“What did you say!? All three squads were wiped out!?”
In the dim underground room, Xia Xia’s voice trembled as she reported to Colonel Hamos.
His expression changed instantly, turning so dark it seemed water could drip from it. His voice was low and filled with anger as he roared:
“Useless trash! They couldn’t even handle a single S-level Esper—what the hell were they doing!?”
He roared, as if he wanted to tear apart the person in front of him.
Xia Xia stood right across from him, so tense she didn’t even dare to breathe.
How could I not be nervous in this situation!
She screamed inwardly, regretting why she had come to deliver the news and bear his wrath alone.
This man is a Master Rank! I’ve heard people in the Empire Secret Guard are basically all crazy!
If I say something wrong and get killed on the spot… or if this guy just looks at me the wrong way…
I’m just an ordinary intel agent!
If I’d known, I wouldn’t have followed them…
She thought this to herself, deeply regretting her actions.
When Luna and her group visited her shop for the second time, she acted on impulse and followed them! Not only did she not earn enough money, now she had to endure this anger.
Xia Xia secretly tailed them from a distance, using binoculars to observe their movements.
After that, she saw Luna and the others fall into a trap.
But she didn’t plan to leave, choosing instead to stay and watch.
Her mind was a mess at the time—on one hand, she thought if Selina was successfully captured, the mission would be over and she could go on living peacefully in Water City.
On the other hand, she felt sorry for Luna and the others—if they died, she wouldn’t get to see such beautiful girls anymore.
The best would be if Selina got captured and the other two stayed alive…
That was what she hoped.
But then she realized—if those two human girls survived, wouldn’t she be at risk of being exposed!?
As expected… loose ends must be silenced…
Thinking that, Xia Xia let out a sigh.
In the end, her assumptions were completely wrong—she saw the Empire Secret Guard, who was carrying out the mission, escape from the cage, only to be killed by a mysterious Magic-wielding boy.
She witnessed the whole process from afar, fear welling up inside her, afraid that the boy might notice her and come to kill her.
So, when she saw the female Magic-user killed, Xia Xia immediately decided to leave to avoid being discovered!
After putting some distance between herself and the scene, she calmed down and analyzed the situation.
Now, it was almost certain that all the Empire Secret Guard sent to capture Selina were annihilated, leaving herself as the only one who knew the truth.
It looks like the responsibility to report falls solely on me…
Thinking that, she let out another sigh. Well, she was still an intel agent after all.
So, after closing her shop, she came here alone to report to Colonel Hamos.
And that’s how this scene unfolded…
“Hmph…!”
After subduing his rage, Hamos reassessed Xia Xia.
It made her tense up all over again.
“Tell me again what you saw.”
“Yes…”
Ordered to explain the situation once more, Xia Xia had no choice but to report again to avoid angering her superior.
“That’s how the whole thing happened, Colonel Hamos.”
After listening to Xia Xia’s report, Hamos sat heavily in his chair, lost in thought.
“From your description, it really does seem like a total wipeout…”
He murmured, a troubled look on his face.
He had personally assigned the team for this capture mission. He knew their strength better than anyone.
Yet even so, all three squads were wiped out.
“You said that female Blood Clan member was killed in one blow—is that true?”
He asked her again.
“Yes, it was definitely a single fatal strike.”
Xia Xia confirmed once more.
There’s no way I’d lie about something like this!
Hearing her, Hamos’s face grew even darker.
“Tch… Yaqi was SS-Class, how could she be killed in a single blow… Who is this ‘Traitor’ exactly…”
The female Blood Clan member he mentioned was Yaqi. Judging by the details Xia Xia described, he was certain the boy who killed her must have been another Traitor.
But what troubled him was the level of this ‘Traitor’.
To kill an SS-Class Esper with a single strike—his level had to be even higher than hers, a true monster!
“What… really happened inside…”
Since Xia Xia hadn’t entered, Hamos was also completely in the dark about what went on inside.
All he could do was guess from the available intel.
…From the situation, it seemed likely that during the attempt to capture Selina, a Traitor had arrived to assist her. That must be it.
