Swiftly processing all of those details, Melvin was quick to take charge of the situation. "Run to the tree," He shouted in a whisper afraid of alerting the other guards.

Firrol followed his lead, and the dog's attention seemed to be completely captured by his swaying bush and small figure relative to him, and so it chased after him. Melvin's face became serious and determined as this wasn't the first time he would find himself in a rather dangerous position, and he ran in the man's direction with as much intensity and vigor as the latter.

Their collision was both short and final. When they were in close range, the guard swung his steel baton at Melvin who was quick to evade it but ducked down and let his prepared knees do the work in the attacker's stomach. A groan of pain echoed as the guard fell to his knees and clutched his stomach with both arms and a flushed face with bulging eyes.

Melvin's actions were both swift and masterful as he rotated his body in a practiced manner and sent a kick to the back of the man's head, rendering him completely unconscious. Witnessing the lack of notifications, Melvin sighed in huge relief as the last time he tried to knock out someone it ended horribly. His face couldn't help but contort into a grimace of guilt and pain remembering the innocent man he had killed, something that he had been trying to forget ever since that time.

The close and violent barking directly behind him was quick to pull him out of his reverie, prompting him to turn around with a confused expression, unaware of how he should deal with the dog.

The fact that he knew he wouldn't be able to either kill the dog or make it lose consciousness made him afraid of the monster as he could feel a tremendous strength oozing from its bulging muscles and sharp fangs.

As he stood there for a couple of seconds exchanging confused glances with Firrol who was perched upon one of the tree branches, he suddenly had an idea. However, afraid of attracting the dog's attention with his voice, he merely signaled with his hand for Firrol hoping the latter would catch his meaning.

"You stay here, I'll continue on my own," He wanted to say.

He didn't know whether Firrol understood his point or not, so he swiftly turned around and began removing the man's clothes. The fact that guards were wearing uniforms was a godsend at that moment as he could just change his clothes and continue the mission by himself. But he had to be quick before anyone else came back.

Remembering something else, he turned toward Firrol and began gesturing for him to go away, something that the cat seemed to easily understand this time as it jumped from the tree and ran to the other side of the mansion with the dog following after him with vicious barks.

Unwilling to waste any more time, Melvin was quick to remove his shabby cloak and stash it underneath the nearby bush. He swiftly removed the guard's vest and put it on after hiding the unconscious man's body by the bush as well.

When he stood up he had a wide grin on his face, and his eyes were alight with excitement. "This... This..." He muttered, unable to contain himself. It was such a rush of adrenaline, nerves, fear, and excitement all jumbled up together into a tunic of life!

He brushed the dirt all over his clothes, fixed his hair, and straightened up his back before he appeared on the paved road. The big mansion was to his left, and all he had to do was walk a little before getting in. After a few inhales and exhales, he calmed down his rapidly beating heart and his expression morphed into one of seriousness as he continued walking with an upright posture.

Appearing confident was a must, and thus he walked and walked without ever so much as turning his head to look at other things. His eyes were locked ahead in a cold look and his ears were stretched to the limit taking in everything possible.

As he neared the house he was met by another group of guards that were coming in his direction, something that worried him.

'What should I do?' He thought as the two parties exchanged looks. 'Now I can't change paths.'

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A faint gulp was heard from his dry throat as the two groups continued closing in on one another. When Melvin was but a few paces from them, one of them, a tall bald middle-aged man with a bushy mustache questioned with a frown, "Who are you?"

The group was also accompanied by one of the big black dogs that also approached Melvin in a bid to sniff him.

Melvin being afraid of big animals became even more anxious, and so understanding the necessity to act right then and there, he channeled all of his fear into anger as his face twisted into a vicious scowl.

The dog as if sensing something stopped his approach mid-way and began threateningly growling at Melvin with an alert look.

Melvin's piercingly cold brown eyes glanced at the growling dog and then at the men before him, "I am one of Priest's men and I came here on my lord's orders." Before the bald middle-aged man could even process his words to find any fault in them, Melvin continued dominating the trajectory of the interaction based on how he imagined the dynamic between the men of this priest and the one he claimed to follow. "What is this insolence?" He shouted with an aggrieved violent tone. "Hold your dog back or I'll deal with him."

Finding this the perfect opportunity to showcase his strength, his thighs bulged with immense power and he kicked the road with his heels, easily breaking several bricks in half. Both the dog and the group of men behind him were visibly shaken as they took several steps backward.

Melvin coldly harrumphed and brushed past them with a cold look without even wasting another glance at them. However, contrary to his outward display of bravado and confidence, internally it couldn't be further from the truth.

'Did it work?' He questioned in his mind, as his loud steps echoed across the brick paved road leaving the group of guards behind. His heart had started beating once again, and he did his best to listen in to whatever he could in case they decided to attack him or something of that sort. Thankfully, nothing happened as he continued walking forward, and the attack that he was feeling was about to descend didn't arrive.

Naturally, Melvin knew that it was only a matter of time before his lie would be found out. After all, why did he appear in such a bizarre manner? From the back side of the mansion of all places.

Understanding that time was of the essence, he quickened his pace, but at the same time not too quick not to appear suspicious to those he was sure were still following his departure figure. Once he made a sharp turn to the left into another path, he fastened his pace into a light jog. Seconds later, he was greeted by the immensity of the tall and wide exquisitely crafted brown doors of the mansion that were open wide.

As he climbed the small steps leading to the front porch, he noticed that there were two tables where two groups of guards sat idly enjoying their time playing a game of cards, smoking, and drinking.

His countenance abruptly changed into a frigidly cold one as he stared ahead with indifferent determination, unbothered by their confused glances. Fortunately, his confident demeanor seemed to invite distance as not even a single one of them uttered a word of neither questioning nor opposition.

Just like that, Melvin was inside the mansion!

'A work of art!' He exclaimed in his mind as he gazed at everything before him. The sheer grandiosity of what stood before him prompted him to stand still at the mansion's entrance, allowing his mind to take everything in as a wave of awe washed over him, engulfing his senses in opulence and magnificence.

The dimly lit foyer greeted him with a soft, golden glow emanating from a colossal chandelier dangling overhead. Its intricate design sparkled with a thousand crystals, casting intricate patterns on the marble floor below.

Ahead of him stretched a wide hall, adorned with paintings of past generations, each canvas a testament to the wealth and lineage of the mansion's owners. Portraits of stern-faced ancestors stared down at him, their eyes seeming to follow his every move with an imperious gaze.

Flanking the hallway were statues of marble and bronze, frozen in time with expressions of elegance and grandeur. Their sculpted features seemed almost lifelike as if they could step down from their pedestals at any moment to make a stop to his brazen intrusion.

But it was the staircase that truly captured his imagination. Crafted with impeccable precision, its sweeping curves and ornate railings ascended majestically to the upper levels of the mansion. Each step whispered tales of luxury and refinement, beckoning him to explore further into the heart of this palatial abode.

As he stood at the entrance, taking in the splendor surrounding him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for the legacy and history woven into every corner of this magnificent estate. Yet, at the same time, he could detect a budding anger at such a vast amount of wealth whereas the kids he had just failed and died because of him lived in such a miserable state.

Sensing the gradual eruption of those emotions and the whole bloody and messy affair related to the children, he swiftly squashed them down and paid attention to what he should do. His steps picked up once again as he ventured deep into the hall, still unaware of how he should proceed from there on out.

'Where would a basement be?' He thought. As he gazed at the two flights of stairs on both sides, he knew that he had to go deeper in order to find a way down.