"Alright, Ghislaine, we already have a layout of the mansion, and Ariel determined that the best way in is through the southeast exit. It has the fewest guards." Rudeus and Ghislaine had dressed up as guards from Darius's manor. The plan was simple: sneak in, wait for the diversion, then rush Darius.
"Are you sure this will work? What if they notice?" Ghislaine's tone held a rare hint of worry. She originally wanted us to kill the guards and slip in and dispose of the bodies. But I told her if anyone found them or noticed they were missing, the alarms would go off. We just needed to blend in, slip through, and stay invisible.
"It's go time." I'd told Sylphie to wait exactly five minutes after we arrived. That would give us time to sneak in and hide before they blasted the front.
Ghislaine let out a long sigh and nodded. Acting wasn't her strength, so she left all the talking to Rudeus. After spending a couple of weeks with the kid, she had grown genuinely fond of him. She admired how he handled problems without using fists. His words worked like tools, sharp and precise. He reminded her of Geese in that way. Before they left, she had even sent a letter to her master. Once Rudeus finished tutoring Eris, she wanted the three of them to train at the Sword Sanctuary. The boy had talent. Letting it go to waste would be a crime.
Her own training methods weren't suited for someone like Rudeus, and deep down she knew he'd thrive better under someone like the Sword God. She touched her sword, the one her master gave her, cherishing the weight and memories it carried. Then she glanced at Rudeus and smiled softly.
"Hey, Ghislaine, are you alright? It's time for us to go." Rudeus tilted his head. She had gone quiet, deep in thought, then suddenly stared at him.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go before we're late." She straightened, and they walked toward the exit. Ghislaine stayed behind Rudeus with her head slightly lowered. Blending in was hard for her. She was a six-foot-tall beastwoman with a sword. Attention followed her everywhere.
As they approached the gate, the guards on watch eyed them suspiciously. Their hands hovered over their hilts without thinking.
"Hey, who are you?" one guard barked.
They eyed the boy and the towering woman beside him. Seeing their uniforms eased some of their suspicion.
"We're here to get inside. We were ordered out earlier to run some tasks," Rudeus lied smoothly.
The guard didn't look convinced. "Then what task were you commanded to fulfill?" He rubbed his chin and smirked.
Rudeus stayed calm. He had planned for this. "Ah, our job was to scout potential girls for Master Darius to take." He flashed a confident grin.
The guard remained unimpressed. "Funny. I've never heard of that task, even though Darius's chamber is one of the tightest-kept secrets in this manor. And since I've never seen either of you, I'm guessing you're not very high up on the ladder. So tell me your names." His smirk dropped into a scowl as his hand closed fully around his blade.
Shit. He's catching on. I have to salvage this. Rudeus thought.
Ghislaine's hand tensed on her sword, but Rudeus subtly stopped her.
"You're very arrogant, aren't you?" Rudeus scoffed, shooting the guard a look of pure disdain.
The guard blinked in confusion.
"You see, me and this woman are part of a very special group. The elites. The people behind the shadows doing things you lowly grunts could never imagine. The reason you've never heard of us is because you're not supposed to. I am a shadow. I find victims for Master Darius, gather intel on nobles, handle blackmail, and exterminate his targets." His voice dropped, and his eyes turned cold. A terrifying expression washed over his face, hollow and merciless.
The guard swallowed hard. His legs trembled. He knew how vindictive Darius was, how far his reach could go. If he angered the wrong people, his entire family could vanish.
Rudeus smiled faintly, enjoying the guard's fear. "If you want your family safe, don't say a word to Master Darius. Because if you do, you'll be digging your own grave. Now let us in."
The guard instantly stepped aside and opened the door.
Inside, the manor was massive and elegant, even grander than Ariel's.
"Great job, Rudeus. I knew trusting you to talk was the right call. I would've never come up with something like that. You remind me of an old party member of mine." Ghislaine ruffled his hair with a proud grin.
He chuckled. "Alright, now that we're in, we wait for Sylphie and Eris."
"Sylphie, is it time?!" Eris bounced in place, overflowing with excitement. She had been waiting for this moment since she heard the plan days ago.
"No, just a couple more minutes. Then we break in." Sylphie's expression hardened. Rudeus had trusted her with this job. She refused to let him down. She had to keep Eris safe too. If anyone could act recklessly, it was Eris.
After five minutes, Sylphie would summon a massive fireball and blast open the front. Eris would storm the entrance while Sylphie supported her and kept watch for the Water God.
Despite spending plenty of time around each other, Sylphie and Eris never had many one-on-one moments. Even so, Sylphie had grown to understand her, and she could confidently say they were friends. Sylphie barely had any friends, let alone another girl her age.
"Hey, Eris." Sylphie turned to her.
Eris blinked. "What?" The look on Sylphie's face confused her.
Sylphie smiled. "After this… how about we go into town together? Back in Fittoa. Just the two of us. A girls' day."
Eris blinked again, then grinned. "Alright! I can't wait!"
Sylphie laughed. Eris's energy was infectious.
"Alright, it's time. Ready, Eris?"
Eris nodded eagerly.
Sylphie raised her wand, channeling mana until a giant fireball formed, larger than both girls combined. It shifted colors, glowing bright blue.
"Woah…" Eris whispered, eyes wide. She had never seen magic like this.
The fireball shot forward, blasting past the guards and erupting in a massive explosion that tore through the front of the manor. But outside the estate? No one heard a thing. People walking to the ceremony kept smiling and chatting like nothing happened.
The manor was isolated, and a sound-blocking barrier sealed everything inside. Sylphie could manipulate spell parameters thanks to her silent casting and deep study. It had taken tons of books, money, and sleepless nights, but the Boreas family funded her growth. One day, she hoped to teach others how to craft spells like this.
Eris rushed in with the sword Rudeus had given Sylphie.(a/n: I don't remember if I published this chapter but I may have to go back and write it but Sylphie and Rudeus made a fire and ice sword sylphie had ice he made it after studying magic circles and the kidnapping should've happened later than it usually would. If I didn't write it I'll go back and do it today I'll just edit a chapter and extend it.)
She slashed the first guard before he even noticed her, and he dropped instantly. Her first kill. She couldn't be more thrilled.
"First one down," she muttered, eyes shining.
She kept going, cutting down a few more before the rest reacted.
"GET HER!" they screamed, charging.
Before they could reach her, a few were impaled by Sylphie's ice shards, collapsing instantly.
Sylphie looked serious. She wasn't like Eris. Killing didn't come naturally to her. But she shot powerful attacks ones that could kill if untreated.
Together, they cut down more guards. Reinforcements poured in.
Eris went wild, parrying and slashing with zero hesitation. "This is so fun! I wish Rudeus and Ghislaine were here to see me!" she yelled, blocking another swing.
Dead bodies and severed limbs littered the ground. She was tearing through them. A one-girl massacre.
"Hey, Eris, don't get too reckless!" Sylphie shouted, casting a quagmire under a man trying to ambush Eris.
Eris spun and decapitated him effortlessly. "It's okay! You've got my back, right?" she grinned.
Sylphie sighed. She really couldn't stay mad at her.
CLANG!
Eris barely blocked an attack and was sent flying. She hit the ground, rolled, and snarled as she got up. Someone strong had just struck her.
She looked up and saw…[1]
(A/N: I'll tell everyone my schedule I only post when I have school so no Saturday or Sunday why bc I make these in school. Also guess who the person is.)
Also I'm going through my old drafts this arc was soo much longer with more story beats holy I had a whole smugglers thing with Tristina I guess I stopped bc I found it boring 😭
[1] we love cliff hangers