Fern noticed that Mika was staring at her, then gave a polite smile. Mika turned her gaze back to Karla and said in her usual voice, "Yes... we’re not good people... and?"


    Karla smiled and said, "Good. It means you''re used to this kind of work."


    All of them looked at her with the same thought... She’s not an enemy.


    Karla closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke. "Fern told me that you specifically want to join ''that'' business."


    Mika raised an eyebrow. "That? You call your business ''that''?"


    Karla smirked and said, "Genius, right? I thought of that."


    Azrael’s eye twitched. ''So, this woman has a sense of humor. But the it doesn''t change the fact that her choice of words are lame,'' he thought.


    Mika didn’t find it funny at all. Instead, she asked bluntly, "What kind of business is ''that,'' exactly?"


    Before Karla could answer, a waiter came in to ask what they wanted to order. Karla and Fern smiled and ordered. Azrael noticed something about the two of them... they were both cunning. They looked alike in the way they carried themselves, able to hide all their emotions perfectly.


    They could change their expressions within a couple of seconds as if they weren’t human at all. It felt like they had mastered this kind of behavior at a young age, a type of individual you wouldn’t want to mess with.


    After ordering, Karla turned her gaze to Mika and said, "Fern already told you about what ''that'' business is, am I right?"


    Mika nodded.


    After a short pause, Karla continued, "Then... I hope all of you are ready to meet that bastard assistant of his?"


    ''Bastard? What does she mean?'' Mika thought to herself, then remembered something. ''Is she talking about Creselya? The one who replaced her as Dabric Kent''s personal assistant?''


    From this moment on, Mika became very cautious about everything they were about to do. Talking too much would only lead to their downfall. One of the worst scenarios of being a talkative person is revealing your plans to the enemy.


    At this point, they didn’t see Karla as an enemy. But there’s such a thing as betrayal. While she might not be their enemy now, who’s to say she won’t be in the future? It was better to keep their mouths shut until they could fully trust her.


    Mika asked, this time with full curiosity, “Are you not on good terms with her personal assistant?”


    Karla shook her head. “Kind of... but it’s not that I’m mad at her for taking my original position. What makes me mad is her attitude.”


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    Mika tilted her head slightly. “Attitude? What’s wrong with her attitude?”


    Karla thought for a second and said, “Hmm... let’s see.” After a short pause, she added, “She’s kind of full of herself. Because of how powerful she is, she always looks down on others. Well, in terms of ability, she’s comparable to Sir Dabric. But in terms of raw strength... I can take her down with one punch.”


    Their eyes widened. The information Karla shared gave them insight into how powerful their future enemy was. Not just that, she also revealed that, in terms of ability, Creselya was an outstanding fighter. No, perhaps a Wizard. Based on Karla’s statement, Creselya could be defeated with a single punch.


    But how strong was Karla’s punch to destroy someone like Creselya in one attempt? The fact that they were talking about raw strength meant Karla was an incredibly powerful person. And yet, she didn’t seem to care about revealing something so critical.


    What if Karla was leading them in the wrong direction? What if she was giving them false information about Creselya, or even about her own abilities? Overthinking wouldn’t help either, though.


    It was better to listen carefully, ask more questions, and use all the information gathered for their plans. If it turned out to be false, they’d have to come up with countermeasures to avoid failing their mission.


    Fern crossed her arms and said, “Nah, I think you’re the one who’s so full of yourself. She’s not the type of opponent an ordinary person can take. She might be weak against faster enemies, but it’s nearly impossible to penetrate her defense or counter her abilities.”


    Karla burst into laughter and patted Fern’s back aggressively. “Maybe for you. But not for me.”


    Fern let out a sigh of defeat as Karla kept patting her back. Azrael gave an awkward smile while watching them. Mika sighed softly, closed her eyes, and then opened them slowly. In a low voice, she asked, “When will we start?”


    Karla turned her gaze to Mika and said cheerfully, “Today!” She grabbed the coffee she had ordered and stood up. “Let’s go. Follow me.” She looked at Fern and said, “We’re going. Take care of yourself.”


    Fern smiled faintly and, without looking at her, said, “Don’t hurt them, okay?”


    Karla laughed. “I won’t, silly!”


    *


    The group walked for a few minutes toward The Lost House. Since it wasn’t far from their previous location, they arrived quickly. Karla led the way, with the others following closely behind her.


    As they approached the glass door, Karla opened it and held it until everyone had entered. Once inside, she spoke. “Welcome to The Lost House.”


    The place wasn’t exactly grand, but it was spacious. A large chandelier hung in the center of the entrance. A wide staircase leading upward was immediately visible upon entering through the glass door. On either side of the staircase, there were pathways that led to the building''s cafeteria.


    The receptionist could be seen on the right-hand side of the area. People dressed in elegant suits wandered around the space. Karla walked straight ahead, ascending the wide staircase, with the group following closely behind.


    After a few minutes, they reached a door with the label “President.” Karla knocked and entered without waiting for permission. She simply walked in.


    As she entered, she cheerfully said, “Good morning, Sir Dabric!”


    A man with bluish hair that reached down to his lips sat inside. His piercing eyes gave off an eerie intensity, as though he could see straight into your soul if he looked at you. He wore a black suit with matching black gloves. His ten fingers were crossed near his face.


    Dabric finally opened his mouth. In a cold voice, he said, “It’s been a long time... Karl.”