Kailen exhaled in relief, realizing that the man he had locked eyes with was no ordinary person, and it seemed that the man had sensed a threat in him. Quickly finding Buck, he led him along a route where guests usually walked in pairs, as he understood this was where people would slip away to private rooms for their pleasures. The alcohol, music, and crowd overwhelmed the senses, influencing minds and leading to such outcomes.
Dragging Buck down the corridor, Kailen entered an inconspicuous room.
"Hey, why did you suddenly drag me away?" Buck asked, surprised.
"I was spotted. We need to act, despite the risk," Kailen replied.
"But you were just standing by the wall, doing nothing," Buck said, puzzled.
"That was enough. A person with high-level skills will immediately recognize those skills in another," Kailen said, moving to the window. Looking down, he noticed patrols passing below. Their helmets provided little upward visibility, and only by craning their necks could they see anything above. This gave them a chance to climb along the exterior wall—luckily, the castle's design allowed for it.
"So, what's the plan?" Buck asked.
"We'll climb out the window and move to the part of the castle that's more secluded. Although we weren't given much information, I've roughly figured out the castle's layout," Kailen explained.
"When did you manage that?" Buck asked, astonished.
"I went to the workshop and requested a blueprint of the castle for a personal project. They laid out the whole thing for me, so I figured out the principles behind the construction," Kailen said.
"Wow, you'd make a good thief," Buck remarked.
"No, this is a one-time thing, for our goal," Kailen replied. While they talked, he had already torn some fabric and made makeshift masks to hide their faces. He also retrieved a hidden hood, covering the rest of his head.
"Alright, but maybe you should go alone—I'm not really good at climbing walls," Buck hesitated, fear in his eyes as he looked at the window.
"We don't have a choice. There are guards at every exit. We either use this method, or we kill the soldiers and hide the bodies, buying us maybe a few minutes before they're found. Every ten minutes, a checker comes by, and if they're missing, the alarm will be raised," Kailen explained.
"Damn, you figured all this out just now?" Buck marveled at Kailen's skill.
"Enough talking, let's go," Kailen ordered and climbed out the window. As Buck approached the window, he cautiously peeked out and started to ease his body out, first searching for a ledge with his foot. Only after finding support did he quietly begin to exit. He made the crucial mistake of looking down, and when he saw the height, he pressed against the window frame in terror.
"You're a sailor who's seen it all, and you're afraid of heights?" Kailen asked in disbelief. He himself wasn't afraid of heights, having often traversed mountain routes filled with slippery cliffs and deep chasms.
"Well, sorry," Buck muttered quietly, hearing the footsteps of soldiers passing below.
"Hurry up," Kailen said, moving swiftly from ledge to ledge, sometimes leaping several meters at once.
"Damn, damn," Buck whispered, cautiously continuing his climb, frequently glancing down.
Kailen scouted the route quickly, finding ledges and gaps for easy handholds, making it easier for Buck. They crept along the wall, where nearly every room was lit. Some people were simply sitting and drinking, discussing matters, while others indulged in passions, testing the durability of the beds.
"As soon as this is over, I'm taking the gold and heading to a brothel, not coming out for a whole week," Buck tried to motivate himself, occasionally glancing enviously through the windows.
"Stop getting distracted, focus," Kailen said. He cleared his mind, fully concentrating on the task, paying no attention to what was happening in the rooms.
After crossing over, they encountered a narrow section of the wall between two rooms. The only way to cross was along this ledge; there was no way to go underneath or to the side, and guards patrolled this area.
Waiting for another patrol to pass, Kailen quickly jumped down and immediately pulled Buck with him. In a swift burst, they ran along the wall, nearly reaching the opposite side, when they heard approaching footsteps at the door.
In a flash, Kailen and Buck jumped to the side, clinging to the edge of the wall. They had to hang on with just one hand, hoping they wouldn't be noticed in the darkness.
The door swung open, but instead of a soldier, it appeared to be a servant carrying some items. Once he had passed, they climbed back up. Deciding they'd had enough of wall-crawling, they slipped inside, where a deep silence reigned, unlike the previous building.
