CHAPTER 571
The reason these assassins didn't know the client who had ordered Andrew's death was due to another policy of the Black Wings organization. Only the job evaluators and those executing the task could know the client.
That's why, when Zaros saw the memories of the leader of the previous group of assassins, he was able to identify who had ordered the hit. Those standing before Andrew and the others did not have that mission, so they didn't know either.
Andrew didn't even need to use his Eyes of Eros to realize this, so he sighed in disappointment, and once again left without a clue of the enemy who was targeting them.
The assassins trembled in fear when they saw Andrew sigh, understanding that he now knew they didn't have the information he wanted, meaning their deaths were imminent.
Not even the leader, who thought he had a chance by declaring that they were not enemies, had any hope of saving himself now. The office fell into a deathly silence as if waiting for Andrew's decision.
The silence stretched for a few seconds, and then Castor proposed something, "Why don't we make them sign a slave contract to infiltrate the organization and gather information?" Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire
When Castor made this suggestion, Andrew's and the others' eyes lit up at the brilliant idea. It would be difficult for the Shadow agents they had sent to find clues on their own, but having infiltrators changed the game.
However, the five assassins could only smile bitterly upon hearing the proposal. Although their masks hid their expressions, it was clear to everyone that they didn't like the idea, but did it matter?
They had no choice. It was slavery or death, and the answer was obvious—at least, that's what Andrew and the others thought. What they didn't know was that the assassins weren't bitter about the decision for that reason.
Andrew wasn't wrong. They would rather be slaves and live another day than be killed like dogs. The problem was the mission they would be given as slaves.
Andrew and the others didn't know, but Black Wings wasn't as simple as any other assassin organization. Aside from their efficient operation and strong presence in the southern part of the continent, they had their own security measures.
The most important one was that slaves weren't allowed within the organization, and they had ways of identifying people with a slave seal. So, if Andrew and the others applied this plan, it simply wouldn't work.
The assassins could accept the offer and then fail to comply, but they knew it was impossible to escape a slave seal, so Andrew and the others eventually would know this and that they would only suffer more. However, if they revealed this, they would have no value to Andrew and only death awaited them.
Despite this, they didn't say anything. They prefer to see if they can still live after Andrew discovers the truth. Their plan was to wait until they were made slaves and, by the time Andrew found out, they hoped to still be alive.
Their plan wasn't bad. Once they became slaves, it was likely they wouldn't be killed when it was revealed they weren't useful for the mission they had been assigned. The reason was simple—who would kill free, obedient labor?
They might not be useful for the task, but they could still do other things, so they were betting on that. Unfortunately, they were in front of Andrew, and his eyes didn't miss the strange aura surrounding them.
Seeing it, Andrew suspected they were hiding something and coldly asked, "What are you hiding?" This question shocked the assassins, as they hadn't expected Andrew to suspect anything.
Oliver and the others also looked at the five assassins with curiosity, as even Oliver, with his Aura Eyes, couldn't identify anything strange, but they knew that Andrew's eyes had revealed something, and they wanted to know what it was.
Despite this, the assassins revealed nothing and waited to be made slaves before speaking. At this point, it was their only hope, and they had to cling to it.
Their attitude made Andrew even more suspicious, and he wanted to threaten them, but then Fluffy spoke up, "Master, remember, not everything works with threats; sometimes a better approach is needed."
Although his words were cryptic, they managed to calm Andrew, and after thinking for a few seconds, he understood her point. Revealing a devilish smile that made the assassins shudder, Andrew said, "I'll let the one who talks go."
Not only were the assassins surprised, but everyone else in the office as well. They didn't believe Andrew would say such a thing. They were sure that Andrew would never let someone who had tried to kill him go.
The assassins had the same thought, so none of them said anything, but Andrew could see the hesitation in their eyes and auras, so with a smile, he asked, "Should I swear?"
