Platinum was someone with a very good understanding of her own strength.
She knew what level her abilities were at and was even clearer that her skill level wasn't considered top-tier in Kazimierz; there were plenty of people who could easily mold her like clay.
As the Platinum Position of the Shieldless League, she had no arrogance, nor any particular goals or ambitions—well, if she had to say, she did have some.
That was to retire safely, preferably with a pension.
Being an assassin and wanting to retire peacefully was inherently contradictory, but Platinum's wish was truly that simple.
After all, joining the Shieldless League as an assassin in the first place was just a small accident.
If she had a choice, she wouldn't want to be this troublesome Platinum Position at all.
However, she probably never expected that she would one day be facing a figure who ranked among the top three to five on the Shieldless League's bounty list.
It was important to know that while Manner didn't show off, he was someone even Blacksteel wouldn't casually mess with.
Her, this little Platinum Position, was just a dish in front of him, and an appetizer at that.
After eating her, forget feeling full; it would probably just be enough to whet his appetite.
Manner probably didn't know that the young woman in front of him had already picked out her burial plot.
He was just at work, working for his junior.
Due to the presence of Snitz and Yolanta, Manner's attitude towards Noah was actually much better than towards Margaret and Maria.
After all, he respected Yolanta greatly, and naturally, out of love for Yolanta, he also paid Noah an unusual amount of attention.
If it weren't for this connection, even if Noah had enthusiastically invited him, he likely wouldn't have agreed to become her second bodyguard.
—Hmm, that's right.
It looked like she was hiring a personal assistant, but in reality, it was no different from a bodyguard.
After Manner arrived, Noah often stayed in the office and sent Kuro out to handle business—with Manner here, she could indeed confidently dispatch Kuro.
"How long are you going to stand there spacing out?"
Manner glanced at Hintleyya, whose back was already drenched in cold sweat, and said, "Are you canceling the negotiation?"
"Then I'll cancel your invitation for today.
The door is over there."
"...Ah, no."
Hintleyya finally snapped back to reality.
"We...we still need to talk..."
After all, this was a task given by Azure.
If she really left empty-handed, she probably wouldn't have an easy time herself.
Although it wouldn't go as far as getting her killed, given Roy's personality, to be honest, Platinum felt that if she went back like this, she would definitely be given a hard time.
So she could only muster her courage and follow Manner into the office.
Noah's office wasn't large.
Noah, in her wheelchair, was idly spinning a pen in her hand, only slightly raising her head when she heard footsteps.
"Welcome."
"Mm...mm."
Noah listened to the other party's unconfident voice, first feeling a bit puzzled, then seemingly thinking of a possibility.
"Miss Hintleyya, I have heard your offer and the content of the contract.
I find it very suitable, and I also hope to establish good relations with emerging enterprises.
As a spokesperson for the Commercial Federation, my policy is to unite those small and micro enterprises to achieve common prosperity and common struggle.
For example, your company's product, Originium hand sanitizer, is very innovative.
Perhaps there is indeed room for investment."
Noah uncharacteristically showed a professional smile and spoke to Hintleyya in a cordial, even enthusiastic tone, as if she had found a rare treasure.
"I...I see."
Hintleyya hadn't expected the other party to be so interested in the contract she brought.
She thought these were just things for disguise, but she had never participated in business negotiations and didn't know how to respond.
Now, it certainly seemed a bit amateurish.
"Is this your first time participating in a business negotiation, Miss Hintleyya?"
"You seem a bit nervous."
"No...that...I'm new to the company.
I used to be in a position like a receptionist."
Hintleyya casually lied, "So I'm not quite used to it; please forgive me."
"It's alright, everyone has a first time, and I think this is good, because we can both save some effort and don't need to probe each other.
I think the project is good and I plan to invest.
So, Miss Hintleyya, do you have any requests, or anything that needs attention during our cooperation, that you can clarify now to avoid problems later on?"
Noah's smile grew even brighter, making Platinum feel a hint of unease.
However, she didn't have time to think much, and the more she spoke, the more likely she was to make a mistake.
If it was discovered that she was actually an assassin here to scout, she might be cut into several pieces by the masked bodyguard behind her in the next second.
In this house, there were at least two people she absolutely couldn't afford to provoke.
Hintleyya was still very confident in her own weakness.
As for Noah—she had noticed Hintleyya's abnormality from the very beginning.
As mentioned before, Noah was very sensitive to others' gazes, and Miss Hintleyya, the moment she entered the room, focused her gaze on Noah's neck, heart, and other vital areas, as if assessing something.
Few people had such habits, and Noah happened to know who would do that.
Shieldless League assassins—
Because they were skilled in bow and crossbow techniques, they usually aimed for these fatal spots.
The other party's footsteps were also very strange, much lighter than an average person's.
Although she probably didn't even realize it herself, this kind of gait was clearly part of some infiltration technique.
When all of these factors were combined, Noah could pretty much understand why she was so nervous.
The Shieldless League might not know Kuro's identity, but they definitely knew Manner's strength.
After seeing Manner, this assassin lady probably already abandoned any assassination plans and was now just waiting for an opportunity to escape.
But how could it be that easy?
Noah's face already showed a peculiar smile.
Oh, good!
It used to be as hard as climbing to the heavens to find the Shieldless League, but as soon as she became a spokesperson, the Shieldless League immediately came to her.
Miss Hintleyya was practically an invitation letter from the Shieldless League to her.
In Noah's eyes, an organization like the Shieldless League would be a huge headache if it were in the hands of an enemy, but if it were in her own hands—
Then it would be a very pleasant thing.