Chelsea and Taeko ignored them outright, leaving no one to respond. The man in the lead was left rather awkward.
He walked up to the slightly hunched Barbara and foolishly asked, "Then what do you do, old lady? Are you a nanny? Do you people bring a nanny along even when you go out on missions?"
"Hm? Who are you calling an old lady? My name... is Barbara."
Barbara answered coldly, a glint of ferocity flashing through her eyes. They had shown disrespect toward her disciple and insulted her so openly. If not for the mission, she would have killed these people already.
At her words, the faces of the people before her instantly turned pale. After staggering back several steps, one of them asked with difficulty, "...Barbara? Could it be... Barbara Oberberg? The one from the Assassin Guild...?"
"Yes. Now it's Oberberg's turn to offer an opinion. How about I kill someone to prove it?"
The killing intent of Barbara, an ace assassin, surged forth in an instant. The people before her nearly collapsed, their legs trembling. That beast-like aura made it difficult for them even to breathe.
"N-No need! That killing intent alone is proof enough. Sorry... We never expected to meet you in person. We went too far."
With an audible gulp, the man hurriedly apologized. This was no joke—he had no intention of dying yet. If he offended a high-ranking figure from the Assassin Guild, he would probably spend the rest of his life keeping Death company.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Barbara no longer dwelled on the matter. Her gaze shifted to Taeko behind her. "Her name is Taeko. She is an assassin whom I, Oberberg, have trained since she was an infant. You'd best not provoke her carelessly."
Taeko wore a form-fitting outfit resembling