A seemingly deserted region outside the city of New Beginnings.
Another isolated zone, obscured from view using a sophisticated isolation array. Not too far away from where Goro was hiding.
A group of rankers belonging to House Slughorn was stationed here. Two rankers in the group held the most commanding power between them. One was Sienna and the other was Regan.
Regan Slughorn was stunned that he had been assigned missions like these.
He was Sienna Slughorn's handler and had served as such since she was very young. He didn't think that Sebastian Slughorn would assign him to an ambush mission.
The old man was trying to make huge changes in the clan after he had met with Eren and Levine. He was trying to keep the sinking ship afloat for longer. At least during his lifetime, he did not want the clan's legacy to disappear.
It wasn't that Regan couldn't do ambush missions. But taking him away from his usual duties meant that Sienna had lost her position in the clan. This made things even more difficult for her than they already were.
The most upsetting thing was the fact that Sienna had been sent along with him. Sebastian wanted her to watch the real-life battles live from a safe distance. But Regan knew that there was no safe zone on the battlefield. Sienna was just being punished for her rash behavior by her great-grandfather. Or maybe he had simply given up on her.
"Old man, what are you thinking about?"
Sienna asked, looking bored out of her wits after being in the same place for almost a week. She was reading a romance novel in one hand and eating half-eaten fruit in the other. The girl was trying to live a laid-back life on what could be a battlefield.
"Sienna, I don't think you understand the grimness of the situation you are currently in. In dispatching you here, your grandfather has thrown you under a chariot on a collision course with a wall.
This is more than just a punishment for your actions if you ask me. This looks like he doesn't care anymore about you."
Regan said with a worrisome tone. His interests were tied to Sienna's progress. Of course, he would be worried about the things the girl did or the consequences she brought about.
Sienna closed her book and started laughing. She adjusted her hair and straightened her back sitting on a tree's branch. She swung her legs in the air even more while speaking up.
"Relax, old man Regan. Gramps Sebastian will come around eventually. This is not even that big of a mission. You guys are making such a big deal out of killing someone of my generation. Even if he carries a secret force in the shadows, I don't think you'd have many problems killing him anyway."
Sienna said uncaringly and got up from her seated position. She ran her fingers through her hair and adjusted her pretty hairdo before continuing.
"No matter what I do, things will always work out for me. I'm blessed by the heavens, you see. Hehehe."
Sienna's eyes shone brightly as she spoke. Her mana signature fluctuated and she started feeling like a different person. It was as if she was being possessed by something.
Regan and the rest of the Slughorn members had come to accept that this was the side-effect of using an illusion spell on Sienna. Ever since her memories were sealed, she has given in to her irrational thoughts even more. She would start acting like she owned everything around her and demanded obedience from everybody that was with her.
Regan knew Sienna from her childhood. She was always a bratty girl who had been pampered a lot, thanks to being part of the main branch of the clan.
But she was never this delusional.
Sienna was a scheming girl who knew how to think for herself. She was not hard-working. With the right use of her influence, she was able to cover up her flaws in the past.
However, everything changed when she visited the city of Nilaami and was sold as an experience pack. She became a different person after that. She still tried to think out of the box and bend the rules her way. But she didn't have her exceptional wits with her anymore.
That incident altered Sienna's personality gradually. The treatment she received for that incident treated the symptoms but not the root cause. It looked like the illusion spell was also giving her the impression that she was a special child.
Someone needed to give Sienna a reality check. Thus, Regan decided to be the deliverer of just that.
"Things will work out for you no matter what you do, huh? I mean… Haah!"
Regan massaged his temples and exhaled loudly before speaking up.
"Okay. Riddle me this. What is the basis for your confidence, Sienna? You had told us that you'd be apprenticed to Levine after joining LA. You had told us that you were planning to marry Ken Riverine and obtain an earl's backing for the clan.
You assured us that you would focus on potioning. You promised that you'd stop creating trouble for anyone you meet. And despite everything, you told us that you'd take charge and handle the clan's business affairs.
Have any of the things you promised to do come to fruition? Now you have been relegated to conducting ambush missions. Something that is completely beyond your level of expertise.
Your position in the family also has an impact on me. And things are looking really grim for me if I have to conduct ambush missions at this age."
Regan finally said what he had been thinking. He had been wanting to say this to Sienna for a very long time. But he couldn't do it because of her status. Now that Sebastian had lost all importance for Sienna, Regan dared to speak about it.
Sienna scrunched her nose when she heard Regan's rant. She wanted to defend her stance using the right words. But somehow, she couldn't find them. She stomped her feet before speaking up.
AN: Regan Slughorn was mentioned in chapter 705.
