Chapter 7 - SIDE STORIES: An Unforgettable Luncheon (Part 2)
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(The next day)
It was still dark outside, but Beta had woken his two companions from their slumber already. They had decided to keep a lookout on the inner gatehouse from their fellow conspirer’s apartment, ostensibly to learn the sentries’ movements, but it also had the dual purpose of ensuring that no backstabbing or other unforeseen circumstances occurred during the night.
For all Beta could empathize with their collaborator’s circumstances, Beta would never fully trust him. He couldn’t forget that the old man had betrayed his father for personal gain, regardless of his extenuating circumstances. If he was capable of doing it to his closest blood relation, he could just as easily do it to them, who were near complete strangers.
Beta remembered a time when he hadn’t been like this—distrusting, always anticipating the worst in any situation or people. He had been better, but that was before… No, he had to stay focused.
They had divided the night into two shifts, with Epsilon and Nu taking the first and Beta the second. While it would have been better to split the night into three shifts to get more sleep, he didn't feel comfortable leaving Nu without any oversight. He always remembered that Nu’s real loyalties lay elsewhere. The only reason he was somewhat tolerated in their organization was because he was their benefactor’s attack hound, who had been foisted upon them.
Without that blanket protection, Nu would have been torn to shreds by now for the way he had been needling his new colleagues and making a nuisance of himself. Beta had a sneaking suspicion that Nu’s real master in Zaisine wouldn’t be too disappointed if they failed their mission. In fact, Nu had gone out of his way to make trouble for them, though never in an overtly malicious manner that Alpha could use as justification to mark him as a rogue and terminate him.
What Nu didn’t realize was that there could only ever be thirteen main members in the Ouroboros, corresponding to the thirteen Power Rings which had been crafted long ago by the Time Goddess herself. The fact that Alpha had already told him and a few others to approach shortlisted candidates meant someone was getting replaced. And Beta was willing to bet anything that someone would be taking Nu’s spot as his replacement.
Beta, being one of the founding members of Ouroboros, was privy to the knowledge of who the most favored candidate was. To say that Beta was torn would be an understatement. But he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
For now, he needed to ensure this operation went off without a hitch. He could plan out how to approach his target later.
While his companions were still rubbing the sand out of their eyes and sleepily gearing up, Beta had left the room to knock on their ally’s door to wake him up. They needed him to inform the master mage to pull his men back from the inner gatehouse and let them take over instead, disguised as Imperial Mage Council members, of course. Beta knew this would cause quite an uproar among the stationed sentries if they realized such a switch had taken place. So, they needed to act swiftly while still being cautious of unknown variables.
Beta had meticulously crafted this plan, exploiting the deep-seated egos and distrust that festered between the Imperial Mage Council, the Knight Order, and the Count's sentries. Their inability to see eye to eye meant they rarely communicated amongst each other and in the case of the mages and the knights, refused to employ joint patrols or guard duties. The knights only patrolled and guarded during the day and the mages at night.
It had been exactly the same during his time in the army. Everyone was too busy guarding their little fiefdoms.
The old man blearily opened his bedroom door, but he still appeared more rested than them. He hastily dressed and made his way out of his apartment when Beta told him to move on to the next phase of their plan.
While the old man was out, Beta and Nu had dressed themselves in Mage Council robes which had been lent to them by the Master Mage. Each was worth a small fortune as they required a skilled arteficer nearly a week to weave subtle spells into them. While they didn’t offer quite the same level of protection as a proper set of arteficed armor worn by the knights and elite troops, they were unmatched where mobility was concerned.
Epsilon, meanwhile, had donned the groundskeeping staff's uniform. Most of the support staff the castle needed to function were housed in some of the old barracks which had been converted into apartment quarters by the count and his predecessors in the middle bailey. These were separate from the barracks of the three wings of security forces which guarded the inner walls of the castle, each of which got assigned their own barracks.
They did not have to wait long for their accessory’s return. He brought word from the Master Mage that he would be pulling back his subordinates stationed at the inner gatehouse soon and to be ready to take over from them then. This, he said, would be the ideal time as the sentries would have a skeleton crew stationed at the inner gatehouse for a few minutes in preparation for the next sentry detail to start their shift at dawn.
The vantage point provided by their accessory’s apartment allowed them to note when the two mages stationed at the inner gatehouse started to withdraw. Beta and Nu hastily made their way out of the apartment to replace them.
They managed to take up the positions the mages vacated with little fuss, with the sentries on the other side of the gatehouse being none the wiser. But the portcullis still being closed meant they couldn't simply waltz in. Nu could shapeshift to fit through its gaps but that would be a terrible idea and give them away instantaneously.
Luckily, they didn’t need to do anything risky. As Epsilon approached the gatehouse, Beta and Nu made no attempt to stop her, the couple of sentries stationed at the other side of the portcullis moved to question her.
“Halt, stranger. What business do you… you…!” The taller sentry began, his command faltering as he gazed into Epsilon’s mesmerizing purple eyes. The longer he stared, the more he was swept away by an overwhelming surge of attraction and desire for her. His hostile stance shifted to a servile, almost worshipful one in mere moments.
