Is this cheat code from Bika? Just do it!

"Two months?" The aged voice paused slightly, followed by the sound of rummaging through something, as if someone was looking up some information. After a while, he slowly read aloud, "The northern city of Winterfell, at full speed, will take fifteen days to get here..."

"Sure, you have two months. If it doesn't work, come back and collect your gold coins." The old voice remained calm as water, as if he had already anticipated this outcome.

Actually, the money will be returned if the task isn't completed, but a handling fee will still be charged, only this time it's only one percent. Either way, the intermediary won't lose money; perhaps that's the shrewdness behind their business.

"Okay." Charlotte took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He swallowed and slowly pulled a burlap sack from his pocket. His fingers trembled slightly as he carefully counted out twenty gold coins and put them into his inner pocket.

He then placed the burlap sack on the table, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, and said, "There are a total of one hundred and thirty gold coins. Count them."

"No need. If the gold coins are incorrect, the assassin will personally go to Viscount Charlotte to demand them back." The old voice was calm and composed, as if Charlotte's actions were nothing new to him.

“Uh…” Charlotte was stunned for a moment, a surge of anger welling up inside him, but he still held back and said through gritted teeth, “You are welcome to come find me.”

This old bastard actually dared to threaten him? Charlotte was seething with anger; ever since he arrived at this tavern, he had felt incredibly frustrated. But he also knew that he couldn't act rashly in this place, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Then, Viscount Charlotte may leave." The aged voice issued a curt order to leave.

"Hmph." Charlotte let out a soft snort. He squinted, trying to see the person behind him through the flickering candlelight, but no matter how hard he tried, he could only vaguely see a dark figure, as if the other person was deliberately hiding in the darkness, unwilling to let him see their true face.

245. Food

"Crunch." The sound of a chair being moved broke the brief silence.

Left with no other choice, Charlotte had to get up and leave. He didn't dare to make any more moves, after all, this place was full of desperados, and if he angered them, he might lose his life here.

After Charlotte left, the room fell into a deathly silence, with only the candlelight flickering occasionally, as if no one existed there at all; the quiet was eerily eerie.

"Come out." The aged voice rang out again, breaking the oppressive silence.

As soon as he finished speaking, a man dressed in black slowly emerged from behind the chair where Charlotte had been sitting, about two meters away. He was completely wrapped in black cloth, revealing only a pair of deep-set eyes that seemed to hold endless secrets. A short sword, about the length of an arm, was tucked into his waistband, gleaming coldly in the dim candlelight.

"I will not accept this mission," the man in black said coldly, his voice revealing an undeniable firmness.

"Oh? It seems you also want to get involved in the Brutus Treasure Map quest?" The old voice carried a hint of surprise, as if he was somewhat taken aback by the black-clad man's refusal.

Then, a man slowly rose from behind the candlelight. He was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a striking red robe. At the same time, his voice changed, no longer sounding old, but instead becoming strong and resonant as he said, "A large number of people have already gone to search for him. Even if you go, you may not be able to find him."

It turns out that the owner of that aged voice was the middle-aged man known as the Seventh Deacon, who possessed such an amazing ability to change his voice at will. If Charlotte were to witness this, she would surely question the meaning of life.

"Does Lord Seven intend to stop me?" the man in black asked coldly, his gaze fixed on Lord Seven, as if awaiting an answer.

"No, I won't stop you. After all, it's your freedom." The Seventh Deacon spread his hands, looking indifferent, then sat back in his chair, pulled over a burlap sack, and began counting the gold coins.

"For this mission to assassinate the baron, you'd only target those ranked around 300th, right?" the man in black continued, his tone tinged with doubt.

"Why not? He's just a baron; there's no need to hire less than a hundred assassins. Besides, they wouldn't even look at him now," the Seventh Deacon said calmly, as if discussing something perfectly ordinary. He counted out fifty gold coins and put them into another burlap sack—the money for hiring other assassins.

The other task they mentioned was finding the Gale Thieves. Finding any members of the Gale Thieves would earn 300 gold coins; finding the treasure map on their person would earn an additional 1000 gold coins.

This was a mission issued by Dis. They had been searching for days without finding any trace of the Gale Thieves, and in a fit of anger, they put up a bounty. This attracted many bounty hunters, and some assassins also got involved, all hoping to get a share of the hefty reward.

