Katarina swept her gaze across the entire hall.
Then she spoke again. "Now, the first order I am going to issue is this."
As her words fell, several people pushed out a small cart. Stacked on top of the cart were pile after pile of white papers.
"What is that?"
One assassin asked in confusion.
Katarina said calmly, "You may as well take a look."
As soon as she finished speaking, several assassins stepped forward, picked up the papers one after another, and began reading them.
However, before they had even read more than a few lines, their pupils shrank slightly, and shock flashed through their eyes.
"This is..."
More and more assassins grew curious. They stepped forward one after another, each taking a page and reading it.
"The Black Rose? The pale woman, LeBlanc? That organization faked its death more than ten years ago? All this time, they have still been manipulating political power, and this organization's history is even older than Noxus?"
Every assassin who saw this information was shocked.
As an assassin organization and also the fastest intelligence network in Noxus, the assassins present were not unfamiliar with the Black Rose incident from more than ten years ago.
It was just that back then, the members of that organization had supposedly been beheaded one after another.
Everyone had believed the incident had ended there.
No one had expected that, more than ten years later, they would see news of the Black Rose again.
And this time, it was far more shocking than the last.
"This is what I was about to tell you. These are the things I discovered during this trip to Demacia."
A cold light flickered in Katarina's eyes as she spoke. "Noxus's center of power has always been influenced by this organization, and this organization's terrifying influence has nearly spread across all of Runeterra. There are traces of Black Rose members in Shurima on the neighboring continent, and in Demacia as well."
One assassin could not help asking, "Leader, how did you learn all of this?"
Katarina said, "The person who instigated the rebellion in Demacia this time was a member of the Black Rose. As for me, I used a certain method to learn all of this from her mouth. By the way, Du Couteau was sent to Demacia by the Black Rose."
The assassins fell silent. Every single one of them sank into deep thought.
A mysterious organization founded hundreds of years ago, or perhaps even longer, had been influencing Noxus's political power all this time. Its influence had even spread beyond Noxus to countless other places.
That could only be described as outrageous.
However, Katarina had personally gone to Demacia and brought this news back, so it did carry a certain degree of credibility.
What shocked them even more was that the former leader, Du Couteau, had actually been a member of the Black Rose?
"You mean to spread this information?"
One assassin asked.
"That's right." Katarina nodded. "Noxus can no longer let itself be manipulated by others and reduced to a puppet. I do not know whether anyone among you here is a member of the Black Rose. That does not matter, because this will be my declaration of war against the Black Rose."
Her voice carried her distinctive coldness, yet it was also extremely powerful.
From her standpoint, the assassins truly could not see what benefit Katarina would gain from doing this.
There was even less need for her to deliberately lie and fabricate some nonexistent organization. She was already the leader of the Assassins' Guild now.
If the contents on these papers were true, then it was indeed terrifying. The Black Rose had already infiltrated every corner of Noxus.
If they did not do something, then they would become exactly what Katarina had said, puppets.
The assassins looked at one another, uncertain whether the people beside them were Black Rose members. However, in their hearts, they had already made their decision.
"Rest assured, Leader. This news will reach all of Noxus as quickly as possible."
An assassin bowed and accepted the order, his tone serious.
One had to know that the Assassins' Guild was also one of Noxus's top intelligence networks. All kinds of intelligence would be obtained by the Assassins' Guild at the first possible moment, then delivered to various places.
So in this regard, it was also something the Assassins' Guild excelled at.
"Mobilize all assassins and all intelligence messengers. Within three days, I want news of the Black Rose to appear throughout all of Noxus."
Katarina issued the order coldly.
"Yes!"
The assassins present answered one after another.
"The operation begins immediately."
Watching the assassins leave one by one, Katarina stood quietly in place. She casually picked up one of the papers recording information on the Black Rose and began reading it.
It could be said that every known piece of information about the Black Rose had been written on it, including information on that mysterious leader of the organization, the pale woman, LeBlanc, the Deceiver, the person who possessed countless aliases.
