Chapter 217 However, Liszt had already seen through it

A thief.

A female thief with ample bosoms.

A thief who could use invisibility spells or similar magic.

She stood by the window in the study, leaning against the wall, spying on him. After the initial panic, Liszt had begun to think about how to respond.

Based on his understanding of the Smoke Task, or rather, the fate represented by the Smoke Dragon, handling this matter well would yield rewards.

After all, the thief's spying was presented as a reward for the Smoke Task.

"But how should I respond? Should I directly expose the thief's disguise?" He casually straightened the chair, preparing to sit down again. "That wouldn't be good; it would be too awkward... Or perhaps I should use my charm, one of my many strengths."

The thief was a woman, and although he couldn't see her face clearly, her figure was very graceful.

It was worth his effort to use his charm.

"How should I use my charm? In fact, I'm always using it, as attractiveness is innate. What I need to do now is cultivate my inner self, combining inner and outer charm to easily win a woman's favor." He began to fantasize.

The female thief, attracted by his handsomeness and charisma, would step out of the shadows and confess everything to him.

Admittedly, this thought was quite lewd, but using his charm was definitely the best strategy he could think of in the current situation.

Which woman could resist a man with such identity, appearance, and charisma?

Especially a thief, an existence often categorized as vermin.

However, just as he sat down, ready to display his noble demeanor, a slightly hoarse female voice whispered in his ear: "I didn't expect someone in a rural castle on such an island to see through my disguise."

It was the female thief speaking.

Liszt almost didn't react in time. Had she already fallen for his charm without him even trying? But he quickly regained his composure and stood up alertly from the chair.

He looked around and called out, "Who's there? Who's speaking!"

"Baron, your acting isn't very convincing, worse than the clowns I've seen in Coral City," the female thief said, her magical energy flowing. In the next moment, her body slowly materialized.

Some kind of invisibility spell had been dispelled.

Worn leather armor, a large sword taller than herself, disheveled hair, and a tight chest. She wore a scarf that covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.

This attire reminded Liszt of the villainous mercenaries who often appeared in knightly novels.

Mercenaries were the middle class of society, usually fallen knights who took on mercenary work for lords or merchants to earn a living. Their reputation was poor because most mercenaries had a history of crimes like robbery and murder.

Compared to the lower-class rats, they merely had a veneer of legitimacy.

The female mercenary revealed herself.

Her sudden appearance disrupted Liszt's thoughts, but as an adult soul, his ability to remain calm under pressure was commendable. He touched the Red Blood Sword resting on the table, and his mood completely settled. As an elite Earth Knight, his strength was formidable.

Unless she was a Sky Knight-level mercenary, no one would survive the Red Blood Sword's wrath.

"My performance was really that bad? I thought my actions and expressions were quite natural," Liszt smiled, showcasing his handsome side. "Madam, please have a seat. Would you like something to drink? Red wine, coffee, or milk tea?"

The charm tactic continued.

The female mercenary sat down calmly, behaving as if she were the host despite being a thief: "I'm not thirsty yet. If you want something to calm your nerves, feel free."

Liszt was a bit puzzled: "Do I look nervous? In fact, I'm quite relaxed."

"You did better than most people, but there were still many flaws," the female mercenary crossed her legs. Her attire was rough, but the bandages and knee guards on her pants hugged her legs, accentuating their length and straightness. "An Earth Knight's control over their body wouldn't allow them to fall into their own chair."

Liszt realized: "So I exposed myself from the beginning."

"In fact, I'm more curious about how you saw through my invisibility spell. I've infiltrated many castles and have only been exposed once, in front of a Sky Knight. No Earth Knight has ever seen through it."

"Are you a professional thief?" Liszt countered, not revealing the secret of his Magic Eye.

The female mercenary responded with another question: "Do you intend to capture me?"

"By sneaking into my castle and spying in my study, don't you think you've offended a lord's authority and the sacred legitimacy of his domain?"

Lords had absolute control over their territories, a principle followed by the knightly systems of various countries.

"I walked in through the castle gates and stood confidently by the window," the female mercenary replied, adding casually, "And I don't see what's wrong with offending a baron. The barons I've killed could probably fill this study."

An ordinary statement, spoken as if it were casual conversation.

But Liszt felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees, and goosebumps rose on his skin. He didn't doubt whether her words were true or false, as they carried an air of inevitability.

Or perhaps she was just an excellent actress.

He raised an eyebrow, maintaining his smile: "Then, tell me your purpose. To brave the snow and come to this rural town, you must have a specific need."

"I originally planned to kill a baron who traded slaves and take someone away," the female mercenary explained straightforwardly, perhaps feeling in control. "But seeing that you haven't committed any major atrocities in this town, killing you might harm innocent civilians. So I decided to change my plan and just take one person."

It sounded like he had narrowly escaped a disaster.

But Liszt didn't believe that, with his hard-earned skills as an elite Earth Knight, combined with the Red Blood Sword and the Magic Eye, he would be easily taken down.

Her total magical energy, in his view, was not particularly outstanding, far from reaching the level of a Sky Knight.

Moreover, judging by her attire and magical distribution, she clearly practiced martial arts, not magic. Perhaps her past successes in ambushing and killing Earth Knights with invisibility spells had inflated her confidence.

As he thought,

He responded, "Who do you want to take away?" As he asked this question, a flash of insight struck him, and he suddenly thought of someone—the young maid Maggie who was interning in the kitchen.

The reward from the Smoke Task had been the goodwill of the serf Maggie, which had sparked his curiosity, leading him to speculate that there must be a follow-up task involving Maggie. Now, the sudden arrival of the female mercenary made him connect these two tasks, and he was certain that this thief who had spied on the lord was here for Maggie.

Moreover,

Liszt had a good idea about the identity of the intruder; the records of the serf registry mentioned that Maggie had a sister who was a mage and had run away from home.

So, he had already guessed what the Smoke Task was truly meant to reward him with.