His fellow sentry didn't fare any better, also quickly falling under Epsilon’s sway.
“Would you boys kindly open the way; my companions and I have important business with the count” she asked in a charming voice.
The sentries jumped to obey her, rushing into the guardroom to raise the portcullis without question.
Beta always found it fascinating how the charmed behaved like lovesick teenagers, running to obey Epsilon’s every whim. This power that Epsilon could exert over the hearts of men and women alike, regardless of species, was why he regarded her as one of the most dangerous members of Ouroboros, even though she was physically among the weakest.
When the portcullis was fully raised, the trio made their way into the innermost bailey without any hassle. Their timing had been impeccable; the horizon had just started to light up, indicating that dawn would soon arrive, bringing with it the next sentry detail to guard the inner gatehouse.
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They didn't have to wait long for the two sentries to reemerge from the guardroom.
“Thank you, boys. Please don't mention you saw anything out of the ordinary and continue fulfilling your duties as usual. I will be forever grateful if you do so” she said demurely as she curtsied.
The sentries mumbled their ascent and closed the portcullis. Almost like in a drunken daze, they then retook their earlier position at the gatehouse, but not before throwing multiple longing glances back at Epsilon.
The sentries would remain in this dazed, dream-like state for a few hours at least. Beta was worried they might give themselves away before the mission could be accomplished. But there was no option but to hope for the best.
Now they just needed to usurp control over the castle’s runic fortifications. These would be anchored down in the heart of the structure which unlike conventional wisdom wouldn’t be located in the central keep but the basement of the Count’s Manor.
The Manor had been the central command building which had been where the commanders of the garrison were stationed when Guar Castle had been more of a fort guarding the southern borders of the ancient Royamue kingdom, so it made sense the anchor runes would be under the direct watch of the castle’s commander.
Ouroboros had gone to great lengths to secure the old records of the castle’s design and construction. They had invested considerable time and effort to ensure no one got wind of their activities, dedicating nearly half their members to the empire’s northwestern province for this endeavor.
The old clerics of the phoenixes had been more than willing to divulge whatever they knew about the structure. Their simmering resentments made them eager to cause their overlords any discomfort they could, as long as their actions couldn’t be traced back to them.
Beta feared the modifications made to the castle over the centuries had been too extensive and might have ended up blocking their path to the runes. Fortunately, those fears would later prove to be unfounded.
Beta managed to guide his team to the manor’s courtyard while avoiding all patrols. They were aided by the fact that dawn hadn’t truly broken yet, and most in the castle were still asleep. There were a few close calls, but they managed to sneak their way into the courtyard without any major issues.
The three crouched low in the dark shadows of the trees, wary of the manor’s glass windows and uncertain of the sentries’ patrol patterns inside. Luckily for them, the patrols had been easy to spot as they all carried lanterns to banish the darkness of the moonless night. With dawn slowly creeping in, that advantage wouldn't last much longer despite the high walls of the castle keeping the sun at bay for much longer.
After careful observation the three were able to pinpoint a perfect spot for ingress into the manor. It was a window adjacent to a shut door which led into the manor. Cautiously, the three made their way to it glad that the manicured and well-maintained garden wasn't littered with dead leaves.
After carefully analyzing the window’s stone mullion and glass Beta found no structural faults they could exploit.
“Just cut through the right glass pane. Be as discrete as possible” he whispered to Epsilon, pointing at the part of the window he wanted her to cut.
Nodding her affirmation, Epsilon cautiously took out her legendary blade from the bodice of her dress and fed miniscule amounts of prana to it. The hilt sprung to life with a barely audible hum. A feebly glowing blade the size of a nail emerged from the hilt.
As Epsilon got to work hastily cutting part of the window the other two crowded around her trying to block the light the blade was producing with their robes. Luckily, they didn't have to wait for long since the arteficed blade in Epsilon’s hand was hailed as a sword which could cut through anything.
When Epsilon was done, she used the leverage the blade provided to pop out the cut glass pane, which she gingerly grabbed with her other hand being careful of sharp edges. She deactivated her blade and carefully put the glass pane down onto the grass of the courtyard.
“Now, do your thing, Nu. No horsing around,” Beta whispered.
“Such little faith,” Nu sighed, but was quick to obey. His body stretched and grew thinner, allowing him to squeeze through the new hole in the window. Soon, he unlatched the door leading outside and let his companions in.
They barely had time to enjoy the warmer air inside the manor before they became aware of footsteps approaching their position, accompanied by the glow of lanterns in the next room.
Reacting quickly, Beta cast a chameleon illusion on the trio. This didn’t make them invisible to the naked eye, but Beta was banking on the fact that if they stayed still and hidden in the shadows, the sentries would overlook their position.
The interlopers hastily positioned themselves in the corner of the room behind a large marble statue dedicated to the Storm Goddess. The faith of the Storms would have conniptions over the way she was being depicted here no matter how accurate Beta suspected this portrayal of her was, with her sultrily beckoning forward the observer while seductively pulling down her short, tight robe’s front, revealing a sinfully deep cleavage.