As they moved through the empty corridors, they listened intently to the silence. Any sound that echoed through the quiet halls was magnified.
The clanking of metal boots on stone echoed through the corridor as a group of soldiers marched by. They were able to find cover and let the patrol pass.
Based on the approximate layout of the rooms, the head of the house's offices should be here. Climbing another floor, they began checking each room. Most of them were impeccably tidy and seemed uninhabited, merely empty spaces serving no purpose.
Luckily, they stumbled upon a luxurious bedroom adorned with intricate patterns and decorations.
"This looks like the place. Let's check it out," Kailen said. It could very well be a noble's bedroom.
"Finding these letters is like searching for a needle in a haystack," Buck grumbled.
They started by checking the most obvious places—shelves, wardrobes, nightstands, and bedside tables. But all of them were filled with either valuables or various clothing. Moving on to a more thorough search, they began inspecting the walls and floors, but there were no hidden compartments to be found.
"Let's keep going; we need to find an office or something similar," Kailen said.
As they continued down the corridors, they came across another door. Just as they were about to reach for it, someone on the other side began turning the handle. Kailen quickly pushed Buck against the wall and pressed himself flat against it as well. The door swung open toward them, concealing them from the view of the servant who stepped out.
They held their breath in terror as the servant's hand grasped the door frame and began to close the door. Kailen readied himself to act, prepared to knock her out. Just as he was about to strike, he breathed a sigh of relief as the servant didn't even glance in their direction, simply nudging the door shut before walking away. Kailen deftly caught the door, quickly reopened it, and pulled Buck inside.
"Phew, that was close. My heart almost stopped," Buck admitted.
Kailen surveyed the room they had entered. A large desk was cluttered with papers, some of which had even fallen to the floor. Several bookshelves lined the walls, a large map covered one entire wall, and a few animal heads were mounted as trophies.
"Looks like we're in luck. The letters might be here," Kailen speculated.
"Are you kidding? There's so much paper here, we'll be searching till morning," Buck complained.
"Be smarter. They wouldn't leave them out in plain sight," Kailen noted.
"I would. Then no one would think to look for them. You know what they say—if you want to hide something, hide it in plain sight," Buck explained.
"Maybe, but the servants could accidentally see a letter, and the information could leak. I think they've hidden them somewhere," Kailen reasoned.
"Where do we start?" Buck asked.
"I'll check the bookshelves. You search the desk and drawers," Kailen instructed.
As they began their search, Kailen examined the various books for hidden compartments. Among the thick volumes could be one with a special recess, perfect for hiding something important. Although books were considered valuable, it was only among the wealthy. Ordinary people didn't care much about them.
"Hey, there's extra space here," Buck's voice echoed. He had pulled out a shelf and was tapping his fist against the bottom.
"Break it. We don't have time to be cautious," Kailen commanded.
Shrugging, Buck set the shelf on the floor and delivered a powerful kick. The wood cracked slightly. Inside were papers. Kailen stepped closer and looked at them. There were names, directions, quantities of resources, and troops. After reading a few lines, it dawned on him that these were plans for the conquest of nearby territories and the resources required for a successful campaign. To his horror, he saw a plan for advancing north, indicating an intention to invade his homeland. But to his relief, it was merely a plan, nearly impossible to execute in reality.
Conquering the North would require more than just a regular army. Freljord harbors immense power and does not tolerate outsiders.
"Do you think this is it?" Buck asked uncertainly.
"No, but these aren't ordinary documents. There's no mention of conspiracies," Kailen replied.
"Conspiracies? It seems thieves have no honor. You were invited into this house, given food, given entertainment, and you've scorned that hospitality, brazenly rummaging through the master's home," a slightly angry voice said.
A man with green eyes stood in the doorway of the study. Kailen only noticed him now—perhaps he had been standing there for some time, which spoke to his stealth skills.
"I knew from the start that you couldn't be trusted with a shred of decency. I should have ordered you thrown out immediately," he said, approaching. But there was no guard or anyone else with him.