"..." The man in black's eyes flickered. He thought to himself that he had seen through this early on, which was why he refused outright. Otherwise, if he had accepted the task, he would probably only have received fifty gold coins for doing such a low-value job, which was not what he wanted.

"What's with that expression? You're one of the few assassins on my list ranked in the top 100. How could I let you do such a degrading task?" The Seventh Deacon said with a smile, a smile that seemed to hide something deeper.

"..." The man in black remained silent, his teeth slightly clenched. His assessment of the Seventh Deacon was that even his narrow eyes were those of a cunning monster. If it weren't for the abundance of mission resources here, he would have already switched to another bounty guild.

Bounty guilds are where hunters exchange or accept quests. Each guild has a regular clientele, but hunters can also go to other guilds. There are no restrictions, but if there are few hunters and few quests accepted, the guild manager earns less in commissions. Therefore, to retain skilled hunters, the manager will offer preferential treatment in terms of commissions and intelligence.

"When are you leaving?" the Seventh Deacon asked casually, seemingly unconcerned about the man in black's decision.

He took out the parchment scroll, picked up a pen, and quickly began writing down the mission. After finishing, he planned to leave it in the tavern for three days; if no assassin accepted the mission, he would send it to another bounty agency. Of course, sending it to other bounty agencies would incur higher fees, which was something he didn't want.

"We'll set off tomorrow," the man in black said indifferently, as if he had already made preparations for this trip.

“Be careful, don’t run into the third-ranked guy. He just got back, and he’s got a bad temper.” The seventh deacon paused in his writing, then continued, “The tenth-ranked guy has already been killed.”

"The Skywing Hunter?" The man in black exclaimed, his pupils constricting, a look of shock on his face. "Wasn't it said that he had been missing for a long time?"

"Who knows? The latest news is that the mission that person took on failed, and it seems he was trapped in one place for a long time. He just recently returned." The Seventh Deacon picked up the parchment scroll, blew on it, and sighed, "When will I get a top ten assassin here? The tenth one is unlucky; he actually tried to steal that person's mission."

“I understand,” the man in black nodded, secretly on guard. That Skywing Hunter was a ruthless man; he wondered who could subdue him. In this world full of danger and challenges, every top assassin had their own legendary story, and their battles were fraught with unknowns and variables.

Outside the tavern, night had fallen, darkness enveloping the world. Inside, however, the candlelight still flickered, as if telling a story about to unfold. The man in black turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving only a blurry silhouette. The Seventh Deacon remained seated, staring at the parchment scroll in his hand, seemingly lost in thought. This night was destined to be anything but peaceful, and the story to come would continue to unfold in this land of opportunity and danger…

At dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten, the faint light like a thin veil gently scattering across the ancient and heavy stone walls of the castle. Outside the castle, a cold wind howled, carrying a chill that stung one's face.

Link stood beside the carriage, his posture as upright as a pine tree. He looked at Henrietta, Kim Mi-ting, and the others before him, his eyes filled with concern and tenderness. He called out loudly, "It's cold outside, go back inside. Take care of the house, I'll be back soon." His voice carried a reassuring power, echoing in the cold wind.

Henrietta stood in the crowd, her bright eyes glistening with tears, like stars in the night sky obscured by clouds yet striving to shine through. Hearing Link's words, she nodded heavily, her voice trembling slightly, and replied loudly, "Yes! We will, we'll wait for you to come back."

She had been at the castle for several months, spending all her time with Luca, Bernice, and Asagi. They had shared countless joyful moments together, laughing and playing in the castle gardens, experimenting with cooking in the kitchen, and sharing their secrets under the starry night sky. Those heartwarming scenes played out in her mind like a movie. But now, these three people she knew best were leaving for so many days, leaving her feeling empty, as if she had been abandoned in a strange corner. A sense of loss overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

"Don't cry, sweetie." Link grinned at Henrietta's expression, then reached out and gently patted her head, comforting her. "A temporary separation is for a better reunion next time. Just like flowers wither in winter so they can bloom even more brilliantly in spring."

Henrietta pursed her lips, trying hard to hold back her tears, but the tears rolled down uncontrollably like beads from a broken string. She lowered her head and choked out, "I'm just a little reluctant to leave. I'll miss Asagi's cooking, which is full of the taste of home; I'll miss Lord Link, who is like our pillar of strength; I'll miss Luca... no, I'll miss him."

