Episode 200
Chapter 65: The Identity of the Old Lady
The Seven-Colored Bird was one of the world’s top intelligence agencies.
They kept tabs on countless noble families across the globe—especially those with power or wealth—and had detailed information on most of their key figures.
Yet, even the elite operatives of the Seven-Colored Bird couldn’t even begin to guess the true identity of this old lady, who had her silvery-gray hair neatly tied back.
It was understandable. She hadn’t come through any official checkpoint but had arrived by ship, leaving no personal records behind. Her face revealed almost nothing, and her elegant dress bore no family crest or insignia.
On top of that, she’d brought a large sailing ship loaded with gold coins, yet not a single attendant accompanied her. When the sweating sailors unloading the gold were questioned, the only response was:
“If you’re from the Seven-Colored Bird, bring a cart to haul the money away quickly.”
There was no doubt she was an extraordinary figure. The sudden appearance of such a person, on top of the special task force leaders’ visits, left everyone bewildered.
But regardless, the old lady walked gracefully toward the mansion.
After Jet explained the situation, Kashimir and Jin shrugged.
“I think she’s a retired tycoon,” Jin said. “Back when I was in the back alleys, I never imagined receiving sponsorship like this. It feels like I’ve really made it. People really should live in the spotlight.”
“If she brought an entire ship full of gold coins, she must have a purpose. Either she’s here to commission a difficult job or to obtain some secret information,” Kashimir added.
“Oh, maybe she’s just being generous?”
“An entire ship’s worth of gold? Even if you’re conservative, that’s over a million.”
“Well, the lord beside me recently gave about half that amount to a pirate gang. Wasn’t that generosity too?”
“That was a bribe, Jet.”
“Hmm, if I were the lord, I wouldn’t have given that pirate even half a million. If they asked for more, I’d have dealt with it by force… Ah, I’m so jealous of that guy.”
“Enough nonsense. If you envy Cosmos, I’ll make sure you get a bonus. Now, this is what I call generosity.”
“Ha! You’re the only lord I’ll ever be a fool for!”
“Anyway, since this old lady seems unusual, let’s send one of the Seven to meet her, Lord Kashimir,” Jin said, gently pushing Jet aside.
“That’s the plan. If she’s a genuine benefactor, we’ll treat her with utmost respect. If not, we’ll send her away politely.”
Bran Pully, the youngest member of the Seven, went out to greet the old lady.
Thirty minutes later, when Bran returned to the mansion, laughing and chatting with the old lady, Jin and Kashimir, waiting on the second-floor balcony, involuntarily swallowed hard.
It wasn’t because Bran’s demeanor suggested the old lady was a pure benefactor.
No—it was because this “monster” was no ordinary monster.
The old lady’s hands, clearly hardened from a lifetime of wielding weapons, were covered in silk gloves. Her tightly compressed muscles were hidden beneath a neat, dignified dress. Though Jin and Kashimir had never seen her before, they knew immediately:
She was not just a wealthy old lady. She was undoubtedly a legendary warrior, known somewhere, sometime, though unknown to them.
The old lady walked quietly, always smiling.
Like many powerful warriors, she concealed her strength.
She skillfully controlled her aura so that those without an eighth-level sense wouldn’t notice, while those with higher perception could see her power fully displayed—a rare art in itself.
She smiled faintly, lifting her head to look at Jin and Kashimir. She had already pinpointed their exact positions as soon as she passed through the mansion gates, despite their efforts to suppress their energy.
“This is… unsettling. Do you know who the Duke is?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Jin replied.
“Hey, you two. Why the sudden change? Is this old lady really that formidable?”
When the special task force leaders arrived, both the guards and the Seven-Colored Bird were thrown into chaos. Yet no one recognized this monster’s arrival, which sent chills down their spines.
“I think we need to see for ourselves.”
“You go ahead. I’ll inform the others. Jet, go quickly and bring Alisa here.”
“Alert the Seven-Colored Bird to a top-level emergency.”
They had to prepare for any unfortunate incident involving the old lady by putting their strongest allies on standby.
And a gut feeling told them:
“Somehow, this old lady seems to have come knowing I’m here. Who on earth is she?”
The question was answered as Quikantel arrived.
“What’s this energy? It’s similar to the terror that once haunted the Ante Mountains… Could it be her? It has to be. There’s no other source for this unpleasant aura.”
“The terror of the Ante Mountains?”
“About forty years ago, dragons never dared go near the Ante Mountains. Anyone who settled there recklessly either lost the ability to fly for life or was killed. By that woman.”
