Madam's Sunset Spell

He walked at the balcony and saw the ground, where the underwear had disappeared. 'She must have taken them quickly, not wanting her soldiers to see her intimate items.' He smirked at the thought.

Little did he know that the soldiers had already claimed the underwear that had fallen from the window. They had seen them drop and had hurried to grab them. They had recognized them as Lady Senn's and had decided to keep them as mementos or for pleasure. They had marveled at their quality and beauty, and had imagined the lady wearing them.

He looked up and saw the sun and muttered, 'She spent a lot of time in this room… it's almost noon.'

Moriarty stared at the floating flame, wondering why the lady had cast a magic that would activate at sunset. He was glad that she hadn't set it to explode as soon as she left.

Moriarty tried to recall the chant, if that was really the case. She had clearly stated in it how the magic would work and what it would do. Moriarty didn't know much about court mages, but he had traveled all over the Seiren Kingdom and had met one or two, even though they were very rare. That's why he wasn't completely ignorant of magic.

But he had never heard of a magic that could be timed. 'Maybe different kingdoms have their own ways of magic, or maybe I'm just uninformed.' He thought to himself. He knew that magic was a complex and mysterious phenomenon, and that different cultures had different approaches to it.

'Anyway, I'll think about this later.' he said inwardly. He decided to focus on his present situation, and not worry about the past or the future. He had to find a way out of this place, and avoid being captured by the enemy. He knew that his time was running out, and that he had to act quickly.

He looked at the mirror next to the closet. His face was already clean, as he had wiped off the dried blood with the bed sheets earlier. 'I should find a soldier's uniform somehow to blend in.' He thought as he checked his appearance.

He knew that his clothes were too noticeable and would draw attention. He needed to disguise himself as one of them, and hope that no one would recognize him.

Moriarty decided to go down and look for the barracks where he could find a soldier's uniform. He planned to disguise himself as one of them and blend in. He thought that this was the best way to move freely in the fortress without being noticed.

He knew that he had a narrow window of opportunity, as the soldiers might be busy looking for him or having lunch. He had to act fast and smart before they realized he was still in the building. He was aware that time was running out and he had to make his move quickly.

What he didn't know was that, despite having orders to report his location if they found him, no one was looking for him. A search throughout the fortress was definitely not issued.

As he opened the door, the first thing he saw a wide hallway.

"Workshop…" he muttered under his breath as he read the label on the door opposite the lady's room where he had exited. 'Why is there a workshop in a fortress? Is it some kind of alchemy or something? Crap, no time to think about useless things…' He thought to himself as he scanned the area for any signs of movement.

He wondered what the purpose of a workshop was in a military facility that only aimed to defend, but he quickly dismissed his curiosity and focused on his plan.

He walked cautiously along the hallway, alert for any danger. He wanted to find a stairway, as he realized that the 4th floor was not likely to have a soldier's quarters. He even saw the word "Library" on one large room, confirming his guess.

He figured that the higher floors were reserved for more intellectual or administrative purposes, while the lower floors were for more practical or military ones. He hoped that he would find a stairway soon and get to the barracks before anyone spotted him.

◇

Blend had reached the first level of the basement, one floor above the prison floor where they had assumed to be a spy prisoner.

The first level of the basement was called The Port, because it was a connecting hub between the main building of the fortress and the soldier barracks buildings at the back where the ordinary soldiers lived.

The Port was so spacious that one could easily get lost in it. There were many rooms for different purposes, such as interrogation, shower, or dressing. It was like a big maze but with very wide corridors, allowing for easy transport of supplies and reinforcements. 

He knew his way around The Port very well, as he had been stationed there for a long time before he was assigned to a special unit called Actors.

Since they were only two levels below the main building, he decided to drag his partner along the stairs hoping he would complain. He heard his partner snoring loudly as his face kept slamming on each stair's steps.

'How can he sleep like that? Or did he pass out because of the pain? Tsuu… I'm not worried about him at all.' He thought to himself worriedly as he pulled his partner on his feet with him. He was annoyed by his partner's laziness and incompetence, but he also felt a sense of loyalty and friendship towards him.

They entered a room labeled "Shower". They decided to take a break and wash off the dirt and sweat from their bodies after their act. They had fun playing with water in the shower with giggles and laughter.

Blend even noticed that his hand had gotten wrinkled from being in water for too long. He felt refreshed and relaxed after the shower, forgetting about his failed script and his partner's laziness for a moment.