Carlotta's Daily Report
Chapter 51: Patience is Key

Chapter 51: Patience is Key

After leaving a deposit at the Cecily Flower Shop, Carlotta went to a nearby hotel, booked a room, and entered the room in front of the hotel owner.

She moved around the room a bit, used the bathroom, messed up the bed a little, then turned off the lights, opened the window, and silently leaped out. She had chosen a room on a lower floor.

Carlotta disappeared silently into the night.

Soon, she arrived near the Warrior Shooting Club, which had already fallen into silence at night.

Carlotta didn’t go directly there. Instead, she reached a nearby house and, seeing no one around, took out a pair of white gloves from her storage card and put them on.

She didn’t want to leave fingerprints.

Then she picked up the flower pots placed at the entrance of the house one by one and found a key under one of them, clearly, this was information revealed in the intelligence.

She opened the door and walked in, then opened a wardrobe in the bedroom and saw a secret passage. Without hesitation, she entered.

On Rose Festival day, Luke, the owner of the Warrior Shooting Club, naturally had to accompany his wife.

It was impossible for him to meet other women on such a day, so no one would appear on either side of the secret passage.

Carlotta passed through the secret passage and eventually emerged in a study room at the Warrior Shooting Club.

The study was pitch dark. Carlotta groped around, careful not to make too much noise.

She left the study and moved like a ghost through the club, silently searching every location.

She already knew where the Tulip Shooting Range was, but she needed a key to get in. Fortunately, she had enough time to search, and after half an hour, she found a set of keys in the front desk drawer.

Each key had a pattern on it. She found the one with a tulip and took it.

Then Carlotta went to the third floor, where the Tulip Shooting Range was located. She didn’t rush in but crouched by the wall, peeking out slightly to look around.

The street outside was dark and cold.

Seeing no one, Carlotta went over and opened the door to the Tulip Shooting Range, then entered the spacious shooting range and closed the door.

The shooting range was empty, with many targets stacked in a corner.

Nearby were racks holding various bows and quivers. There were also cabinets for storing miscellaneous items.

Carlotta went to the cabinet, opened it, and checked to make sure there was enough space. Satisfied, she sat down beside it.

She didn’t need to hide immediately, as there was still a long time before dawn, and Soren hadn’t arrived yet.

Only now, with nothing left to do and her body relaxed, did Carlotta realize her heart was pounding.

Even she couldn’t help feeling nervous, because what she was about to do was truly extraordinary, something ordinary people in the capital wouldn’t dare to do, yet she was taking action.

She pulled the Rose Cross from her necklace, held it gently in her hand, and with her other hand, lightly traced the blade, feeling its subtle texture.

She closed her eyes slightly, adjusting her mindset to ensure she was in the best state to accomplish today’s important task.

The dark clouds in the sky were gradually blown away by the wind, and the red moon, which had been absent in the first half of the night, finally appeared.

Its crimson light broke through the window and fell on Carlotta, giving her a somewhat eerie appearance.

Time passed.

At some point, the faint sound of a carriage wheel rolling over the ground could be heard, and in the distance, there seemed to be the sound of people talking.

Carlotta opened her eyes and saw the first rays of morning light shining on the horizon.

She stood up, stretched her limbs, and continued to adjust her state.

Only when she heard voices in the club did she crouch down and slip into the cabinet, closing the door.

"My sword is ready. Is your head ready, Soren?"

...

New Calendar 828, June 14, Rose Festival.

A luxurious four-wheeled carriage slowly drove down the street. Inside, Soren Carlisle lazily leaned on a soft pillow, her eyes closed in a feigned sleep.

After entering Victoria Academy and seeing the various facilities in this extraordinary academy, she had begun to wonder if it would be better to conduct all her training there in the future.

Victoria Academy was located in the Silverbridge District, bordering the Hilder District where the nobles lived, making it convenient to travel back and forth.

In comparison, the Warrior Shooting Club was in the far-off Cross District, which was actually quite inconvenient.

"I’ll cancel my membership here later. The facilities at Victoria Academy are much better than those at Caerwyn Academy. I’ll just train there directly," Soren muttered to herself.

She was a beautiful girl with golden hair and blue eyes. Due to her status, she inevitably encountered many suitors presenting flowers to her on Rose Festival day. She had no interest in them, so she had come early to the Warrior Shooting Club by carriage.

It wasn’t that she had no interest in romance, but she felt those suitors weren’t worthy of her, they were all just like Bernard, not worth mentioning.

"Miss Carlisle, we’ve arrived at the Warrior Shooting Club."

At some point, the carriage had come to a smooth stop, and the voice of her guard, Albus, came from outside.

Soren got up, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped out. Without acknowledging her two guards, she walked straight into the Warrior Shooting Club.

The two guards were used to Soren’s attitude. After parking the carriage, Albus and Egon leisurely went to the coffee shop across the street.

Since Soren often came to the Warrior Shooting Club, they had become familiar with the people at the coffee shop.

As soon as they entered, the owner smiled and asked, "The usual? Molten Cocoa and Caramel Dream?"

Molten Cocoa and Caramel Dream were names of coffee drinks.

"Of course," Albus replied with a smile, sitting down and glancing toward the club.

Soren ignored everyone along the way and had already reached the third floor, opening the door to the Tulip Shooting Range and entering.

Seeing Soren enter the shooting range, Albus turned his attention away.

Beside him, the more muscular Egon brought over two newspapers, handing one to Albus and keeping one for himself.

"When I first got the assignment to be a long-term guard for Miss Carlisle, I wasn’t too happy about it. But now it seems like a really easy job," Albus said with a smile as he unfolded the newspaper.

