apartment. As expected, there was no one. Not only was no one there, but all the clothes and even daily necessities were gone. This further confirmed Centaurea's suspicion: the Flametail Knight had already left.
Run far away, little squirrel. Don't get caught...
Although Centaurea didn't think the Flametail Knight could really get away. She might have fooled them once, but that didn't mean she could truly escape.
At this moment, a high-definition pinhole camera in the corner of the house was aimed squarely at Platinum.
"Eh! Is that the pretty silver-haired big sister from last time?"
Sona was surprised as she looked at Centaurea's figure on the computer screen.
"She's actually a knight-killer!!"
Knight-killers weren't much of a secret in Kazimierz; almost all knights knew about them.
Lucas Reeve floated out of Sona's necklace, smiling. "Looks like another tragic corporate drone."
"Eh? How do you know, Mr. Reeve? I feel like this Miss Centaurea has a high status, maybe she's a fairly high-ranking assassin."
He teased, "The words 'I don't want to work' are written all over her face."
Lucas Reeve pointed at the computer screen. "That's the classic 'wage-slave' expression when they're at work."
Originally, Lucas Reeve had only planned to send Sona's family to Raythean Industries, while he and Sona stayed behind to meet the assassin. But after thinking about it, it seemed too troublesome. After all, who knew when the assassin would come? That meant he would have to be on guard and couldn't just leave Sona's side. It was too much trouble. So Lucas Reeve simply had Sona come along to the Raythean Industries branch in Kazimierz.
And... since they were already there.
Sona, welcomed by the smiling person-in-charge of the Kazimierz branch, signed a contract with Raythean Industries, becoming a knight under their banner. At first, Sona wanted to refuse. After all, she hadn't won the championship yet; she felt bad about it. However, the branch head just repeated the lines Lucas Reeve had given him, saying that while the initial plan was to consider signing her after she won the championship, her fame was so high now that the company had decided to sign her early.
But the signing bonus wasn't high, only 30 million. She would receive a bonus of 1.5 million for every subsequent match she won, and 15 million for the championship.
In reality, Raythean Industries wasn't short on money at all. 30 million was like 30 bucks to them. Never mind 30 million, even 300 million wasn't much to this branch head. But if the compensation was too high, Sona would feel bad.
So, under Lucas Reeve's instructions, the branch head offered a price of 30 million. Although this price was much lower than what the Chamber of Commerce offered, Sona was extremely happy. And because of Mr. Reeve, Sona also trusted Raythean Industries completely.
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The next day. The atmosphere in the Chamber of Commerce conference hall was even more frozen. It was even quieter than when Sona had slapped them in the face.
"It's been a whole night. Any intelligence?"
Under orders, the Armorless Union had dispatched the Platinum Azurite, combining her efforts with the Chamber of Commerce's intelligence, to assassinate the Flametail Knight. However, the Flametail Knight, who should have been a dead person by now, had not been successfully assassinated. The Platinum Azurite brought back news: the intelligence was faulty. The Flametail Knight had already escaped, and had even deceived the Chamber of Commerce's external eyes.
After receiving the news, not only the Chamber of Commerce but also the Armorless Union immediately sent people to search.
However, the Flametail Knight seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
"A whole night!! And you can't find one little knight?!!"
The surrounding directors also had grim expressions, unable to speak. These directors, who could move mountains with a twitch of their fingers, never thought they would be screwed over twice in a row, and by the same person. This made the Chamber of Commerce directors feel utterly humiliated.
Their only consolation now was that since the Flametail Knight had fled, she couldn't participate in the matches. Without matches, without a ranking, the immense hype surrounding her would gradually fade, and she would eventually become an ordinary person with no influence.
Suddenly, a call came to Director Barton's phone.
"What?!! The Flametail Knight has appeared in the arena's preparation room, getting ready to compete?!!"