Florrie flew across the familiar streets. However, unlike previous times when her feelings were free and relaxed, she was nervous and filled with dread. 'Lady Yasenia has allowed us to leave the group and meet with our superiors at a delicate time like this one. She couldn't make it clearer that this is a test.'
Florrie's black feathers fluttered with the wing, camouflaging with the darkness surrounding the alleys.
Only her white naked body shone with the natural light coming from the Moon and the city's lights.
After moving across this unsettling darkness and arriving at the usual meeting point, Florrie stopped and landed safely.
Ten seconds later, a person appeared from the darkness and stood before her. He had wolf characteristics and a black robe. He looked beside Florrie and noticed the lack of other harpies.
"Where are your other colleagues? You were accompanied by two others when I hired you to save the harpies."
Florrie snorted and answered coldly. "Those stupid teammates tried to assassinate the Astral Sky Clan Matriarch, ambushing her while they were at a melee range. The attack failed, and that dragoness wasn't even hurt. The power she showed was immeasurable at a glance, and she didn't even look tired."
Florrie saw his doubt and smiled coldly. "As I wrote in the earlier report, another two tried to assist her. The result didn't change, and she won with relaxed moves. Also, her allies didn't move and stood aside for the altercation."
The man lifted an eyebrow and asked. "If she was so strong, why did the combat last so much?"
Florrie looked at him as if he were stupid. "Do I even have to explain this? She…" Florrie stopped speaking and squinted her eyes. Then, her aura slowly seeped out, and her eyes became cold. "Do you think I betrayed you?"
The man sneered. "You tell me."
Florrie's eyes became colder, and she turned around, not saying anything more.
"Where are you going?"
"Elsewhere. Either way, that person won't feel my absence. If I'm not trusted after just a day of being in the Astral Sky Clan, I don't even know why I'm partnering with Young Master Fu Yu and the City Lord."
Florrie extended her wings and flapped, taking off.
"Wait!"
Florrie stopped mid-air and turned around with a mocking smile. "What now? Regretting it?"
"Forgive me. Young Master Fu was afraid that you would defect like Ghana did. That's why we just tested you. Miss Florrie is one of the best assassins in Koran City and has decades of experience. We shouldn't have doubted you."
"That's all? An apology and that's it? Good luck finding the next person." Florrie turned around and continued flying away, looking uninterested.
"Miss Florrie, wait!" Now this person was genuinely getting scared of her leaving.
Florrie looked back and spoke. "One last chance to say something that convinces me to do this job. I've seen that some of the harpies truly believe that dragoness promises and are already loyal to her. Therefore, unlike when I faced just an unknown clan, now I'm facing my sisters."
The man sighed in relief and spoke. "We'll triple your remuneration and add allies once the Astral Sky Clan recruits again."
Florrie flew back and crossed her wings before her chest. "Not enough. I know other powers are colluding into this spying thing after the third random harpy stepped up to help my two companions. I want information about those powers and their spies. This way, I'll be able to coordinate with them until my allies arrive."
The man nodded and smiled. "This is just a small thing. How about we move to what information you've gathered?"
Florrie nodded. "Yes. They have no foundation in the Koran City. However, their resources are deep and unfathomable. Their strength is also extremely high, and their intelligence doesn't lag behind. Even if the group of harpies didn't join them, they wouldn't be a group easy to bully. Now with more working hands and advanced techniques, there is no way of stopping their ascension."
The man frowned, and Florrie commented. "Let me be honest. Their strength is out of the scope of a simple Koran City. I will continue gathering information since that's my job. Nevertheless, I recommend that you become their allies instead of enemies. The other spies, unless their eyes are blind, will also suggest similar things."
"So confident?"
"Do you think my decades of experience are just for show? Your Young Master kicked an iron plate this time."
Florrie sighed and flapped her wings to fly up again. "If you truly don't want to surrender, I recommend focusing your efforts on the market and not allowing their future shops to be popular."
Then, she looked at him coldly and spoke. "Remember that I'm doing this for my sisters. If you use lowly methods like disposing of shopkeepers of my race to gain future market superiority, our cooperation will be done right then."
After leaving that sentence, Florrie used her Body Cultivation to flap her wings and disappear instantly.
The man sighed in relief. 'I shouldn't have underestimated her. We almost lost our cooperation.'
Meanwhile, the other assassin harpies had similar conversations with their superiors. They've all agreed previously in some details, so nothing would be out of place even if the powers shared the conversation word by word.
The details were polished by Ghana and supervised by Yasenia, so there was near zero probability of failure.
Naturally, Florrie and the others assessed the situation and responded as they best thought. Florrie's performance was all self-planned and effectively carried out, showing her experience and intelligence.
She couldn't help but smile and look forward to what Yasenia would tell her. 'This went better than expected. I hope Lady Yasenia finds what I managed to do useful. Were my other sisters as successful as me?'
