Today, they too are going to their deaths.

After leaving the villa, Cui Xun told Doreen what had happened that day, told her to prepare, and then changed his clothes and headed to Gray's stronghold.

Before even stepping inside, his superhuman hearing allowed him to overhear the knight beating Gray through the wall: "You've forgotten everything you learned, haven't you! You can't read secret messages, you can't set up sentries, you can't call for backup, you're just wasting money every day!"

"A phonograph! A timed dinner plate cover! Gourmet food transported across the sea! High-grade fragrant wood! Flowers that never fade!"

"So you have good taste, huh! You're all about showing off, aren't you! You always wear that patched-up outfit to report on tasks, pretending you're working hard and not wasting a single penny, huh!"

"If only you had bought a decent gun!"

"You found such a powerful person, yet you didn't even bother to investigate further, only knowing their appearance and a little bit of experience, without even knowing what they were capable of!"

Gray let out a pitiful scream: "Sister, spare me! I'll never do it again! I promise I'll work hard and never slack off again! I'll never be a fund thief again!"

The knight stopped her friendly beating and decisively landed an uppercut on Gray's jaw, sending him flying.

"Idiot! With your skills, if you hadn't stolen the funds, you'd be dead already!"

"Even I don't know how deep this water is, and you still want to investigate it thoroughly!"

Gray fell to the ground, letting out a weak whimper.

This was clearly not a good time to communicate, but Cui Xun still chose to knock on the door.

The next moment, Gray sprang up with a somersault, rushed to the door, and opened it.

He had no injuries on his face, and his abdominal injury wasn't serious either; it seemed he actually fought with great skill.

As he opened the door, the knight sighed and reminded him, "Grey, remember what I told you before! You're in danger right now. If you open the door, be careful someone doesn't lure you to the door and then shoot you through the door!"

Gray chuckled, "Alright, I can tell this is someone I know!"

Outside the door, Cui Xun, dressed in hunting attire, nodded slightly to Gray and said calmly, "The previous mission was a bit difficult. I encountered a few tough opponents, but I have roughly figured out the current situation in this area. Let's sit down and talk about the rest."

As he spoke, Cui Xun's gaze shifted away from Gray and settled on the knight who had put his helmet back on inside the room. He asked, "And who is this?"

Gray frantically tried to explain, "Oh, who is this...?"

The knight quickly introduced herself: "You can call me Alice. I am Gray's direct superior."

Gray, who had never known how to explain his relationship with his sister, nodded with a wry face and said helplessly, "Yes, this is my direct superior. Because of some things, she came to check on my work in person and wants me to leave this city."

"If I leave, the mission can't continue, and the payment might not be made."

Alice continued, "The task of uncovering the truth about the conflict can be put on hold. Right now, the royal family is desperately short of manpower, especially strong enough to kill the Serpent Cult bishop single-handedly. As long as you nod your head and announce your formal joining our ranks, you will receive the same treatment as me."

"Personally customized equipment and weapons, an entire support team that revolves around you, a monthly mission bonus of over 1000 Crown Coins, and the right to directly receive a royal sword and access the royal treasury to peruse original texts."

"No matter what your goals are, you can never have too much true power, can't you?"

Cui Xun was naturally unwilling to accept this: "No need. I can help you carry out the mission, but I don't like overly in-depth communication, and I don't think ordinary work deserves such courtesy."

A decade or two ago, such a powerful individual who didn't want to be restrained would definitely have been on the royal family's list and would inevitably have been under surveillance in the future. But now, the royal family no longer has the same control as before, and dares not take any actions that would push others to the opposite side.

Alice said regretfully, "If you don't want to, then you don't want to."

"Alright, let's talk about your gains first, then we'll discuss the new mission. Gray, don't just stand there, prepare some good food for our friends!"

Gray left the living room with a sour look on his face and headed to the kitchen, leaving the two of them there.

Cui Xun sat facing Alice and recounted what he had done yesterday, making slight modifications. He also added a story about discovering the bishop in the morning, chasing after him, and engaging in a fierce battle with him.

Having gone through the experience of praising Cui Xun as a mentor, Cui Xun is not embarrassed at all when praising his mentor in his current capacity, and even added a sentence at the end.

"I fought him and sustained some serious injuries. I hope you can reimburse me for them."

Alice carefully examined Cui Xun's entire body and asked in confusion, "Where are the injuries? Could it be some kind of internal injury? I can lend you my medicine, but reimbursement might be a bit difficult."

"The previous doctor in charge of injury assessment was imprisoned for falsifying data, and the new injury assessment specialist is still under review. Currently, only visible injuries are eligible for reimbursement."

Cui Xun said regretfully, "Then forget it. I'm in good health, and my injuries have already healed on their own."

Alice's lips twitched slightly, hidden beneath the helmet. At first, she thought the other person was just a mercenary, but now, based on her experience with Gray, she vaguely sensed some truth hidden beneath his capable exterior.

When she was little, she once fantasized that her brother Gray was some kind of great hero, and that the scar on the corner of his mouth was from a villain's sword. But she later learned that it was just from a fall when she was little.

But unlike Gray, Cui Xun is definitely a super strong person with real skills!

The man who was praised so highly by her mentor, who defeated her so easily, would probably be admired even by her superiors.

Just as she was thinking about how to explain the exchange of murders to Cui Xun, a mark that forcibly extracted her spirituality suddenly appeared on the back of her right hand, followed by the projection of a young man.

The man looked around, then his eyes were fixed on Cui Xun, and he couldn't look away.

Alice, whose spirit had been drained, felt helpless and tried to remind the man that important matters were at hand: "Your Highness Charlemagne, what urgent matter requires such a forced activation of the oath for remote communication at this time?"

Charlemagne suddenly realized what was happening and replied in rapid succession, "I've agreed to the murder exchange you mentioned earlier. You must quickly reach an agreement with the bishop codenamed 'Mentor,' as he will be the key to our counterbalance of the Serpent Cult."

"As for other matters..."

Charlemagne's eyes lingered on Cui Xun for a moment, then he turned to Alice and instructed her, "This friend seems trustworthy; you must treat him as a friend of the royal family."

After saying that, he turned to Cui Xun and said earnestly, "Friend, I think you wouldn't mind helping the royal family deal with the crisis, so let's have a detailed discussion."

His approachable manner left Alice, who was used to the imposing presence of Prince Charlemagne, somewhat bewildered.

Is power enough to make the prince treat you this way?