Chapter 130 - Iron Hand, Mermaids And Pearls.

Her mother remarried an older but kindly man and a merchant, who had no children and became fond of Martina and happily gave her his last name. It also ensured a minimal education for Martina to be able to read and calculate, which was expected of the adopted daughter of a small merchant with no genuine heirs.

Everyone thought Old Pegano would use Martina to get a son-in-law who was willing to take over the business and give him a grandson with his last name, but people were wrong the old man was a really good person and he liked Martina's mother and the slender, petite young woman who looked more like a big kid than a teenager.

Three years later the mother had a son, which was very good for the stepfather, but it was a son and not a daughter who was as caring as Martina was to them, so it didn't affect the financial and emotional love her stepfather received at all. 

The stepfather already frightened by so many robberies and the little security that the traveling merchants had insisted that the stepdaughter he saw as if she were his daughter knew the basics to defend herself.

He had to be realistic, they couldn't afford a personal security guard so the stepdaughter could go out freely, the servants and the personal servant Martina had been enough to accompany her on shopping and outings.

An old retired friend was Martina's teacher, the stepfather just didn't know that the old friend was not just a retired knight, but had been part of the Assassin Guild of the Principality of Sulan branch.

One thing leads to another, and the old friend introduced Martina to the Dawn Kingdom Assassins Guild, the girl was talented and had a much tougher mind than she looked.

This she showed when one day they were surrounded by bandits and she ended up killing one of them without thinking too much while threatening her own servant about the consequences of opening her mouth on this matter.

A terrible woman.

Martina Pegano leads a double life just like the marquise of Savoia, she was the business manager of her stepfather who was even older and even less willing to leave the side of his almost seven-year-old son.

Despite being an ambitious woman, she was a loving person to her family and had no interest in inheriting her stepfather's business, which was a different thing when it came to maintaining the leadership of the Assassin Guild branch.

By the age of 22, she was already known as the Iron Hand and the assassins dared not face the apparently iron mask she wore to cover her face.

They say that those who saw Martina's face are just the people who were killed especially by her.

A man who looked like a gentle grandfather walked into the office where Martina was calculating the month's profit so he could send some to the Assassin Guild Central and take the rest to reinvest in the guild itself, in weapons, armor, poisons, and false identities.

Their work was professional and they passed through the law like fish in water gliding through ocean currents.

"Uncle Fredo, what brings you here?" Martina said putting the document to the side, just missing her signature and stamp to be ready.

This was an accounting document, there was no way Martina could be careless and have a distracting conversation doing such a task.

"Martina, my dear. Are you so focused on Old Carmelo's business that you haven't heard the latest news about those poor troubled men?"

The 50-year-old man was the old friend of Martina's stepfather, who was now her right-hand man and adviser who became the branch leader of the Assassin Guild.

Probably the only guild member who has ever seen Martina's real face.

Fredo very at ease sat in front of Martina's desk, receiving the heavy gaze of the woman, normally the subordinates would be nervous if they were under that dangerous gaze of the guild leader.

"What troublesome men? The new womanizing king? The third prince who wants to cause an insurrection? The duke who has an affair with an earl's son? Then?"

Martina asked some more, citing the various troubled men in the capital of the Kingdom of Dawn.

"None of them, that pervert of the Viscount related to Count Callalto and a few barons who have relatives with Viscount titles but who own prestigious shops on Avenue Legolas (yes, I did that. @_@ cry for this creativity).

"Ah, these troublemakers…So? They took a beating, did someone send a mission to kill these men?"

"That would have been good, we could have turned down the missions so as not to cause problems for ourselves... Their heads were literally delivered to the families on a platter"

Fredo talked about what happened and Martina didn't show much surprise, after all, there was always the possibility of someone who would kill these arrogant and troublesome bastards regardless of the consequences.

"Will you accept Count Callalto's mission to kill the owner of the Jiang-Li Hotel?" Fredo asked watching the woman tapping her index finger on the wood of the desk in a peculiar rhythm.

"I'll think about it, but what is your opinion on the matter?" Martina asked as she stopped touching her desk.

"Honestly, it's better to pretend not to see such a mission. Whoever killed those men is very cruel and could be someone our Guild doesn't want to make trouble for."

"That might be true. Uncle Fredo, I have a B Ranking assignment for you." Martina said taking two papers and handing them to the old man.

Fredo was curious about Martina's possible decision, but seeing the documents in her hand, he was silent and took the papers.

"Lady Martina is still a very good girl," Fredo said while reading the contents of the mission of a poor mother who lost her daughter who killed herself because she was raped and ended up pregnant by a baron who was passing through the capital.

The poor mother took the money she had raised for her daughter's dowry so when she turned 16 she would marry, but the girl took her own life when she was only 14 years old.

"Don't talk nonsense, the order was well placed and it's already been paid for" Martina said indifferently and pulled some more papers from her desk drawer.

"Or do you want some Ranking S mission? Can your old body take it? Or are you going to die on the way? How about the death of the Duke of the realm? Or maybe the attempt to kill the Information Guild leader?"

Martina spoke calmly, placing the documents on the desk, the heavy, penetrating silence in the office.

"I'm leaving Boss," Fredo said with pale and trembling lips, he was very wrong this woman really is very bad and had iron blood in her veins.

"That's what I thought I heard"

Martina said shaking her hand scaring Fredo from the office, she got up from behind the office and went to the bookcase, she seemed intent on finding a book.

"The Lady really is someone to be feared" Romeo's soft voice rang out in the office.

"Mister Romeo is very flattering, but I just owe my thanks to the leader of the information guild"

Martina said, ignoring how the shadow of the curtain near the hearth fire shifted and took on a human form, soon Romeo was walking calmly to sit on the sofa in the office.

"How about compensation?" Romeo asked feeling relaxed and laying himself casually on the sofa.

"Your intact head is already my greatest gift to you, but let's say I owe your lady a small debt."

Martina spoke throwing a book at Romeo, he took the book easily, the silver letters and red cover quickly caught his attention.

"Book of Heritage?"

"A very interesting book about witches... Forbidden, but very educational" Martina said walking without making any sound until she sat back behind the desk, her long black dress dragging on the floor, but strangely there was no sound even in the shuffling of the dress.

"Absolute Silence Technique," Romeo thought watching the black dress, his mind was briefly confused and he shook his head slightly.

"Hypnosis... What a scary woman" Romeo thought placing the book inside his dimensional item.

"This isn't payment for the favor I owe, but it's a bribe to arrange a meeting with the real killer of those men"

"For what reason should I be your errand boy?" Romeo said with a mocking smile.

Martina looked up into Romeo's defiant gaze who seemed to want a fight with her, for a moment she considered just cutting off the man's head and sending one of her own subordinates to deliver the message and gifts.

She dismissed the thought quickly remembering how fierce the information guild leader was when messing with her subordinates.

"How about an aqua pearl? A half-breed like you needs a little more MANA AQUA to reach the next level"

"Like..."

"How do I know you're half-mermaid? I have two subordinates who specialize in aquatic killings... You draw your own conclusion"

Martina said nonchalantly tossing a baby fist-sized pearl the color of bright blue at Romeo, who was silenced by her words.

"I think we're resolved, I won't show you the way out"

Martina said turning her attention to the accounts, putting Romeo aside like he was a small, insignificant insect.

Soon the office was silent.