After runnig away from Kamas, I ask my way around to the south palace. Turns out there's three residences of the king in Roxburg. The Grand Palace, used by himself, the Earth Palace a little outside the city, kind of a vacation home, and the South Palace, usually reserved for foreign nobles visiting and seems to be the king's residence only in name. I forgot the culprit's name, but I am pretty sure he was a count from a neighboring country, so that makes sense.

I go to try and take a look and form a plan, but like Brahms it is behind another walled off district. where people with no business have a hard time attending. I am planning on rushing through that checkpoint tonight. I do not know if I have any skill in stealth, but I have my Read, which basically allows me to know the rough position of any that might spot me. What is the larger piece of trouble is getting past the wall.

Shit, I quickly lose confidence that I can do this alone. If only Larn wasn't injured. Or we could find Bosir. Or Kamas wasn't such a fucking coward. Or Mynie didn't get bought off. So many things that could have gone well, went wrong. Should I try to bribe the guards? But that would quickly end if it doesn't work out. Should I try and kill them as fast as possible? Though they're innocent in this matter and merely tools of the nobility... Shit, I think I have to with the latter option.

The only piece of geniality I come across in my planning is the timing. I start one hour before my gift usually activates, that way I may can use my magic and stamina liberally and possibly only have to wait a little while before it refills. I know the timing from the brightness. I have spent many nights awake, so I have a general idea of how the brightening in the sky relates to time by now.

I spend my time in some random alley I find, sitting, waiting. Once it gets dark outside, I move towards the southern walled off section and observe. There are two guards. I start a limited time stake-out, in case I can slip in, during some interval. In a few hours, just before my ideal time for entering, I spot an opportunity. A guard seems to have received permission to sleep, and have been doing so for some 20 minutes now, so if I move now I only have to kill one of them.

I create a spike the length of my hand, and imbue with bestowal magic. You can use bestowal on everyday objects, but you have to remain in contact with them and it apparently quickly degrades it, if it is not made of azurite. Objects made with creation magic however, can use the mana in the object to sustain itself and carry the effect over. Bestowing the spike like this will make it fly much faster than if I were to throw it with my strength alone.

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I hesitate.

I am about to kill a person, and not one that has done anything to me.

Maybe not to anyone

But if I don't do this, Atna will surely die.

I grit my teeth and send the spike flying with all my might. It cleanly pierces the head of the guard and imbues itself deep within, whereafter he almost unnaturally slumps over. It's creepy the way he crumbled, like all of his muscles just gave out at once. But I stomach it, and move closer, dragging him behind the wall, so no by-passers see him. Luckily there is some shrubs neatly arranged here, and I dump him behind one of them. I think of killing the second guard, since he could wake up, notice something wrong and send out an alert... I decided against it, even though it may risk my success.

It doesn't take a genius to locate the south palace. A large building, with an incredible amount of windows with metal and glass in the are present. In addition, crisp white walls with blue decorations adorning them, a massive fountain in front and tons of shrubs and trees, neatly trimmed and arranged symmetrically around the entrance. There are a few other neat building, but they all pale in comparison to this obvious centerpiece of the quarter.

I spam my Read spell every ten seconds or so, while I move around and get a good idea of where there are guards. I had hoped that there would only be some at the entrance to the quarter, but there are also guards outside the main door, and when I move around to the back and find another door, I assume the two signals coming from immediately behind it are yet another pair of guards. When I try to finish my circling motion, I end up spotting a small, wooden door.

As I creep closer to it, I notice it has a keyhole. I pray while moving to push down on the handle. Success! I think as I open the door, but it quickly stops and I feel fear again. I look through the small crack I have opened and spot some thin latch in it. I get out my sword, and try to lift it off or something, but I can't. I think of cutting it, but the sound may make people come. After a little consideration, I position my sword on the latch, channel bestowal in my arms, and press it down with both my hands using all my might. It quickly snaps with a small sound, I hope small enough that nobody heard it.

I think I am halfway through my mana and there is still an hours till the refill, but I am inside the palace.