This was something Katarina had already decided on during the journey back.
If Black Rose members had already infiltrated every place, then even if she investigated in secret, she would only end up being led around by the nose.
In that case, it would be better to simply lay the cards on the table.
She would seize the initiative and force the Black Rose into a passive position.
The Black Rose might have many members, but it was impossible for every Noxian to be one of them.
What she needed was the united strength of all Noxus.
Naturally, this action was no different from pushing the Assassins' Guild into the open as well, but Katarina believed this was something they had to go through.
If they did not even have the courage to struggle, then they might as well go become the Black Rose's puppets.
After leaving the guild headquarters, the sky outside was already dark. Katarina returned home alone.
The empty manor had not a single trace of light. It seemed unusually dark, and there was not the slightest sound inside. It was extremely cold and deserted.
Not to mention Du Couteau, even she rarely returned to this home.
Dust had already gathered on the door handle. Katarina pushed the door open, stepped inside, and lit a torch. The light finally illuminated the living room.
But the dark color tones still made everything seem incomparably cold and empty.
In the most conspicuous place, there was a portrait. The portrait showed what appeared to be a happy family of four.
A husband, a wife, and two young daughters.
However, Katarina remembered the time when they had gone to have this portrait painted. Du Couteau had led troops to break through the defenses of Shurima's customs line, then brought his wife Soreana and Cassiopeia over.
He had hurriedly called a painter and had a reunion portrait painted for the family.
Then, not long after that, he was summoned back to Noxus, and he took her with him as well.
Ever since then, she and her mother and younger sister had spent far more time apart than together. They would rarely see one another even once a year, and most of their contact was through letters.
At first, the correspondence between the two sisters had still been very frequent, but now even that had lessened. Basically, there would be one letter a month, or sometimes one only after several months.
She remembered that the last time she saw her mother and younger sister had already been more than a year ago, nearly two years.
But even though they had not met for a long time, Katarina still regarded them as her closest family.
So had they truly joined the Black Rose in secret?
Sitting on the sofa, Katarina could not help thinking of this question.
If they truly were members of the Black Rose, what should she do?
She had already considered this question many times on the road.
Unconsciously clenching her fist, Katarina took a deep breath.
No matter what, she had to pull them out of that organization's abyss.
At that moment, the torch hanging on the wall flickered. Katarina suddenly said, "Come out, Talon."
Not long after her words fell, a figure suddenly appeared in the dark corner of the living room.
He wore a blue-and-white cloak, his face hidden beneath the hood. Then he raised his head, revealing a masked face. From his cold eyes, it was not hard to see that he was very young.
"It seems your perception has grown sharper. When did you notice me?"
He stood where he was and asked.
Katarina glanced sideways at him and said, "Probably from the moment I left the Assassins' Guild."
Talon said, "I see. We haven't met for several months, and you've changed a lot."
"Spare me the nonsense. Our relationship is not close enough for reminiscing. If not for that assassination attempt several months ago, I wouldn't even have known he had someone like you at his side."
Katarina stood up. Her slender, empty hand flicked slightly, and a coldly gleaming dagger suddenly appeared in it.
"I killed your master. If you've come to avenge him, then make your move early. Our last duel did not seem to decide a victor either. It's time to settle things."
As she spoke, her entire body was already itching to move.
Talon still stood where he was, showing no intent to attack. "I actually lost the last duel. It's just that the price I paid was not my life. As for the current you, I am even less of a match."
"Then what are you here for?"
Seeing that he truly had no intent to attack, Katarina frowned slightly.
Before an assassin made a move, no matter how refined their strength was, there would still be an instant when killing intent showed itself. Katarina had been trained from childhood to sense killing intent, so she naturally knew that Talon, who stood before her now, had no fighting intent at all.
In other words, if Katarina wanted to fight, then if she charged forward, she would absolutely gain an overwhelming advantage.
Among the assassins Du Couteau had sent to kill her, she had seen Talon before. Back then, he had also been one of the people sent to assassinate her, and he had been the fastest to find her.
