Mission
Mission
Arielle Reynolds looked at the two men before her, her gaze shifting between them as she processed Elder Smith's accusation. The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, causing a furrow to form between her brows.
“I’m sorry, Elder Smith,” she said, her voice laced with confusion, her fingers instinctively curling around the edge of the desk. “I didn’t understand what you meant. Could you please clarify?”
Elder Smith's demeanor remained stern, his gaze unwavering as he delivered his response. “President Reynolds, there’s no need to pretend anymore,” he said, his tone cutting through the tension in the room. “We have already seen the CCTV footage from his residence, and your left- and right-hand men can be clearly seen abducting him.”
Upon hearing this, she glanced at Henry, her eyes filled with frustration. Inwardly, she cursed, 'One small task! Couldn’t they do it properly without getting caught?'
When Henry heard Elder Smith, he remembered that they had made sure to hack all the CCTV systems and checked for all hidden cameras in the area, ensuring they wouldn’t be noticed. Thus, there was only one possible explanation: Elder Smith was lying. While he was deep in thought, he noticed Arielle Reynolds looking at him. He shook his head subtly, indicating that they were being deceived.
Arielle Reynolds immediately caught his signal and turned towards the people sitting before her. She said, her voice steady and calm, “Elder Smith, you can’t make accusations carelessly. We have nothing to gain by abducting Smith Li. The King and Smith families have neither competition with each other nor are we enemies. So why would we do that?”
From the side, Gabriel Smith furiously retorted, “Are you trying to say we are lying, and you people didn’t do anything?!”
Arielle Reynolds narrowed her eyes and looked at the young man and enunciated each word calmly, “I didn’t say anything about lying. If you do have CCTV footage, sure, show it. If it shows our people are behind his abduction, I will take full responsibility.”
Upon hearing her words, Elder Smith thought for a moment and said, “Sure, President. We will send you the footage. Now, we will take our leave.”
Arielle Reynolds replied, her voice filled with anticipation, “Sure, I will be waiting.”
Elder Smith nodded at her and stood up to leave.
Arielle Reynolds turned to Henry and said, “Henry, please see our guests out.”
Henry did as she instructed, his face expressionless.
Minutes later, Arielle Reynolds returned to her office. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being the moonlight seeping in through the window. As she entered, a peculiar glow caught her eye. It was her laptop screen, illuminating the room with an eerie brightness. On the screen, a single letter was displayed: S. It was a symbol that sent a chill down her spine, a symbol that represented an S-ranked mission, the pinnacle of danger and difficulty.
She walked towards her desk, her steps echoing in the silence of the room. The wooden floor creaked under her weight, the sound breaking the stillness. The laptop sat on her mahogany table, its screen casting long shadows around the room. The notification was from the Mercenary Guild, a message that had been issued to a select few. Only those who had at least an SS rank strength were privy to such notifications. Among the twenty or so people who actively participated in these types of missions, Arielle Reynolds was always at the forefront, her interest piqued by the thrill and danger.
In the mercenary world, she was known by the name Rain. It was a name that commanded respect and instilled fear. Anyone who heard this name knew the power it held, the stories of her exploits were whispered in hushed tones. The mere mention of her name was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
With a sense of urgency, she immediately began to scrutinize the details given in the notification. Her eyes scanned the screen, absorbing every piece of information. The target’s identity, the location, the possible dangers that lay in wait, the deadline of the mission, and the payment details - each piece of information was critical.
The room was filled with a palpable tension, the silence only broken by the occasional tap of her fingers on the keyboard. The glow from the laptop screen reflected bright in her eyes.
After checking everything, she clicked on the ‘Mission Accept’ option on the screen. Shortly after, she called Marcus to summon Henry, Isabelle, and Cillian. Cillian was an elite guard in the King’s service and he often joined them on their missions.
After some time, they all gathered in her office. The room was filled with a palpable tension as she asked them to take a seat on the sofa. The soft rustle of clothing and the creaking of the leather sofa filled the room as they settled down.
Once everyone was seated, she turned her laptop screen towards them. The bright ‘S’ displayed on it seemed to glow ominously in the dimly lit room. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest, and informed them about the new mission she had accepted. As she provided them with all the related details.
This time, their mission was to priceless pendant, an heirloom of the Murphy family. The pendant was securely placed under the protection of a branch of the Murphy family. The Murphy family is one of the oldest families living on Spring Island and is renowned for its members who are top-notch in martial arts. A branch of the Murphy family was residing in Frostpeak City, located in the southern region of the island. The name of Frostpeak City was based on the famous landscape of that region.
When they heard it was a branch of the Murphy family, they looked at each other. Marcus's voice laced with concern, was the first to break the silence, “Boss, stealing something from a branch of the Murphy family might provoke retaliation from them.”
Isabelle also voiced her opinion, “People from the Murphy family should not be underestimated.”
Henry also asked, “How many people are there?”
When Arielle Reynolds, heard their questions, she turned her gaze to Cillian and asked, her voice soft yet commanding, “Do you also have something to ask?”
Hearing Arielle Reynolds, Cillian shook his head, his voice firm and resolute, “No, Boss, I will do as you say.”
Thereafter, Arielle Reynolds told them she was accepting this mission under her mercenary identity, not as a king. She explained that it was a branch of the Murphy family, not the direct Murphy family, and according to her information, they had been having some internal conflicts for a long time. Therefore, there were almost no chances of retaliation from the Murphy family. As for the number of members present there, there were at least eighteen people. They had only half a month to complete this mission, so they needed to depart within the next two days, adding a sense of urgency to their mission.
After Arielle had said that, she looked at them and asked, “Any more doubts?” Hearing her, they simultaneously said, “No.” Thus, she started assigning their tasks to them.
First, she asked Isabelle and Henry to gather all the information related to their mission. After that, she turned to Marcus and asked him to do all the preparations required for their trip to Frostpeak City. Lastly, she turned to Cillian and asked him to arrange the map of the whole place and their target area, a hint of insistence in her voice as she stressed the need for accuracy.
After hearing all the instructions, they were about to leave when they heard Arielle Reynolds ask Marcus to hold on. Marcus turned around and waited for her orders, meanwhile, the rest of them exited her office.
Arielle Reynolds said, “Arrange a meeting with the department heads tomorrow morning.” Marcus didn’t understand why she wanted to hold a meeting out of nowhere, so he asked, “A meeting? What’s it about?” Confusion clouded his features as he sought clarification.
Arielle Reynolds looked at him with a mix of incredulity and impatience, as if he was an idiot, and asked, “Are you going to stay behind and handle everything yourself?” Marcus was startled, a flicker of realization crossing his face, and replied, “Of course not, I am going with you,” his tone slightly defensive.
Arielle Reynolds asked, “Then who will handle things when we will be out?” Her gaze bore into him, expecting him to connect the dots.
Marcus finally understood the purpose of her meeting and said, “Roger that, boss!” After Marcus left, Arielle Reynolds finally had some rest, a faint smile of satisfaction gracing her lips as she settled back into her chair, her mind already occupied with plans for the upcoming mission.