People in the Alliance, Time Management Master

"..."

Can you please stop thinking about those black stockings? I'll give them back to you tonight, okay...?

The atmosphere inside the room became strange once again. Just as Mu Bai was racking his brains trying to figure out how to get through this, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Mr. Mu Bai, Miss Xing Duola, are you inside?" It was Oken's voice.

"Yes, just a moment." Mu Bai immediately stepped forward and opened the door, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Oken.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mu Bai, Miss Xing Duola." Oken bowed slightly to the two of them.

Mu Bai needs no further explanation; Xing Duo La naturally refers to Syndra.

Her name was very famous in Ionia, seen as a symbol of hatred and destruction. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Mu Bai gave her a pseudonym with a similar pronunciation.

Anyway, not many people have actually seen her, so all she needs to do is change her name.

"Good afternoon, Oken." Mu Bai returned the greeting simply. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes Yes."

Oken nodded vigorously, appearing very excited:

"We've made contact with reinforcements in Navoli province, and we can begin the assassination mission immediately!"

Chapter Nine: Endurance!

As night fell, Philol Island fell into a deathly silence, with only the occasional flash of fire proclaiming who owned the island.

A few crows cawing in a corner unseen by people, their cawing a symbol of disaster and misfortune, seemed to be bidding farewell to the dead, or singing a song for the murderers. They became a note, a chord, in the war march.

In the shadows once stained with the blood of Ionians, a group of Ionians stare solemnly into the distance, plotting a grand and glorious revenge.

Half of them wore gray robes and carried longswords, their resolute eyes indicating they were seasoned veterans; the other half wore different clothes and carried different weapons, clearly not as strong as the gray-robed swordsmen, but they were more cunning and knew how to be patient.

“A map,” a grey-robed swordsman said in a low voice, and someone immediately handed him a port map covered with markings.

The Noxian soldiers stationed on Philolus Island are numerous and their deployment is very sophisticated. It is no easy task to get through the layers of obstacles to reach the warship deep in the port and carry out the assassination.

General Mallory Gene, the Noxian supreme commander of the island of Philolus, is a brutal man who has murdered countless locals since seizing the island, including Okun's wife.

It took the rebels a long time to figure out his routine and movements, and another two months to investigate the port's security arrangements. Finally, they found an opportunity today.

"I will avenge you..."

Oken murmured as he gazed at the faintly visible firelight deep within the harbor, silently clenching his fist.

The hatred for killing one's wife is irreconcilable!

After months of patient endurance, the opportunity for revenge has finally arrived!

"Alright, let's move forward." The gray-robed swordsman at the head put away the map, made a gesture, and the group immediately set off, disappearing into the pitch-black night.

The group moved with great agility, and with the cover of night, they were almost undetected as they stealthily followed their planned route.

Before long, they bypassed the guards around the port and jumped into the sea.

"Stop." The gray-robed captain raised his hand again, stopping the crowd.

He glanced at the Noxian soldiers on the warship's deck, then looked back at his teammates, raising an eyebrow with an ambiguous expression.

There are way too many people...

The letter requesting aid clearly stated there were only eight resistance members, but it turned out there were ten. Tsk...

There was even a woman who didn't bring any weapons. It's really...sigh, no wonder Philor Island fell.

The grey-robed captain sighed inwardly, then said, "Corey and Bolton, come with me. The rest of you, stay put."

The two grey-robed swordsmen who were named followed their captain into the water, and emerged a moment later from the side of the warship.

They slithered like spiders up the nearly vertical sides of the Scarlet Huntress, stealthily making their way along the hull. Their blades gleamed coldly as the ship's night watchmen were felled silently, one after another, without a sound of alarm.

"Not bad," Mu Bai murmured in praise.

The girl beside her pursed her lips and remained silent. She could feel the malice in that gaze just now; the disdain and contempt it conveyed made her very uncomfortable.

"Actually, you should have waited for me at the hotel when I got back." Mu Bai sensed the girl's displeasure.

“I’m afraid you’ll die,” Syndra said frankly. “The potion is still on you.”

“…Alright.” Mu Bai shook his head with a wry smile.

Not only the medicine, but your black stockings are still on my body.

Well, the attitude was terrible, and the return of the black stockings will be delayed by one day.

Anyway, bare feet look pretty good...

As the two talked, the trouble on the warship was almost resolved—all five Noxian Sentinels were dead, and their wicked blood began to seep onto the deck.

The grey-robed captain poked his head out over the deck railing, gesturing and imitating the call of a night raven.

Upon receiving instructions, everyone immediately used the ropes thrown down by the captain to climb up, and within half a minute, everyone was on the boat.

"Time is of the essence, so hurry up. I don't want anyone to drag the whole team down." The captain glanced at Mu Bai and Syndra, seemingly casually, before quickly stealthily leading several gray-robed swordsmen away.