"Heh, think you can handle us? There are two of us, and only one of you. Not afraid of getting thrashed?" Buck sneered, already imagining pummeling the newcomer, but Kailen tugged at him and gave him a look to be serious.
"You see, unlike you, he knows that I'm more than enough to kill both of you," the man's eyes flashed, and blades appeared from his sleeves, falling into his hands as he lunged at them with lightning speed.
Pushing Buck aside, Kailen dashed forward to intercept. The swift slash of the blade was so fast that he barely dodged to the right at the last moment, but then another strike came from below. He deflected it with his hand, the blow grazing his abdomen. Without hesitating, he countered with an elbow strike to the head. The opponent had excellent reflexes, too, and twisted, striking Kailen's knee and throwing him off balance. The elbow strike missed, as did the blade strikes. The exchange happened so fast that Buck didn't even understand what had occurred.
The opponent paused for only a moment before resuming his flurry of attacks. The sharp blade aimed for vital organs, with constant strikes raining down on Kailen's head and heart.
Kailen fought only with his bare hands—he had no weapons. Seeing his companion's struggle, Buck wanted to help. Grabbing a chair, he crept up from behind and aimed a wide swing at the green-eyed man's back. However, the man wasn't caught off guard; he had already anticipated the enemy's movements and prepared a trap for him.
At the last moment, Kailen grabbed the chair, redirecting it toward the blade that was aimed at his friend's neck. The blade sliced through the wood like paper, stopping just inches from Buck's face.
"Damn," Buck swallowed hard.
With a sharp movement, Kailen twisted the chair, wrenching the green-eyed man's arm and forcing him to drop the blade. The man stepped back slightly, spreading his arms wide.
"Who are you? Your skills are impressive. I'm considered the best fighter on this continent, yet here you are, still standing, and unarmed at that," the green-eyed man said, now looking at the thief with a newfound respect.
"What's the plan?" Buck whispered, realizing they were in a tight spot.
"The plan is to run. I'll give the signal," Kailen replied. He knew that even if he managed to win, the sounds of their fight would have already alerted the guards. The longer they stayed here, the slimmer their chances of escaping alive.
"How rude, ignoring your opponent," the green-eyed man remarked.
Kailen prepared to act. He needed to create an opening to allow them to escape. By disarming the enemy of one blade, he had created an opportunity to execute the plan.
Without waiting for the opponent to strike, Kailen lunged at him, closing the distance in seconds. A powerful kick sent the man crashing into a bookshelf, books tumbling down and knocking him out of the fight.
"Run!" Kailen shouted.
They sprinted out of the study, retracing their steps. The only way out of the fortress was the bridge they had crossed earlier. It seemed the alarm had already been raised because, as they neared the exit, they saw a small group of guards blocking their path.
There were only four of them, but they were well-armed and clad in plate armor. Kailen rushed ahead, landing a blow to the first soldier's neck, cutting off his breath and taking him out of the fight. A thrust from the opponent made him momentarily retreat, positioning the soldier in front to block the passage for the other two. This neutralized their numerical advantage.
Grabbing the opponent's arm and disarming him, Kailen snatched the sword and, ducking slightly, slashed at the man's legs, causing him to collapse in pain. The remaining soldiers reacted instantly, attempting to strike with their swords. Seizing the moment, Kailen dropped to the ground and with one swift sweep, tripped both of them. The entire fight lasted only a few seconds. Buck only caught up with him now.
Without pausing, while the disoriented soldiers were still down, they leaped over them and ran further. They quickly crossed the wall and burst into the first building. From here, the sounds of music and cheerful voices were already audible, but the clatter of soldiers' boots was much closer. A whole platoon of soldiers ran straight toward them. Fighting them would take too much time; a brawl was out of the question.
"This way!" Kailen shouted, and without slowing down, he barged into a room.
Inside, a man and two women, half-dressed, were lying on the bed, surrounding their partner with care. As Kailen and Buck burst in, they screamed, scrambling to cover themselves with blankets.
"Who are you, and how dare you barge in here?" the disgruntled nobleman immediately demanded, his tone full of indignation.
Ignoring him, Kailen smashed the window, sending shards of glass flying in all directions. They quickly climbed out and started making their way along the outer wall.
