CG Chapter 94: Through the Walls of Eidein
When the carriage entered the city, Tom waited until the time was right and the carriage was out of sight before slipping away.
Quickly, he climbed to the nearest rooftop.
There, he looked around him, breathing as he readied himself for the race against time that awaited him.
At that moment, Tom started to leap from one rooftop to another. He was as quick as a leopard, yet even with that speed, he made sure no one noticed him.
Those who were sleeping remained asleep, and those who were reading a book continued to enjoy their night, without any idea of the person leaping above their heads.
The only thought that was on Tom's mind was:
'Run.'
He needed to reach the palace before sunrise, and before losing the cover of the night.
His current plan was quite simple, even basic. He planned to enter the palace, kill the father and son duo, and if time allowed, leave an extra gift that they would not forget.
At the same time, as he was thinking of his plans, the quiet of the night was disturbed by a faint noise.
Tom, despite his light footsteps, accidentally stepped on an old roof tile, causing a soft crack. Luckily, the sound it made was extremely subtle.
But that was as far as Tom's luck took him, because just below him, two members of the night watchmen were patrolling the streets, ensuring that no one broke the curfew.
Anyone caught outside during curfew hours would face a hefty fine and a whole year of imprisonment.
"Huh, Tyler, did you hear that?" one of the night watchmen asked his companion. "I heard something moving just now."
"What are you on about?" Tyler yawned. "I think the night shift is getting to you. How about we take a break for a couple of weeks."
His friend furrowed his brow. "No, I am serious. I could swear that I felt something."
Not letting the small hiccup affect him, Tom retraced his claws and continued on his way to the palace.
The watchman scratched his ears, unaware that his friend had just saved his life.
…
A while passed before Tom reached the edge of the palace.
Fortunately, nothing out of the ordinary happened this time.
Tom scanned the security of the palace while hiding behind the chimney of a nearby building.
Multiple guards were guarding the gates, not to mention the archers stationed above the palace.
Tom's mind raced. Hmm, this is going to be harder than I expected. Maintaining such a high level of security all the time must have cost them quite a bit, not to mention that the people are already beginning to feel hatred towards the royal family.
After a while of thinking, Tom sighed to himself. 'This is going to be risky, but I guess I don't have a better choice. Having such a careful enemy is annoying but at the same time… He grinned demonically. It's really fun.'
Tom looked around for the nearest cosmetic store before breaking in and stealing a couple of items.
First, he changed his hair color to brown, matching the color of the citizens of Sollaria. Additionally, he stole a basic makeup kit and placed it in his pocket.
Finishing all of that, he exited the store.
He then looked for the easiest guard to lure away.
He created a small commotion near the palace, one that would make a couple of guards investigate without giving himself away.
It seemed that luck was on Tom's side this time, because only one guard came to investigate.
"Show yourself. You are not going to be in trouble if you show yourself now. But if you hide any longer, then I think you know what will happen."
As the palace guard thought of the reward he would get from catching this troublemaker, he almost laughed.
But before he knew it, two sharp dark nails were at his neck, almost drawing blood.
Tom questioned in a cold tone, "Name and station."
The guard tried to understand his situation.
"Who ar…"
But Tom didn't give him any chance. "If you want to survive, give me your name and station now. I will count to three."
"Wait, let me--" the guard begged.
"Two."
"Please," he tried to get a word out.
"One."
"Stop! My name is Dell Eudel." Finally, he gave up.
"Zero. Time is up."
The dark nails were now inside his neck, cutting his airway and any hope of survival.
'Oh, did I forget to say that you will die at zero either way?' Tom thought.
The palace guard tried to take a final breath, but he couldn't even do that, as he was completely powerless from Tom's strike.
Looking at his masterpiece, Tom quickly removed the clothes of the guard and used the makeup kit he borrowed to change his appearance to that of the guard.
The whole process of taking down the guard might have seemed quick, but if Tom had made a single mistake, he might have struck the wrong vein, creating a bloody mess. Or, worse, if he had given the guard a chance, Tom was sure the man wouldn't have hesitated to scream, alerting the whole city to his presence.
When he changed his clothes to that of the guard, Tom noticed that he was shorter than him, so he tore some of his original clothes and stuffed them into his shoes.
Finally, he carried the body of the guard and dropped it inside the nearest garbage dump, giving the guard an honorable burial.
Now, with everything done, it was time for him to enter the palace and face his old friend.