Meanwhile, Yasenia was walking down the street calmly with her group. After the altercation with the Five Shadow Fangs, there weren't any other obstacles in their course.
Midway there, our dragoness's spiritual sense caught the subtle aura of a person joining the group seven times. Then, she smirked coldly. 'They are back. Have they maintained their promise? Are they still loyal? Fufu, we'll know later.'
The seven harpies felt a chill up their spines and obediently followed the group.
Without any distractions, Yasenia arrived at the new mansion.
Yet, once Yasenia was there, she couldn't help but upgrade the name from mansion to estate.
The property was surrounded by a twenty-meter wall barrier, enough to block the eyes of most passersby, including giants. The land it took was equally giant as it felt like a small town inside the enormous Koran City.
A double-door gate big enough to allow giants to walk inside adorned the spot toward the center of the City.
This property was located on the North side of Koran City together with other equally giant and spacious households.
The North of Koran City was considered the privileged part, after all.
This gate could slide open with a pulley mechanism, making it easier for less-strength-oriented people to open them.
This pulley mechanism could only be used if someone inside allowed it.
Its heaviness was a security measure against low-level cultivators sneaking into the garden area. The walls also had this function.
The estate's giant size would otherwise make it difficult for weak people to guard it.
Regardless, Yasenia approached it and pushed it open with ease.
The enormous doors slid open with a slight push until they hit the walls with a loud and imposing loud sound.
A large piece of land welcomed Yasenia and the others.
There was an expansive frontal garden with interlocking rocky paths and a few acorn-shaped decorations.
Tall trees decorated the outermost sides, and trimmed bushes and flowers livened up the sight while walking toward the main building.
The paths were wide enough to allow vehicles to ride on them. The main path reached ten meters wide, after all.
The mansion across the five hundred meters long frontal garden had a plaza before the main entrance, probably to allow vehicles a place to park.
Yasenia nodded, satisfied. She also felt a bit nostalgic as it made her remember the house where she grew up.
Although Tatyana's Countess Mansion back in the Moon Empire was larger, it wasn't by much. After all, there weren't more than three thousand people in the house back then.
This mansion was large enough for at least a thousand people to live. It was still a giant place, but it fell a bit short compared to Yasenia's growing house.
Looking to the side, Yasenia spotted a single-floor mansion a few hundred meters away. It was similar in shape and style, but the scale was the main difference. 'A place for giant races to live? It looks like so. We won't use it yet, but it will be useful if Flanna's clan accepts our deal.'
Yasenia refocused on the main building.
It wasn't very tall, having three floors.
However, it was wide, with many different sections, rooms, and more.
As the typical tradition they've seen these large mansions follow, a wide staircase greeted them after crossing the main entrance, which reached the second floor with a carpeted floor.
Yasenia wasn't used to this extravagant luxuriousness. Therefore, she wanted to change it to a more simplistic style. Not by much since it may be a disadvantage in the future when dealing with face-seeking powers. Enough so that you wouldn't become blind with that much decoration.
Kali commented. "The previous masters were a bit exaggerated with the decorations."
Cecile nodded. "Very ugly."
Yasenia chuckled. "You are as blunt as always, sweetheart. We'll change it later and lean more on whites, greens, and blacks, with a decorated carpeted floor. It will be much softer to the eye and more welcoming."
Cecile smiled.
Yasenia commented. "Let's go to the room area to choose where the main rooms will be. Then, you can select rooms as you like but try to be near each other and don't spread too much. We'll organize this better after we reunite, so don't worry too much."
"Yes, Matriarch!"
Many harpies began scurrying around, eager to look at their new house.
Our girls walked around to familiarize themselves with the main rooms and layout. Their eyes were sometimes blinded with luxury and others with emptiness as some rooms were cleaned of their last item.
Angel grabbed Yasenia's hand while walking and spoke. "This place is as big as my home back in the Star Empire!"
Yasenia smiled and asked the others. "How about all of you?"
Cecile commented. "I don't remember clearly because I left early, but it should not be too far off."
Evelyn shook her head. "My home was much smaller. We lived in a place enough for fifty people, including maids and such."
Kali laughed. "My parent's house is much more humble. We didn't have any servants. However, my whole family lived side by side, so it wasn't much different from a big mansion. After all, some of my uncles were barons in the Nature Kingdom."
Andrea lifted an eyebrow. "It looks like all of you have some background. I'm just a lowly commoner, my ladies."
Yasenia teased. "Hoh? And you've dared dominate this noble person? This night you must not move unless I order it, commoner."
Andrea's lips arched, and she bowed humbly. "As you say, my lady. This one's body is for you to do as you see fit."
They all chuckled and passed the time like that. Angel was planning the formation with Yasenia's and Tatyana's occasional ideas helping her optimize and better it.
A few hours later, morning arrived without any of them having slept yet and with various plans.
Yasenia sent a message and spread her voice across the whole estate so that all the harpies gathered in the main hall.