"There they are!" shouted a voice from the window they had just exited. The patrolling soldiers below spotted the thieves scaling the wall and immediately began to move.
"Archers, shoot those bastards down!" a command echoed from below. Almost instantly, arrows flew towards them, intent on taking them down. Kailen, trying to deflect the arrows with his sword, missed one, and it struck Buck in the leg. Buck nearly lost his balance from the pain, but his partner managed to grab him by the arm and throw him into the nearest window, tumbling in after him.
"Ah!" Buck groaned in pain as a few glass shards cut into his skin, soaking his clothes in blood.
"Hang on, we're close to the exit," Kailen said, lifting his friend and smashing through another door. They emerged into a corridor, and from one side, they could already see the approaching guards.
Their pace slowed significantly due to Buck's injury, and the guards began to catch up.
"Leave me, I'm just dead weight—you can get out on your own," Buck groaned, wincing with each step as pain shot through his injured leg.
"No," Kailen replied firmly.
"Idiot," Buck muttered in response.
They reached the main ballroom, and as soon as the guests saw them, they parted to the sides, watching with interest as the pair dared to cause trouble at an event guarded by the Du Coteau family. And one of the professional assassins didn't take long to appear.
The green-eyed man had caught up with his fleeing targets, closing the distance so swiftly that Kailen couldn't react in time due to his injured companion. A quick thrust, and the dagger pierced his right chest, driving through it completely, and blood poured out. Another push, and both Buck and Kailen were sent tumbling off the balcony, crashing onto the tables below, shattering them into pieces.
Kailen grabbed the dagger embedded in his chest. Thoughts raced through his mind at lightning speed: "The dagger pierced my chest—I've got a few minutes before the blood fills my lungs and I suffocate. The dagger is currently preventing more blood loss; I mustn't remove it. There's one last chance to escape. It's risky, but it's the only option. I can't get far with an injured companion."
"To be honest, I have to commend you. Showing up here with such audacity to rob the master of this house and even managing to surprise me. Especially you—my dagger is still lodged in your chest, yet you haven't flinched a muscle. You're clearly no ordinary man. So, who are you?" said the green-eyed man, who gracefully leaped down from the balcony, landing with perfect posture.
Kailen knew he couldn't waste his strength on idle conversation; he needed a chance to escape. If the man in front of him remained standing, there would be no way out. Rising from his crouched position, Kailen assumed a combat stance, preparing for one final attack.
"You still have the strength to fight? You're surrounded by hundreds of soldiers—my best warriors are here—and you're not afraid to fight? I can't tell if it's bravery or foolishness," the green-eyed man remarked. Seeing the seriousness in Kailen's eyes, he understood the answer. "Very well, before you die, know the name of your executioner. Before you stands Asilus du Coteau, and to die by my blade is an honor."
Kailen's eyes glinted with a faint bluish light, and the world around him seemed to slow down. He began to approach Asilus, seeing all movement in slow motion as his opponent raised his blade, attempting to prepare for the attack. Kailen grabbed Asilus's arm and, with a swift movement, drove the dagger straight into his opponent's stomach. Then, he threw down smoke bombs—a trick he had learned from his mentor's vast knowledge. Although his ice magic rendered the bombs unnecessary, he deployed them anyway.
Time resumed its normal pace as Asilus fell with the dagger in his stomach, and thick plumes of smoke began to fill the hall, choking the air and severely reducing visibility.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Kailen quickly reached Buck and lifted him up. Blood poured from Kailen's mouth—his right lung had filled with blood, and he was starting to suffocate. Oxygen was running low, as was his strength. With the last of his energy, he dashed outside and headed toward the bridge.
The soldiers spotted them and began to close in. Kailen had just enough strength to save his friend and cling to the hope of survival. Together, he and Buck jumped into the raging river below. The last thing Kailen remembered was the dark waters rushing up to meet him and the forceful impact. The pain was too much to bear, and he lost consciousness.
Author's Note
The Katarina's clan is the Du Coteau family, with their green eyes. Therefore, Asilus is one of her ancestors.