The girl's eyebrows furrowed, and she looked like she was about to get angry, but Mu Bai patted her head in time to soothe her.

The group proceeded steadily along the pre-arranged route, stopping and starting as much as possible to avoid patrolling sentries. For those they couldn't avoid, the captain would carry out the assassination.

It must be said that the overall skill level of this group of gray-robed swordsmen was very good; they were all seasoned veterans with extensive experience and excellent training.

The mission has been progressing smoothly up to this point.

Now all that's left is to bypass the last section of the warship and reach Mallory's private room to carry out the assassination.

The cruel and greedy general would go to the port for some leisure every Tuesday and Friday, and then return to his room after the third chime of the warship's bell. These two days each week were when he was most tired and least alert.

Moreover, tonight is also a "night of revelry" for the crew, who will celebrate the anniversary of the Scarlet Huntress's landing with barbecue and dancing, with defenses reduced to a minimum.

"Twenty meters to go." The gray-robed captain stopped again, carefully assessing the surrounding situation.

During this time, Mu Bai also thought things through and suddenly felt... was it a bit too easy?

Although every step was carefully planned, something still felt off...

Would it be so easy to assassinate a general of such high rank?

"Corey, come with me. Everyone else, keep watch. If any Noxian bastards get within five meters of the room, take them out."

The captain gave the final order and was about to lead his men into Mallory's room.

But Mu Bai felt that this was too hasty. "Let's observe for a while longer. We don't even know the internal structure of the room yet."

"Hmm?" The captain paused, frowning as he looked at Mu Bai. "Mind your place, friend. Your duty is to carry out orders, not to question them."

Listen to me—

"Shut up, don't force me to take drastic measures... Tsk, why is there a troublemaker like you in the resistance on Philol Island? It's terrible."

The gray-robed captain gripped his sword hilt tightly, ignoring the other's advice, and quietly led a swordsman around the edge of the room.

Oken gently tugged at Mu Bai's sleeve and said in a guilty tone, "I'm sorry, Mr. Mu Bai... let's wait here."

"Hmm." Mu Bai sighed inwardly and stopped arguing.

Although these grey-robed swordsmen possessed sufficient strength, they were too arrogant... Pride comes before a fall.

Oh well, maybe I'm just overthinking it...

The night was dark, the stars were bright, and the calm sea occasionally rippled with a few waves. The scene was breathtaking, but no one had the heart to appreciate it.

They stared nervously at the gray-robed captain until the door was gently pushed open...

Chapter Ten: Intrigue, Ravens, and Swain

Mallory rubbed his aching lower back, looking satisfied.

Ionian women always bring him surprises; even the lowest of the mixed-race Vastaya have a unique charm that is quite appealing.

Today's entertainment was perfect.

"The harvest is not bad either, hehe, double happiness." The fierce-looking old general glanced at the reports on the table and was in an even better mood.

Another large shipment was intercepted, including many local specialties from the inland regions of the nascent land, which are quite valuable...

Including the supplies sent by the Empire... wow, a fortune indeed. Philol Island is truly a wonderful place.

If I coast along for another year or two, I'll have more gold coins than I can ever spend when I retire, hahaha...

Mallory grew increasingly pleased with himself, completely unaware that the door behind him was slowly opening.

He doesn't yet know what that magnificent gate means—perhaps it was a symbol of wealth and status before, but not now.

It is the gate to hell, the path leading to death and atonement.

ga-

The door hinges made a slight, grating sound.

Mallory turned his head away, putting aside his thoughts that were out of character for a general, and stared intently at the widening crack in the door with sharp, fierce eyes.

"Good evening, General Mallory." Before the door was fully opened, a hoarse, weathered voice rang out.

Mallory hadn't heard that voice before. Of course, he hadn't heard the voices of most of the soldiers on the island either.

But whoever it was, arriving uninvited at this time, without even knocking, was enough to make him angry.

As the last syllable fell, the door swung open, and the stench of the sea rushed into the room. The candlelight on the table flickered, reflecting the half-limping figure of a person.

His hairline was streaked with gray, clearly visible in the flickering firelight. Over his battle-hardened armor was a simple overcoat, his hands tightly tucked inside—a noble air that would disgust ordinary people and be despised by soldiers.

Mallory stared at him with a stern face, trying to recall any memory of the man.

Unfortunately, he couldn't remember who the cripple in front of him was.

"Who are you?" Mallory asked. "Name, rank, unit... You'd better give me all that information in three seconds. Remember, three seconds."

"I like your style of doing things; it's efficient."

The man, clad in heavy armor and a coat, gave a slight bow, his demeanor exuding gentlemanly elegance. However, due to the limited mobility of one leg, the bow did not appear entirely graceful.

“Swain, Jericho Swain. That’s my name.”