Combining the facts, this was the only possibility that surfaced in Hamos’s mind: Selina was rescued by other Traitors hiding in the city.
“Tch… those damned Traitors… They should all be wiped out!”
He roared, blaming everything on those Traitors.
But no matter how angry he was, the failure was now a fact.
He could only consider his next move.
Hamos forced himself to calm down and recalled everything Xia Xia had reported in his mind…
Suddenly, he realized he had missed something.
“I remember you said she was with two human girls at the time, right?”
Hamos asked Xia Xia abruptly.
“Yes…”
Xia Xia answered nervously.
“Do you know who those two humans are?”
Hamos continued.
“…I’ve met them once before. At the time, they were wearing the uniform of the Empire’s First Magic Academy, so I can confirm they’re students of the Magic Academy.”
“Empire’s First Magic Academy…”
Hearing this, Hamos fell silent again.
He knew all about the First Magic Academy. If not for intel that Selina was here, he would never have risked coming.
This place was the heart of human territory—security here was bound to be high, and even placing intel agents here was a cautious move.
And now, to capture Selina here, they had to be more careful than ever. Ideally, humans wouldn’t find out at all.
For this reason, nearly all the Empire Secret Guard from the Blood Clan’s domain were deployed—not just for Selina, but because of the dangers of acting in this city.
But now, after failing this badly and alerting the humans, it was useless to try hiding.
Now, all they could do was find Selina’s exact location and concentrate all their forces on capturing her.
In other words, time was running out…
Hearing Xia Xia’s words, a thought suddenly struck him.
“So that’s it…”
He muttered mysteriously.
Before coming here, he had always been thinking about where Selina might be hiding in Water City, and after Xia Xia’s report, a possibility appeared in his mind.
“So, she’s hiding there… How bold.”
“But, I have to admit, it’s clever. The most dangerous place is often the safest.”
A trace of admiration appeared in Hamos’s eyes.
“To think you’d hide in the Empire’s First Magic Academy, Selina.”
This was the conclusion he reached after Xia Xia’s report. If it was true, the search area would shrink significantly.
If he could confirm her position, and mobilize everyone, then she would have no escape!
No matter how many people died in the process, as long as they could capture her, the mission would be a success!
“But… now is not the time to act…”
Yet Hamos decided it was still too soon to move.
He only suspected Selina was hiding in the Magic Academy, but the area was still too large. The best would be to find her exact residence before acting.
Attacking now would be suicidal—if they launched a full assault on the Magic Academy, they would end up fighting all the Espers there.
At that point, Selina could easily slip away.
“It seems necessary to investigate that human Magic Academy…”
He said this, but to Xia Xia it sounded like suicide!
This guy’s insane!
With the mission failed, if they reported to the Hunter Association, the humans would surely increase their vigilance!
This place was no longer safe, and soon the city would be crawling with Hunters on patrol.
There was no way she could stay here! She needed to find a way to escape this city!
She thought this, feeling certain Water City would soon become just like Liulicheng, and only by fleeing could she survive.
“Your name is Xia Xia, right?”
Suddenly, Hamos’s words pulled her back to reality.
She answered nervously, “Yes—!”
But then, Hamos’s expression softened, looking like a superior showing concern for a subordinate.
“Don’t be so tense. The fact you brought back the intel is a huge accomplishment—much better than those useless underlings of mine.”
“I don’t deserve it, I don’t deserve it.”
Xia Xia said modestly, knowing he was just being polite.
“When this mission succeeds, I’ll put in a good word for you at HQ. Maybe you’ll become a member of the Empire Secret Guard.”
No, no, please no!
Hearing this, Xia Xia’s heart was filled with dread. She didn’t want to end up carrying out missions like those Empire Secret Guard—she just wanted a peaceful life!
“No… that’s not necessary. I’m just an intel agent—this was just part of my job.”
“Hahahaha! You’re really humble, Miss Xia Xia. All right, you can go. If there’s another mission, I’ll call you.”
Please, nooooo—!
If only a blue cat would take me in a time machine so I could go back and slap myself!
I just want to slack off!
And so, as Xia Xia wailed endlessly inside, a new round of action was about to begin…