Chapter 2: "Python" Part 1

For the past two days she had been mourning the death of her big brother.

She had always read about heroes in books who were powerful enough to slay dragons and vanquish evil and she had always perceived her brother as one of those heroes.

Why is it that evil was triumphant this time round? Why is it that she was so weak that all she could do was cry as her big brother was killed trying to protect her?

She took a silent vow to herself that she would never cry again, anyone on the outside would only see an adorable little girl puffing her cheeks, but she was determined to one day avenge her big brother, she just had to survive the hell that awaited her.

On the orders of the noble that bought her and Henry, they were to be transported in the most comfortable manner possible.

The carriage she was carried in along with the two men that had kidnapped her was very luxurious, the likes of which she had never seen before, even the food she had earlier tried to resist eating because she thought they were fattening her up to eat her was all sorts of delicious.

The only thing close to a delicacy she remembered eating in the past few months was the honey that her brother would sometimes bring for her.

She felt sad that she had to eat delicious food whilst her brother died fighting for her, so she only ate when she needed to.

About two hours prior, one of the men that had been travelling with her had separated from them, it was none other than David. A man who was the epitome of fear in her eyes, the man who killed her big brother in cold blood right in front of her.

The ones she was left with were Rat-face and the maid that the noble had sent to look after her during her trip, as well as two high C-rank warriors sent by the Scorpion guild as guards.

The maid was a beautiful young woman who was kind to her and often gave her comfort whenever she needed it, Rat-face on the other hand didn't seem happy with the noble's request to make their trip comfortable.

Rat-face was a sadist who found entertainment in the misery of others.

[Stupid noble, I was planning on torturing this brat on our way to his mansion. The most entertaining part of this mission was watching that monster kid die. David is so ruthless hehe.]

He mused.

[ This noble sure is rich though, not everyone can hire two high C-ranks and B-rank like this. Damnit, I wish I was rich.]

Rat-face found himself often isolated in his own thoughts, a consequence of the general disdain most people held for him. Among the few individuals who would engage with him, David and the Scorpion guild master stood out as the most frequent companions.

aside from them he had no one to talk to nor did he have any friends.

This was because people knew how shrewd he was and David was the only one who for some reason put up with it.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt, this deeply disturbed Rat-face because he did not give the order for the carriage to stop, there was a simple conclusion; they were about to be attacked.

Was it bandits? A rival guild trying to sabotage their mission? All that didn't matter because he was with two C-ranks as his guards so he felt no fear.

With his usual smirk he peaked outside the window of the carriage.

"Oi! What's the hold up? If it's a group of bandits, why don't you just get rid of them so we can get go get pai—"

It was not a group of bandits nor was it a group of anything.

It was single woman wearing a dark cloak and it had a mark; the cloak was branded, the symbol of the most feared assassin's guild on the entire continent.

The two guards were visibly shaking, Rat-face felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing the symbol, but he felt it was his duty to raise their morale.

"D-don't be scared of a simple symbol!! You are both high C-rank warriors and that is only one person! This woman might be pretending to be from that despicable guild anyway, kill her at once!"

The two guards looked back with annoyed looks on their faces because they have an incompetent superior.

Just like with Henry, Rat-face couldn't tell just how strong the person standing in front of their carriage was, but the two high C-ranks knew. Theoretically, a single high B-rank was as strong as at least 10 C-ranks. 5 low-ranks, 3 mid-ranks and two high-ranks.

The person in front of them was stronger than the highest-ranking B-rank.

"Sir take the child and retreat immediately! This is not an enemy that the two of us can handle! She's an A-rank assassin! Perhaps if Sir David was here but it's impossible for just us two, the best we could do is buy you time!"

[What the hell did they just say?! How can that scrawny woman be an A-rank?! Even David has been stuck as a high B-rank for years now, why did something like this have to happen when David was summoned by the guild?]

With a nimble dash, Rat-face took over the reins of the carriage and turned it around, as soon as he thought he had successfully escaped he heard a scream.

