Adrian approached the two guards stationed outside the armory, his steps slow and deliberate, exuding an unsettling air. His eyes held a cold, calculating gleam that immediately put the guards on edge.
"Evening," he greeted them with a rough tone, his voice carrying a hint of menace.
The first guard narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious. "Evening. What's your business here?" he asked, his hand hovering near the hilt of his sword.
The second guard remained silent, but his body tensed, ready to react at a moment's notice. Both of them were wary, sensing that something was off about this newcomer.
Adrian leaned casually against the wall, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably. He let his gaze linger on the guards, making them increasingly uneasy.
"Just checking in. You never know when something might go missing around here," he said, his words dripping with insinuation.
The first guard frowned deeply. "What's that supposed to mean? You think something's up?"
Adrian smirked, his expression almost mocking. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just bored. But if something were to happen, I'd bet it wouldn't be far from here." He glanced toward the armory door, deliberately drawing their attention to it.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances. Adrian's presence was setting off all kinds of alarms in their heads, and they were now hyper-focused on him, convinced he was up to no good.
One of them gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles white.
"You should move along," the second guard said, his voice edged with tension. "This area's off-limits."
Adrian chuckled, the sound low and ominous. "Oh, I'm just passing through. But you might want to check your inventory… just in case."
The first guard stiffened, his suspicion flaring into outright hostility. "What are you playing at?"
Before they could act, Adrian mentally commanded his system to begin transferring everything from the armory into his remote storage.
He could sense their growing agitation, the way their eyes tracked his every move, but he didn't care. In fact, he reveled in it—it was exactly what he wanted.
He took a step back, his hands raised in a mock gesture of surrender. "Relax, fellas. Just some friendly advice. I'll be on my way now."
But as Adrian turned to leave, his casual demeanor only deepened their suspicions. The first guard barked out, "Wait! We're checking that inventory right now. Don't move a muscle."
Adrian pretended not to hear him and started walking quickly toward a corner. The first guard hesitated, caught between chasing after Adrian and securing the armory. His eyes darted between Adrian's retreating figure and the armory door.
"Stop right there!" the guard finally screamed, his voice filled with urgency, alerting nearby guards. The second guard, no longer willing to take any chances, hurriedly opened the armory door.
Inside, his worst fears were confirmed—every weapon, every piece of armor, every last item had vanished.
"Everything's gone!" the guard yelled, his voice laced with panic. "Sound the alarm! We've got a thief!"
The first guard immediately drew his sword, pointing it at Adrian and rushing after him as the alarm bells began to ring out, echoing through the castle. "You're not going anywhere!"
Adrian quickened his pace, moving through the castle's corridors as shouts and footsteps grew louder behind him.
As he rounded a corner, Adrian created a clone, disguising it as the guard who was chasing him.
Simultaneously, he used his skill, Shadow Vein Step, to teleport through shadows and disappear from view.
The clone then continued running, drawing the guards deeper into the castle while Adrian moved to a safer position.
The bells continued to ring, reverberating off the stone walls, signaling that the entire castle was now on high alert.
Despite the tension, Adrian knew he had accomplished his goal. The guards were solely focused on his clone now, their minds entirely consumed by the theft. Any thoughts they might have had about Rosalyn or any other potential intrusions were now secondary.
His clone rounded another corner, briefly glancing back to see several guards giving chase, their faces set in determined scowls.
The weight of the situation pressed down on him, but he remained calm. His role was clear—distract, delay, and draw attention away from Sophia and Eve.
As the pursuit intensified, Adrian's clone allowed himself to be seen by more guards, leading them deeper into the castle's labyrinthine corridors.
His presence was like a magnet, pulling the baron's forces further from the hidden passage where Sophia and Eve were working to free Rosalyn.
At one point, the clone deliberately slowed his pace, letting the guards get closer. When they were nearly upon him, he turned and darted into a side corridor, where he allowed himself to be cornered by a group of guards. "There he is!" one of them shouted, and they quickly surrounded him.
Knowing this was his moment, Adrian's clone raised his hands in mock surrender, letting them capture him without a fight.
The guards bound his hands tightly and dragged him through the castle, where more guards joined them, all eyes focused on their supposed thief.
As he was dragged through the castle's halls, Adrian's clone heard the alarm bells continuing to ring. The entire castle was now on high alert—exactly as planned.
He had drawn all the attention to himself, ensuring that Sophia and Eve had the time they needed to rescue Rosalyn and make their escape.
Now, all he had to do was play his part until the mission was complete.
Adrian's clone was roughly shoved into the castle's main hall, where Baron Mortimer stood waiting, his face twisted in fury.
He had been interrupted during a "private session" with his maid, and his mood was now soured beyond repair.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Mortimer bellowed, his voice booming across the room. He stormed toward Adrian's clone, his eyes blazing with anger. "Who dares to disturb me at this hour?!"
The guards forced Adrian's clone to his knees, shoving his head down. "My lord, we caught this thief near the armory! He's responsible for the alarm!"
Mortimer's face contorted with rage. "Raise his head! I want to see the face of the fool who dared to steal from me!"
The guards grabbed Adrian's clone by the hair, roughly lifting his head to face the baron. The clone, still disguised as a guard, kept his expression neutral, waiting for the right moment.
But as his head was forced up, the clone used Disguise once again changing his face to resemble the face of Darian
"You!" Mortimer gasped, his fury momentarily giving way to disbelief. "Darian?!"
The guards froze, bewildered by the revelation. In that moment of confusion, Adrian's clone knew he had bought enough time.
The real Adrian was already well on his way to completing his mission, leaving Mortimer and his forces chasing shadows as he traced the path he and others took to came in.