Everyone's eyes widened at this, as an oath in this world was powerful. Even a god candidate couldn't ignore a sworn oath, so everyone was nervous.
The assassins saw a glimmer of hope, and their leader, being the fastest, said, "If the lord swears, I'll tell you everything I know." The other assassins immediately said the same upon hearing that their leader wanted to take advantage.
Andrew smiled even more upon hearing them and, playing with them, said, "Well, that's a problem. I only need one of you." The assassins trembled at his words and looked at each other, as if ready to kill their companions for the opportunity.
The others in the office didn't understand Andrew's intent. Certainly, pitting the assassins against each other gave him an advantage, but it didn't change the fact that he would have to make an oath, and that wasn't good.
However, Oliver, being a military strategist, took a few minutes, but he started to see the bigger picture and realized there was a trap in this, though he couldn't see it clearly.
The situation stalled, as no one knew what to do, and then Andrew spoke again. "Since you can't decide, I'll extend an olive branch to all of you," Andrew paused, adding suspense, and continued, "I, Andrew, swear in my name that you will be able to leave the city without me taking any reprisals of any kind against any of you five if you reveal what you are hiding—but only if you swear not to lie."
Once again, everyone was surprised, as they hadn't expected Andrew to make an oath. The assassins were internally delighted at this, now knowing they could leave alive.
Despite their joy, none of it showed on their faces, and they quickly began swearing not to lie. Andrew smiled as he heard this, and then all the assassins began to reveal what they were hiding.
"My lord, your plan will be ineffective, as the organization can identify slaves, and we will be discovered upon arrival," said the leader quickly. The other four added a few details but essentially said the same thing.
Hearing this, everyone in the office grew angry, realizing that the assassins had been trying to deceive them. It might not have been too significant, but the fact that they had been misled was irritating.
The only ones who remained calm were Andrew and Oliver. Andrew, because he had set a trap despite his oath, and Oliver, because he had finally seen where the trap lay.
An oath wasn't something simple. When Andrew made the vow, he felt a powerful force envelop him and knew that if he broke it, only death awaited him, but he had consulted with Fluffy before making the oath, so he was confident.
"It's fine. Since you've fulfilled your part, you may go," said Andrew. The assassins, though cautious, stood and slowly exited the room. Once outside, they fled as fast as they could, trying to escape.
Everyone else looked at Andrew in confusion, as if asking, "Why did you let them go?", but Andrew didn't respond, only smiled and looked at Oliver. Andrew had realized that Oliver had figured out his plan and only nodded.
Seconds later, Oliver vanished, surprising everyone, though no one dared ask questions. At that moment, Castor, being the closest to Andrew, asked, "Why did you let them go?"
Before Andrew could respond, Castor added, "You know this will only cause more problems." Everyone else nodded at Castor's words, but Andrew calmly, without losing his smile, replied, "Who said I let them go?"
This confused everyone, and as Andrew was about to explain, Sansa suddenly grasped what was happening and exclaimed, "I see, you only swore they could leave the city without you taking any reprisals, but outside the city is another matter."
Sansa's words made everyone realize the trap Andrew had set, and they were amazed at how subtle it was. The assassins had been so pressured by so many powerful experts and the threat of death that they hadn't paid attention to the vow.
They only heard that Andrew wouldn't do anything to them, not that it was only within the city limits, and all the others present were the same—only Oliver had seen through it all. He was a former military general, so he understood these schemes very well and was able to grasp what Andrew had done.
"Bingo," Andrew said with a smile, adding, "Castor, your wife is smarter than you; you should learn from her." Sansa blushed at Andrew's teasing, but everyone else just laughed at Castor, who wasn't bothered at all. In fact, he laughed along with them.
Meanwhile, the five assassins ran as fast as they could, trying to escape the city. However, they weren't aware that someone was watching them from the shadows. They thought that once outside the city, they would be free, but that wasn't the case.
Just as they exited the city gates and believed themselves safe, a shadow fell upon them.