When he looked back one of the guard's head was on the ground, the one who let out a scream that was unfitting a man of his stature as he fell on the ground with his trousers soaking wet.

The woman delivered a clean stab on his heart which served to praise her skill as an assassin, the guard died.

The woman disappeared from Rat-face's vision.

"W-where is she? Maybe she ran away? Were those two her only her targets?"

"I'm afraid not. Stop the carriage."

"AAARGGH!"

The carriage jolted to an abrupt stop, sending Rat-face careening forward. His expression was one of sheer terror, as if he had endured the horrors of hell itself in the span of a few fleeting seconds.

[How the hell did she get here so fast? Should not I have at least heard her get on the carriage?!]

"You have people that are important to us. Open the doors."

The woman commanded in a cold voice.

"Y-yes mi lady!"

As soon as the door opened the woman bowed deeply.

This only made the frightened expression that Rat-face had worsen, his mind frantically trying to grasp the situation but there was nothing, his mind went completely blank and the terrified expression adorning his face was no more.

He now had a stupid look on his face.

Inside the carriage the maid was clinging tightly to the little girl she was assigned to the moment her eyes beheld the symbol on the assassin's cloak, she felt fear that she had never experienced not even once in her life.

But why is such a person bowing?

"Young mistress. I apologize for the commotion earlier but I had to eliminate some troublesome people. My name is Nia. I have been sent by your grandfather to bring you home."

"Are you talking to me miss?"

The little girl asked the beautiful young woman who was bowing deeply.

"That is correct. You need not be so formal with me. I am only a lowly servant. If you were to order me to kill myself right now I would do just that."

"I have a grandfather?" The little girl asked with her eyes wide.

"Yes. The grand master of the Python guild. That is your grandfather."

Rat-face who was silently trying to runaway was paralyzed by the shock of what he had just heard, how is it possible that the grandchildren of one of the most powerful men in the entire world were reduced to living in the slums and sold as slaves?

None of this made sense to him.

"By the way young mistress. Was young master Henry not supposed to be with you? I do not see him anywhere."

The little girl's expression changed, Nia could see the pain in her expression and her blood began boiling.

The little girl chose not to speak and instead pointed in Rat-face's direction, he was terrified, so terrified that he tried to run but his legs wouldn't move.

Nia started grinding her teeth.

"YOU VERMIN. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?"

"P-p-please spare me!!, I can give you gold!! 10 gold coins—no a 100 gold coins j-j-just please spare me!!"

"YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BREATHE. YOU WILL DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH."

Nia said, gnashing and grinding her teeth.

Nia closed the door of the carriage with a gentle smile on her face and bowed her head to her young mistress.

She then dragged Rat-face a distance away, and even from there his screams and pleads could be heard, you could tell that he was experiencing pain that you would never wish upon even your worst enemy.

This continued for 25 minutes, then it became very quiet maybe even more so than before.

Nia knocked gently on the door of the carriage and the little girl gave her permission to open.

"uhm, you may enter."

"Thank you. Please accept my condolences. I was too slow in finding you. I will accept any punishment."

The little girl shook her head.

"Nia, I want to be strong like you and avenge big brother. Please teach me to be strong like you."

To the little girl this woman was as bright as the sun, she was a female just like her and yet she was strong enough to eliminate evil people without even getting hurt in the process, she decided that she wanted to be strong enough to protect herself so that no one else would ever have to die protecting her.

"As you wish young mistress. But we have to leave now. Your grandfather awaits our return. What will become of this maid? Shall I kill her?"

Nia enquired with stern expression.

"No! can she come with us? She is a nice lady and she helped me when I was sad."

"As you wish. But she has to swear her fealty to you first."

Nia said, glaring at the made.

"Y—yes! I vow to serve the young mistress with all I have to the end of my days!!"

Nia took the reins of the carriage the Martin child occupied along with her maid, they headed towards the royal capital of the Necron kingdom which was where the main headquarters of the Python guild was located and where SS-ranked assassin and guild grand master, Ragnar Baxter was located.