"Huh?" Luca, who was still immersed in the sadness of parting, widened her eyes instantly upon hearing Henrietta's words, as if she had seen something unbelievable. She had just been a little touched, but Henrietta's words swept it all away, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Henrietta, you're actually willing to part with me? You rascal, I was the one who was reluctant to part with you, and I've always considered you my best friend!"

"Hmph, it's good that you left, otherwise you'd always make me angry." Henrietta turned away haughtily, wiping away her tears with her hand, looking like a child who had been wronged but didn't want anyone to see it.

"Really..." Luca's eyes welled up with tears when she saw Henrietta like this, her heart filled with the sorrow of parting. But she still walked over to Henrietta, hugged her tightly, and whispered in her ear, "Come back, and you can be with Lord Link..."

"Shut up..." Henrietta suddenly bristled, her face turning bright red, like a ripe apple. She forcefully broke free from Luca's arm, leaping two meters away, her face flushed as she shouted, "Luca, you, you..."

"Me? What about me?" Luca smiled slyly, as if to say something, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"You...you lecher!" Henrietta exclaimed, her face flushed, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her throat. She turned and ran towards the castle, her hurried footsteps a reflection of her panicked state. However, her disappointment vanished, replaced by shame and anger, like a sullen little fox.

"I'm really going to miss them too." Link's lips curled into a slight smile, a hint of helplessness and reluctance in it. He turned his gaze away from the castle gate, which seemed like a dividing line, one side the sadness of parting, the other the unknown journey ahead. He turned to look at Henrietta and the others, his eyes filled with tenderness and anticipation.

"My lord, please be careful." Henrietta forced a smile. She didn't know why she felt a little down; this hadn't happened yesterday. It was as if a pebble had suddenly been thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

"Yes, we will. Thank you for your hard work in Winter City." Link nodded and said softly, his voice like a spring breeze that blew into everyone's heart.

“It’s my duty.” Henrietta’s eyes curved slightly, like two crescent moons, her smile carrying a hint of determination and pride.

“Then I’m relieved.” Link smiled, a smile as warm as the sun. He turned to look at Lina, his eyes becoming serious, and said, “Lina, the safety of everyone in the castle is in your hands.”

In truth, Lina alone couldn't guarantee the castle's safety. Link had already considered this, and he had deployed a squad of veteran soldiers to guard the castle's perimeter. These experienced soldiers were like guardian deities, silently protecting the land.

“My lord, you can rest assured that the castle’s safety is in my hands.” Lina wore brand-new armor, which gleamed coldly in the dim light, as if proclaiming its sturdiness. A greatsword hung on her back, like her companion, always ready to fight to protect everyone. She said solemnly, “I will protect everyone.”

She went to Bernice last night to get the armor and greatsword. The moment she put on the armor and picked up the greatsword, she felt as if she had become a valiant warrior, shouldering the responsibility of protecting everyone. While Link was away from Winterfell, she decided to wear the armor and remain in martial law, like a tireless sentinel.

"You need to be careful too," Link said softly, his voice tinged with concern.

"Huh?" Lina was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she meant. Her face flushed slightly, and she turned away a little awkwardly. She thought to herself, why would the adults say such strange things? How could anything happen to her? In her heart, she was very strong and could definitely protect everyone.

"Lord Link, we're about to depart," Bernice called out from the carriage window. Her eyes were a little red, and it seemed she had been crying a lot in the carriage. Her voice was trembling with sobs, like that of a wounded little bird.

“Okay.” Link didn’t turn his head. He reached out and gently patted Dilva’s shoulder, a gesture that seemed to convey a sense of strength. Then he turned and walked towards the carriage, his soft laughter echoing, “Dilva, keep an eye on the house. If anyone causes trouble, give them a good whack.”

"Huh?" Dilva was taken aback. He watched Link get into the carriage before he realized what was happening. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, but it quickly hardened again. He knew his responsibility was immense.

"Lord Link, remember to bring back some good food." Dilva put his hands on his hips, his eyes sparkling, pursed his lips, and shouted loudly, "I want enough for ten people." His voice carried a childlike innocence and expectation.

"Master, I, I want to eat too!" Xuefeng waved her hand and shouted excitedly, her adorable appearance like that of a delicate porcelain doll. Her eyes sparkled as she said excitedly, "I, I want lots and lots of food."