Chapter 9
3 years ago...
"Lesley, a letter is addressed to you," Mrs. Vance said as she approached the pink-haired girl who was hugging her rifle like her life depends on it. She wanted to cheer her up after what had happened but everytime she tried, Lesley would brush her off, telling her she is more than okay.
Lesley looked up to the beautiful middle-aged lady who was handing her a brown envelope. Her smile was comforting for her so she lets go of her rifle for a while before taking the letter from her slender hands.
"Thank you," she said with a soft voice. She could feel the gaze of the woman who has been taking care of her yet she did not dare look up to her.
Mrs. Vance nodded at her before turning her back. Lesley stared at the red seal of the letter for she knew whose seal it was.
"Lesley," Mrs. Vance called out. The pink-haired girl looked at the woman who had volunteered to adopt her. Her eyes were painted with worries and her smile is not so bright. Lesley felt the pity and it did not give her much comfort.
"You can always tell me if you do not want the job. I'll cancel it for you," she said with the most gentle voice but Lesley shook her head.
"Thank you but I can manage to work now, Milady," she replied formally.
"She should learn to call me mother instead of milady," Mrs. Vance said to herself before leaving her alone.
Lesley removed the seal and hid it in her pocket. She opened the letter with haste and just like she expected, another job has been assigned to her.
"Tomorrow night, the people from the Southern Mountains plan to invade the Moniyan Empire. To fully pay your late father's debt, take on this job and successfully come back with the good news," she read the letter with a whisper.
"Just as I thought," she commented, "The Paxley household truly is the source of intellect."
Long before, it has been written on books that the Paxley household had been helping the empire during battles and wars. They may not be involved in combat but their intellect had resulted into many victories. Up until this age, the higher ups rely on their knowledge and they do live up to the expectations of the people. Thus, they never lose their status both socially and politically.
Lesley got up to her feet, grabbed her rifle and ran towards her room. She laid the letter on her small table before opening her closet. She snatched her dark trench coat and her brown boots before going inside her washroom.
She braided her long, silky, pink hair. She puts on her clothes and looked at herself on the mirror. She stared at her left eye and it made her uncomfortable for it differ in color from her right eye. She grabbed her eyepatch and covered it.
Lesley opened another closet and returned the rifle that her father has given her. She, then, grabbed her late father's rifle and hang it on her back. She got the letter and let the fire eat it. She watched the paper being devoured by the fire until it turned into ashes.
Her father had always reminded her that whenever she goes to a job for assassination, she should burn the evidence of her client's request but keep something to return to them like the Paxley seal she had hidden.
If she would not be able to finish her job, she must destroy the remaining evidence of her client to avoid being tracked down.
She opened her window and jumped off from the second floor of the Vance mansion. The sun has not risen on the east yet, but she immediately heads out to the Southern Mountains.
Upon Lesley's exit from the city borders, she saw a familiar guy going towards the cliff.
"What in the world is that spoiled Paxley doing out here?" she asked in her mind as she watches Gusion walking farther away.
She simply shrugged off and went on her way. Instead of waiting and ambushing the people who plan to attack the empire, Lesley chose to enter the borders of the Southern Mountain and kill them before they could even leave their village.
She travelled for a day without rest and upon reaching a good spot where she could overlook the entire village, she searched for the tallest tree that she could stay on. She climbed up with ease and got her rifle ready.
She looked at the rifle sight and scanned the village. It seemed peaceful, nothing out of the ordinary is happening.
"Did they give me wrong information?" she whispered to herself but she continued to observe. The sun had already set, the village was covered by the dark night. It was the perfect time to do her job.
Only the fire in the village lighten the place up. Lesley suddenly saw a man holding a torch. He heads to the center of the village and waved his torch countless times.
"It's a signal," she said in her mind. As she watches the people gather around, she waited for the leader to come out.
A man whose hair is as dark as the night came up and everyone paid their respect to him. He looked intimidating, not just his face but also because of his huge build.
"Three..." Lesley counted as she delicately touch the trigger.
The muscular man holding a sword seem to be instructing the others on what to do. His followers started to spread one by one.
"Two," she continued to count as she clips her index finger on the trigger of her rifle.
The people divided into groups, their leader still speaking at the podium. The fire started to become bigger that it almost lit up the small village, coloring it with fiery orange.
"Locked," Lesley whispered and without hesitation, she pulled the trigger. There was no sound that escaped from her rifle. It was as quiet as a snake crawling around and is ready to bite its prey.
