The Envoy of Darkness

Chapter 33 - Infiltration Part 2

With the argument settled, the trio retraced their steps and began heading towards the mansion. At the edge of the forest, Liliana suddenly asked, "So what's the plan?"

The ensuing silence was heavier than a mountain. Max uncomfortably shifted his eyes while Liliana and Amy had a horrible premonition. Her confidence in her familiar dropping, Liliana hesitantly turned to Max again for a confirmation. "Uh... Max? The plan?"

"Well..." Max scratched his head, a nervous smile on his face. "I do have something in mind." He tried to explain, "It's just that..."

"Just that?"

"It's more of a gamble than a plan."

"You don't have a plan?!" Liliana nearly shrieked in disbelief.

"Stop yelling! This is exactly why I didn't want you guys here. If things go south, I would have found it much easier to escape alone."

"So when you 'decided to put an end to this once and for all', you came here without even a single strategy in mind? Who's the idiot now?!" Liliana lightly tapped Max on the head while doing a terrible imitation. "This gamble of yours better be worth it."

"Just... follow me." Max said, shaking his head, resignation apparent on his expression.

The Minister liked his privacy and kept only the bare minimum number of his men in the mansion. Only a large wall stood constructed along its perimeter acting as the first line of defense against intruders.

As Max considered jumping over the unassuming concrete construct, Amy rushed to stop him. She whispered, "If you do that, you'll only end up exposing all of us."

"What do you mean?"

Amy quickly explained, "You'll trigger a silent alarm the moment you jump over that wall. Among the non-attribute spells, there's one which is used by practically everyone who can afford it. The spell is capable of silently notifying a designated set of people about intruders on the premises. No loud sounds, so you won't know until it's too late."

Liliana suspiciously eyed Max. "Please tell me that your gamble didn't count on you being able to jump over the wall."

Max responded with an eye roll. "Of course not, but I admit it would have helped speed things up."

"You're lucky we were here to warn you. Otherwise, you wouldn't even have had a chance to sneak into the mansion."

His back drenched in cold sweat, Max chose his right to silence, ignoring Liliana's comment. Despite the general lack of scientific development, thanks to the presence of magic, Asterisk had still come a long way. It was time he remembered that magic wasn't just limited to combat.

"So now what?" Amy couldn't help but ask as they slowly trudged past the trees and approached the gate.

"You guys wait here while I go looking for someone."

"What? Who?"

"Speak of the devil!" Max came to a sudden stop and quickly hid behind the trees. Shushing his companions, he quietly observed the pair of guards. Their shift coming to an end, they were ready to turn in for the night. Max and Liliana were all too familiar with one among their replacements.

Noticing Charles, Liliana looked to Max for a confirmation. "Hey... isn't that?"

"Exactly the person I was looking for." Max replied, his lips arching into a wicked smile. Time to cash in that favor!

The girls involuntarily shivered. Pity flashed past their eyes as they took note of his expression and let their imagination run wild. Charles was fated to an unpeaceful night.