The two sides exchanged two moves, then withdrew with the result left at a draw.
Talon gave up on assassinating her, and before leaving, he even told her that the other assassins were already on their way.
If not for that, Katarina would have attacked him immediately.
"He once told me that life spent licking blood from the edge of a blade is just like this. You never know when you will be killed. That is the fate of an assassin."
Talon spoke calmly at this moment. "So even though he died by your hand, I do not intend to avenge him. Or perhaps I should say that I can finally step onto my own path as an assassin."
He had once been a thief in Noxus's lower districts. Even relying on his superb thieving skills, he could only barely get by down there.
The thing he remembered most clearly was the stinking sewers of the lower districts. To avoid those who were trying to catch him, he had hidden there for an unknown length of time.
Until one day, he met Du Couteau. The instant they fought, he lost beneath Du Couteau's blade.
Du Couteau did not kill him. Instead, he took him in, trained him constantly, and taught him the way of assassination.
Over the years, Talon's assassination skills had continued to improve, but he had also always obeyed Du Couteau, following his orders to assassinate various targets.
There had been many times when he nearly died during missions.
Du Couteau gave him an environment in which to grow, gave him food and shelter, gave him meals to eat, and taught him skills. That was a debt of gratitude.
But after all these years, the things he had done for Du Couteau could also be considered repayment of that debt.
"I came this time only because I want to ask you a few questions."
Talon spoke again. "During the period when he was missing, I was also investigating clues about his disappearance. It was indeed as you said. I found some information related to the Black Rose. It was just that I was not certain at the time. Now it seems that this mysterious organization is indeed real. I want to ask, is the news that he joined the Black Rose true?"
Faced with Talon's gaze, Katarina did not think too much. She answered directly, "It is true."
She did not mind lying about that dead old bastard, even if it seemed he was not actually a member of the Black Rose and had even stood opposed to them.
But now, even if he was not, he had to be.
Katarina needed a reason to erase the influence he had left behind in the Assassins' Guild and stabilize her own position.
She also needed someone who could be pushed out at any time to take the blame.
"I see."
Talon believed Katarina. "Before he disappeared, he had already rarely contacted me. His movements were unpredictable. Thinking about it now, he must have already joined the Black Rose."
"The second matter. I hope to join the Assassins' Guild."
After Talon finished speaking, he saw Katarina frown and reveal a puzzled look.
He explained, "Before this, I was always one of his personal subordinates. I was not a member of the Assassins' Guild."
Katarina asked at this moment, "Your path as an assassin is to join the Assassins' Guild?"
"That's right. I am used to working for others now. The Assassins' Guild is naturally a good choice, and I need money to live."
Talon said this frankly. "Besides, I think you can become a qualified leader. Joining the Assassins' Guild seems to have a future. That is the reason."
He did not look like he was lying.
The last time they met, Katarina had already felt that he was a strange person. However, now that she had just become leader of the Assassins' Guild, she happened to lack capable people under her command.
"Since you've said as much, naturally, I won't refuse. Welcome to the Assassins' Guild, Talon."
After considering it, Katarina agreed to Talon's request. Then, after thinking briefly, she said, "Now I'll give you your first mission. Investigate someone named Melli. She has now been made Demacia's queen. Before that, she was in Noxus. You should understand what I mean without me saying more, right? As for the payment, five hundred gold. Another hundred gold for each additional lead."
Talon thought for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."
After saying that, his figure flashed and vanished from where he stood like smoke.
Katarina narrowed her eyes. She could tell this was Shunpo.
It seemed that old bastard had not held anything back even with outsiders. He had even taught Talon Shunpo.
Or perhaps Talon's talent was simply high enough to be worth teaching Shunpo?
Either way, Talon seemed to be someone worth using.
Now it was time to test whether the people left behind by that old bastard were useful or not.
Speaking of that, Katarina thought of something else. Her gaze began searching around the room.
Finally, her eyes fixed on the cabinet leaning against the wall.
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