Axel gave a small nod.

For a moment, he studied her expression before adding, "You don’t need to worry. I’m still here. I’ll handle this."

But Lana shook her head gently.

Her eyes held a calm, dangerous clarity.

"No," she said quietly. "Since they dared to do this to me... they should be prepared to face the public’s judgment."

Axel blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What are you planning?"

Lana didn’t answer directly.

Instead, she reached for her phone and contacted the Talisman Association, requesting a meeting.

At first, they acted distant and dismissive.

"We’re very busy," came the reply. "You’ll have to wait at least a month."

They even added coldly, "And before any meeting, you must pay the required taxes."

Lana’s lips curved slightly, but there was no warmth in her smile.

She paid nothing.

Instead, she continued operating her shop as usual, completely ignoring their demands.

"If you’re that busy, I won’t disturb you," she replied calmly. "I’ll proceed through legal channels."

And just like that, she filed a high-profile case.

The move caught them off guard.

Realizing that she was not someone who could be easily intimidated, Sarah finally relented.

A meeting was arranged.

The location was a private hotel room.

The moment Lana stepped inside, her gaze swept across the room.

Sarah sat at the center, a middle-aged woman with curly hair and a slender figure.

Beside her stood a short man with an enormous beard.

Despite his imposing facial hair, his height barely reached Lana’s shoulder.

He stepped forward slightly and said, "I’m Giovanni."

Next to him was a tall young man with a strong build. He nodded briefly. "Amin."

Then there was a woman with sun-kissed skin and strikingly beautiful features. She offered a polite smile. "Serafina."

Finally, another man stood silently at the side, his expression grim as he stared directly at Lana.

"Boris."

Lana met each of their eyes calmly.

She gave a slight nod and introduced herself, her voice steady and composed. "I’m the owner of the website."

The moment Sarah heard that, her eyes flickered with irritation.

"You must have already received our message."

Lana met her gaze calmly and gave a small nod.

"I did receive it," she replied, her voice steady, "but I don’t recall ever having any contact with the Talisman Association that would justify such taxes."

Boris, who had clearly anticipated this question, straightened slightly before speaking in a composed tone.

"Before we can make any conclusions, we need to determine who the talisman practitioner behind your website is," he said, his eyes narrowing faintly.

"There are cases where someone hires a practitioner who has prior dealings with our association. In such situations, the responsibility still falls under our jurisdiction."

Lana let out a soft chuckle, the sound light yet carrying a hint of mockery.

"Then I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you," she said, tilting her head slightly. "I am the talisman practitioner."

For a brief moment, silence filled the room.

The members exchanged glances, disbelief evident in their expressions.

Giovanni’s brows furrowed deeply, while Amin’s lips pressed into a thin line. Even Serafina, who had been quietly observing, looked at Lana with growing suspicion.

Without saying another word, Lana calmly reached into her bag and took out a blank talisman paper along with her ink.

Right in front of them, she began to draw.

No one spoke.

They simply watched. Five minutes later... she lifted her hand.

A completed talisman lay before them.

Serafina, who had been discreetly noting the time, froze, her pen trembling slightly in her fingers. "Five minutes..." she whispered unconsciously, her voice barely audible.

It was unheard of.

Lana picked up the talisman and held it between her fingers before presenting it calmly.

The inscriptions on it were complex, almost impossible to decipher at a glance. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Sarah’s eyes narrowed as she studied it. "What does this talisman do?" she asked.

Lana smiled faintly.

Without answering directly, she flicked the talisman lightly into the air.

Giovanni let out a scoff, crossing his arms. "This looks like something made at random," he said dismissively. "There’s no way it..."

Before he could finish... the talisman shot forward.

It struck him directly.

Giovanni stiffened.

A strange expression crossed his face as he suddenly stood up and walked toward Lana, his movements stiff yet controlled.

He stopped right in front of her, his eyes unfocused.

Lana looked at him calmly, a faint curve forming on her lips. "Dance."

The next second... Giovanni began to dance.

His movements were completely involuntary, his body swaying awkwardly as if controlled by invisible strings. The scene was so absurd that for a moment, no one in the room knew how to react.

Lana spoke calmly, her tone almost instructional. "This is a command talisman. Once activated, the target must obey my words."

She paused briefly before adding, "Its effectiveness lasts for about five minutes. Of course, it won’t work on someone far beyond my level."

Her gaze swept across the room.

"Now," she said softly, "do you have a clearer understanding of my skill?"

No one answered.

After five minutes, Giovanni suddenly stopped moving, as if a switch had been flipped.

He staggered slightly before regaining his senses, his face flushing with both anger and humiliation.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded, his voice sharp.

Lana let out a soft laugh, her expression relaxed.

"Nothing much. I was just demonstrating my talisman." She gestured lightly toward his seat. "You should sit down."

Giovanni hesitated for a fraction of a second before turning and returning to his seat.

However, the earlier arrogance in his eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by a trace of fear.

’This girl... she’s dangerous,’ he thought, his fingers curling slightly.

Sarah inhaled slowly, regaining her composure as she looked at Lana again.

"Even if what you say is true," she began, her tone turning colder, "it doesn’t change the fact that..."

Lana raised her hand slightly, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"If you believe I’ve borrowed anything from your association," she said calmly, "then show me proof. If there is a single record of me taking a book from you, I’ll pay every tax you’re asking for."