Two sentries peered in from the doorway holding their lanterns up high, banishing the darkness in the room they were peeking into for the most part.
“I don't see anything” the sentry peering over his partner’s shoulder whispered.
His partner groaned in frustration saying, “Jeana is being paranoid like usual.”
“She’s too green. She had us chasing vermin all night long a week ago because she was hearing something.” Complained the first sentry to his partner.
“With our best people unavailable, we have to make do somehow. With any luck, they will complete their emergency missions soon, and things can go back to normal,” consoled his partner. Having to show the novices the ropes while attending to their own duties was making things twice as difficult.
The two sentries left the doorway, their retreating steps could be heard getting fainter. Their conversation could still be faintly heard as they continued their patrols.
“The count must have truly angered the Warrior Princess. She nearly beggared him with the restitutions she demanded.”
“You don’t know the half of it. The count had to burn through countless favors to avert most of her wrath. Hrana was saying, …” The guards’ voices trailed off as they moved further from the infiltrators’ hiding place.
When the interlopers could no longer hear the footsteps of the sentries, they emerged from the shadows. Beta was quick to drop the illusion, grateful they were dealing with the count’s more inexperienced guard forces.
He hadn't relished the thought of having to leave behind a trail of bodies to reach the count.
The three stealthily made their way deeper into the manor, careful to duck into any side room whenever they heard the footsteps of the patrolling guards.
The count’s personal quarters should have been on the second floor. However, as he gained weight and ultimately became grotesquely obese, it was no longer possible for him to climb the flights of stairs to reach it, so for convenience’s sake he had carved the north-western wing as his new private quarters.
This made things easier for them. According to the old clerics, there was supposed to be a hidden route they could take from the old quarters of the previous commanders of Guar Castle to access the basement of the manor where the runes of the castle were anchored.
From how much he had seen the general layout of the Castle hadn't changed much since antiquity. That didn't mean it was impossible that the old hidden entrance to the basement had been discovered and walled off, but Beta was willing to bet against that being the case.
Either way they were running out of time. Dawn had started to break, very soon the castle would be a hive of activity, and they would be discovered one way or another.
Their main goal was the count for now, usurping control of the castle while important did not benefit them immediately. That was for when they had replaced him with his doppelganger.
Beta carefully weighed his options before deciding to send Epsilon to take control of the castle’s runes, if the hidden route to the basement from the second floor remained accessible that is. Beta handed her the rune stone which had been specially carved out by Delta for this purpose.
The remaining two meanwhile, would press onwards and break into the count’s quarters.
Beta suspected Epsilon would have an easier time than them considering the number of sentries patrolling inside the manor weren't all that high except in the direction of the count’s personal quarters.
Parting ways, both parties continued onwards towards their goals.
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Count Aplistos woke with a start. He could feel himself caked in a sticky, unpleasant substance. As his eyes blearily opened and focused on his concubine, he had momentary difficulty recognizing what his eyes were telling him. His concubine lay dead next to him. She had had her throat cleanly slit, most likely in her sleep as she had a peaceful expression frozen on her face.
He and the bed were caked in her warm blood.
When the gravity of the situation had dawned on him, he started to scream and call out for his sentries only for no one to answer his calls.
Looking around wildly, he found the dead bodies of the four sentries stationed outside his private quarters, also with their throats slit.
“You're just wasting your breath, my lord.” The count’s head snapped towards the corner from which he had heard the quiet voice coming from. His blood chilled seeing the symbol on the facemask of the masked man.
“I will give you double of whoever hired you to come here if you agree to leave right now” he pleaded with the very dangerous outlaw.
“We would have been very willing to work with you in different circumstances, my lord. Unfortunately, your colleagues in Zaisine have hired us to air some of their grievances and concerns with you.” Beta said conversationally as though he were discussing the weather with his neighbor.
“I- I don't know what y- you are talking about” the count stammered, his teeth chattering so badly from fear that he was almost slurring his words.
“There is no point standing on pretense with us. Your colleagues are disappointed that you leaked their plans to the Merchant Princess.”
How had word travelled back to their ears the count’s panicked mind was wondering.
“I h- had no choice. I was being pushed into a corner by her Imperial Harem sister. I needed her protection.” The Count tried to justify himself but knew his associates in Zaisine wouldn't care. After all, if the shoe was on the other foot, he wouldn't have either.
“While your colleagues can empathize with your predicament, the fact remains you are in this situation because of your own greed.”
“P- please spare me.” The Count pleaded for his life. If he had been physically able to, he would have groveled on his knees. All decorum of the nobility long forgotten. For a man who had lived for centuries, who had outlived countless consorts and children and grand children of his. Being reminded of his mortality came as a rude shock.
“Your associates have agreed to brush this matter under the rug if you agree to pay them a fair compensation after you divulge exactly how much information you leaked to the Merchant Princess.”
“I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything,” the Count said, almost crying as a tidal wave of relief crashed over him.
Count Aplistos never realized that Beta had never promised to spare his life.