“I’ve never heard that story before.”
“Probably not. Dragons wouldn’t spread tales of that humiliating era to humans, and Vanessa Olson wasn’t well-known among humans as a warrior.”
The reason such a powerful figure was unknown in human society?
Vanessa Olson had rarely revealed her strength among humans. Few of her fights had any surviving witnesses.
The nickname “Terror of the Ante Mountains” was given by dragons—not exactly bestowed, but naturally earned.
In short, she was a dragon slayer.
“Could it be that she came targeting Murakan and Quikantel?”
“Hmm… unlikely. Too much time has passed since Vanessa stopped her activities by human standards, and even at her peak, I never heard she hunted anyone down to kill. We thought she was dead, but apparently, she’s alive.”
Murakan shook his head.
“Some strange people exist. Jet said she brought a hefty sum of gold. So now she’s going to kill us, and this is just her startup money? Sounds like a very arrogant person.”
“Murakan, you need to let go of your prime memories. In a one-on-one fight, you wouldn’t stand a chance against Vanessa Olson.”
“Now you’re just making me want to fight her.”
While they talked, Vanessa entered the first-floor parlor with Kashimir.
Jin hesitated briefly but decided to face Vanessa himself. He didn’t want Kashimir to handle such a daunting figure alone.
“Don’t say anything terrible. Stay close to Quikantel and wait.”
“Hah, I wonder how strong your spirit energy has to be for my power to return. If even half of it came back, Quikantel wouldn’t be spouting nonsense like that. Though, maybe my recovery is just too slow…”
Leaving Murakan grumbling behind, Jin descended to the parlor.
He didn’t bring his sword. Until the opponent showed their teeth, it was better to approach as a ‘guest.’
“Maybe… she’s someone my father sent.”
The thought flashed through his mind. No matter how he thought about it, someone of this caliber wouldn’t come to Tikan under the pretense of sponsorship.
“Lord Kashimir must have reported my achievements to my father, including the details about the Pluto Sword and the Spirit Sword. Maybe he sent someone to assess my strength objectively.”
Unlike Kashimir, who was carefully maintaining his composure, Vanessa leisurely surveyed the parlor.
It seemed no one else in the mansion yet recognized her true power. That meant Vanessa was perfectly controlling her strength.
To Bran Pully, who first greeted her, Vanessa appeared to be just a pure benefactor. By the time they reached the mansion, she had already decided on her intentions.
“My apologies for the late introduction, madam. I am Jin Gray, leader of the Seven-Colored Bird’s Support Unit One.”
“You must be the young man sitting on the balcony with Lord Kashimir. You’re quite young to be a unit leader already. You must be very capable.”
“The title is mostly honorary. I mostly do menial tasks.”
“Is that so? Hmm… I doubt someone who only does menial work would just barge into a room full of Seven-Colored Bird executives.”
“Ha ha, actually, Jin is my nephew. We gave him the title to keep him from wandering off. He probably wanted to express his gratitude as a member of the Seven-Colored Bird.”
Jin nodded quietly at Bran’s words. At that moment, Vanessa stood up, signaling she was ready to leave, and extended her hand to Bran.
“Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Bran. I hope no statue of me will be erected in this city just because I donated a lot. That wouldn’t suit the name ‘Free City.’”
“Oh, you’re leaving already?”
“Ha ha, these days, I live for the thrill of surprise sponsorships, so I’m quite busy.”
“No, even so, you can’t leave so soon… Please, at least have a meal with us. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.”
“It’s quite all right, Lord Bran. But I do have a small favor to ask. Of course, I’m not here to make unreasonable demands under the pretense of sponsorship.”
“I had no doubt you wouldn’t. Please, say whatever you wish, Lady Vanessa.”
Vanessa’s gaze shifted to Jin.
“I’d like to borrow your nephew for a little while. Show him around, Jin. Even if we don’t get to share a meal, I think a tour of the Free City would leave no regrets before we part.”
Bran subtly glanced between Jin and Kashimir, and the moment Vanessa spoke, Jin was certain.
‘She’s trying to secure me the moment I arrive and leave with me. No doubt she’s sent by Father to test my abilities.’
Even if he was completely wrong, and following her alone put him in danger, Jin had one last card to escape her grasp. So he answered with confidence.
“I’ll serve you with all my heart, madam. After all the menial tasks I’ve done, it seems my moment of honor has finally come.”
“That’s quite the flattering speech, Lord Jin. I look forward to it.”