Egon, who wasn’t good with words, nodded in deep agreement.

Soren entered the Tulip Shooting Range, which hadn’t changed much since her last visit, except for being a bit tidier.

This was normal; after she left, the club naturally had to send someone to clean up.

She walked over to the rack, her eyes scanned several bows, and finally chose a short bow. This type of bow had a shorter range but much higher accuracy.

Then she pressed the button next to the rack, and immediately, the targets stacked in the corner at the far end of the range began to move, shifting unpredictably to increase the difficulty of shooting.

This was an alchemical device that not only made the targets move but also automatically replaced them once they were shattered, ensuring Soren could shoot to her heart’s content.

Such alchemical devices weren’t available everywhere. Even Caerwyn Academy hadn’t yet set up such a dedicated shooting range, whereas Victoria Academy, one of the four major academies, was equipped with such equipment.

Soren took the short bow, nocked an arrow, and effortlessly drew it back, aiming at the distant target.

With a release of her hand, the arrow whistled through the air, piercing the target, though not directly through the center, with a slight deviation.

Seeing this, Soren frowned and continued to draw and shoot, each arrow infused with her own magical energy, raining down in a relentless barrage.

...

At this moment, Carlotta was hiding in the closet, quietly listening to the commotion outside.

She knew Soren had arrived.

She wasn’t in a hurry to act because Soren was still some distance from the closet. If she rushed out now, it would give Soren time to react.

In that reaction time, Soren might attack directly or even exit the Tulip Shooting Range, alerting the guards.

To ensure the success of her assassination, Carlotta had to wait until Soren got closer, striking at a close enough distance to leave no room for reaction.

She only had one chance, either to eliminate the threat completely or to fall into an abyss of ruin.

So waiting a bit longer didn’t matter.

Besides, a person’s magical energy will deplete during training. The more Soren expended, the better it was for Carlotta.

Having come this far, Carlotta naturally had the patience to wait. She sat quietly, and before she knew it, half an hour had passed.

Then she heard Soren’s approaching.

...

Soren wasn’t heading toward the closet but rather toward another rack.

After using the short bow for a while, she decided to switch to a different one.

Her eyes scanned the rack, and she picked up a heavy bow. This type of bow, along with its arrows, was extremely heavy and unusable by non-supernatural individuals. It was suitable for areas with strong winds, reducing interference from the wind.

With the heavy bow in hand, Soren continued walking toward the center of the range.

After a few steps, she paused, then turned back, first putting down the heavy bow, and then heading toward the closet.

Inside the closet was a water dispenser, and now, she was thirsty.

...

Inside the closet, Carlotta listened as Soren’s footsteps receded and then nearly again, her heart tightening.

Soren was coming closer, why?

Surely she hadn’t been discovered?

Carlotta dismissed the thought almost immediately. If Soren had discovered her, she would have distanced herself, not approached.

So the reason for Soren’s approach didn’t matter. As long as she hadn’t been discovered, the approach was a good thing.

Her chance had come!

Carlotta gripped the Rose Cross in her hand, steadying her breath, waiting for the closet door to open before launching her attack.

She listened carefully to Soren’s footsteps, heard them grow closer and closer, until they were right outside the closet.

Soren could open the door now, but after waiting for a while, Carlotta still didn’t hear the door open, which made her heart race a little faster.

Why wasn’t she opening the door? Could she have noticed something?

...

In fact, Soren was looking out the window.

A large red balloon was floating down the street, with a rose pattern on it, which slightly caught her attention.

She noticed the balloon because a suitor had sent her a similar one this morning, placing it at the entrance of Viscount Carlisle’s residence. She had almost thought it was that unworthy suitor coming after her.

But as the balloon drifted away, she realized it was probably just a standard design, unrelated to her suitor.

Returning her attention, Soren finally placed her hand on the closet door and slowly pulled it open.

...

Carlotta suppressed the impulse that surged within her.

If Soren had sensed her presence, she would have immediately stepped back, not remained standing outside the closet. So Carlotta still didn’t act rashly.

Her judgment proved correct.

Soren finally reacted, slowly opening the closet door, and a sliver of light quickly seeped into the closet.

Elven Phantom Sound!

Elven Light!

Without hesitation, Carlotta swung her sword, and the two movements suited for a sudden burst were instantly unleashed, enveloping Soren.

The closet door swung wide open.

Carlotta clearly saw Soren’s figure and the look of shock on her face.

Compared to Carlotta, Soren felt a chill run down her spine.

She never would have expected someone to be hiding inside the closet she had just opened.

Caught off guard, she had no time to react, even though she was a sixth-tier apprentice!

"Thud!"

Carlotta’s sword pierced Soren’s chest like a rainbow, the bloodied tip emerging from Soren’s back, a gruesome sight.

From childhood to adulthood, Soren had never been seriously injured, let alone suffer such a fatal attack. Her face twisted in pain, and she let out an agonized scream.

Carlotta White!

She recognized the girl who had attacked her, unable to believe that she had dared to infiltrate this place and attempt to assassinate her. For a moment, she felt as if the world had gone mad.

She was the daughter of Viscount Carlisle, how could anyone dare to do such a thing to her?

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

Although severely traumatic and in immense pain, Soren’s strong will to survive drove her to act.

She quickly stepped back, even as the Rose Cross was pulled from her body, causing her further injury.

She continued to retreat, trying to put distance between herself and Carlotta. As a Transcendent of the Hunting Magic Path, she was not skilled in close combat.