And that night, the people of the Southern Mountains lost their leader who was shot by the first bullet directly on his forehead. Everyone panicked and as they search for the culprit, they were losing more and more of their people as Lesley continued to shoot. She made sure not to waste any of her precious bullets, thus, as much as many times she pulled her trigger, it equates to the number of people killed.
The village started in chaos, and as time tick by, the chaos grew and became uncontrollable. Houses burned, thick, black smoke hovered above the village, people cried in agony, cried for help. But Lesley ignored all of those.
"Those cries of woe and agony," she said, "They were of the same sound when you invaded the house of the Vance family."
Lesley knew that this is a job, but she did not accept it because of her father's debt. She accepted it to finally have her vengeance who killed the only person she holds dearest than anyone.
The sight became blurry for her as her tears welled up in her eyes.
"I lost my father," she whimpered, " Now, lose all your loved ones as a payback."
In no more than 5 hours, Lesley successfully completed her job with just the aid of her rifle. She was about to take her leave but she saw someone who just entered the burning village. She got her rifle back and saw a man who seem to be of the same age as her. She looked at his hands and saw that just like her, he is someone who wields a gun.
She positioned her rifle and held the trigger but she hesitated to pull it upon seeing the man's reaction. The expression of shock, of fear, of sorrow, she saw them on his reaction. It was just like her when she lost her father.
She pursed her lips as she fought with herself if she should just kill him or not. In the end, she hanged her rifle behind her, climbed down the tree and left without being noticed by anyone.
Lesley walked faster, and faster and faster until she ran as fast as she could. Her tears blurred her eyesight but that did not stop her. She ran for she felt like her guilt is trying to catch her, trying to devour her whole.
She went back home with her guilt gripping her. She did not know why but that assassination has started to weigh her down like a burden she could not run away from.
"Sis!" Harley came running towards her and she faked a smile as she spreads her arms and hugged Harley. He patted her shoulder as if telling her everything shall be alright. It comforted her, it somehow lifted a bit of the burden.
"You should go to the academy now. Do not be late," she said to him as she pats his head.
"Don't touch the hair!" Harley whined before leaving with a pout.
Lesley headed to the office of Mr. Vance and found him reading some scriptures.
"Sir," she said as she slightly bowed. She dug her pocket and laid the red seal of the Paxley family.
"You accepted the job," he commented so Lesley simply nodded.
He heaved a sigh as he grabbed a paper and a pen.
"You should try to get better first before taking jobs again," Mr. Vance said.
"I am very fine, sir," Lesley replied.
"I shall send the Paxley about the good news. And for you to recover, I have sent you to the Warrior's Society to have other works. I shall cancel all of the incoming assassin jobs addressed to you," Mr. Vance informed her.
"But sir, I am fine now. I can do my job again," Lesley protested but the head of the house said no.
"You have been assigned to the Marksman Department. Do your tasks well and I might reconsider you taking some assassination job again," he insisted.
Lesley simply nodded and left. She wanted to say no but the Vance family had always been good to her and her father. Maybe it is also time to repay them with their good deeds.
The next day, Lesley headed to the Warrior's Society headquarters to be briefed of her new job.
"Since you're already experienced, you ought to teach the newcomers in the department. Also, it is your job to check on them. They must attend the training, no skipping. Discipline them ," said Miya, the greatest archer in the empire and in Magical City. She is also known as Captain Thorns.
"Am I babysitting old people?" Lesley asked. Babysitting is not her forte, taking care of Harley alone is enough already.
"Babysitting is not the right term. Training is much more proper. And if you do a good job, I can recommend you to the Assassin Department," Miya tempted her for she has been also briefed about Lesley's past.
"When shall I start?" Lesley asked obediently.
"Now," Miya replied as they reach a wide facade but only few people are there.
Lesley looked at the people who are waiting for Miya's instruction. She is about to go and talk to her senior but she suddenly stopped on her tracks when she saw the man she left alive back at the Southern Mountains.
She gulped in anxiousness. She did not know how to react especially that he is one of the new trainees she has to look after.
"That's Granger," Miya told her when she saw Lesley staring at him. "He came from the Southern Mountains and the only reason he is here is because you probably chose to let him live. Look after him."
And from that day on, Lesley guided and trained with Granger as an act of compensation for killing his entire clan.
But a question is left hanging, would Granger sit still upon knowing the assassin who took everything from him?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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