Crawling In the shadows

My skills leveled a bit but I'm not in top condition, and considering how weak this body is, even being in my top condition is still bad. That stupid knight almost broke my ribs, even now the bruises on my back and shoulders still hurt.

*****

Name: Liam Leonard.

Race: Human.

Soul Record: Black.

Level: 1

Strength: 2

Speed: 1

Mana: 1

Special ability:

[Dodge: Level 2]

[Sharpening: Level 3]

[Halberd Arts: Level 2]

[Scimitar Arts: Level 2]

******

How many people know about me? Is it the lord alone? Does his family know? I doubt that Knight knew who I was or he would've chopped my head when he had the chance.

Liam started sneaking around the garden between the bushes, making sure to watch his surroundings for any movement or a far observer. He quickly reached the end of the bushes and had to make his way into the main building.

There was no direct path leading to the mansion, everything was exposed so sneaking there in the middle of the day seemed impossible, but he could see a possible way. There was a small channel dug in the ground and covered with hole-filled marble slabs used to direct rainwater into the bushes and flower beds…It linked the bush he was into the bushes right beside the mansion wall. If he could crawl in it, he could make it into the wall and enter through one of the windows.

I shouldn't get discovered before I get to his wife and children, taking them as hostages would be best. But, if I use this channel, my shoes will get wet and I'll be leaving traces of water, dirt, and stench. I just bought those clothes so I don't want to ruin them.

Liam looked around and growled. No, this lord would have far more clothes and money inside, it's worth it. For tracks, I can just take my clothes off and knock one of the maids. I'd hate to disguise as one, but I don't care if it'll get me to the goal.

He lifted one of the marble plates, crawled inside the channel, and covered himself. A maid my size, I need to kill one and take her uniform, I'll then use that to sneak around. He started crawling toward the mansion, but then he could hear some girls talking.

Liam stopped moving and breathing, he started up from the holes in the plates covering the channel and waited for whoever was passing to leave.

As he waited, three maids walked by and stopped right above the channel where he was hiding. "Did you hear anything?"

"The lord berated Sir Ricardo; He let a guest escape…"

"Sir Ricardo never takes his job seriously, but you can't blame him…" They talked for a while, all while Liam had a direct view of what was beneath their skirts, and he was surprised, frightened, and bewildered. Weapons, toxins, daggers, and even guns, those maids were armed to the teeth beneath their clothes.

Damn it, my plan won't work. Liam growled. Forget killing one and taking her uniform, they'll kill me instead. The mansion guards are just for show, the maids are the real protection. And judging by the type of weapons they carry, they are also the lord's assassin squad.

There isn't a single noble or lord who is a stranger to assassinations and shady business. All of them have their guards and battalions of knights, but those are the ones seen by the public. Nobles regularly interact with assassins by hiring them to murder someone, but few can employ them to work for them on extended contracts. Rich nobles and lords could have private assassin groups working for them, but this was the first time Liam saw it as maids and such a huge number of them.

Liam looked once again at the maid's legs. Their muscles were well-tuned signaling a high level of power and expertise, they weren't only doing maid jobs, those are active guards and killers.

Change of plan, I need to avoid all the maids at any cost. I doubt I can assassinate one of them, and even If I did manage to kill one, it's unlikely that I could do it cleanly and keep her clothes usable. And they also might alert everyone else.

[Sneak: Level 1]

Got a new skill, but as a level 1 it won't help me hide from the maids for long. Liam waited for the maids to leave before making his way to the bushes beside the main building walls.

Normally, I would find a window and jump in, but now I need to find all the maids and determine their location, I can't risk getting spotted by one. He started slowly walking around the house and looking through the windows, waiting for his clothes to dry a bit.

On the first window, he saw the lord's younger sister in the toilet. She walked in with a maid by her side and another guard at the door. Damn it, do they follow them in there? And two maids nonetheless? I can't take her as a hostage, let's look for another one.

He kept looking and reached the window of a room. He could see a young boy asleep in his bed with a maid at his side, another sitting on the couch as a watch, and another at the door. Here as well?! How am I supposed to get in?

Liam went to the next window and looked inside, this was the kitchen and he could see over seven maids cooking. With how busy they were, they clearly were anticipating a guest today. Is this why they are on high alert? No, the lord must've told them about me, they are guarding everyone as they expect me to attack them. I must find a way around this situation.

He growled…I didn't want to do this, but they left me no choice. I'll destroy this whole place and burn it to the ground. Why…why, this is supposed to be a new life, I didn't even resurrect, why do people never leave me at peace? I'm certain I never heard of this lord before, I last ruled in this world several centuries in the past, humans can't live that long.

No! Calm down, myself. There is no need to kill everyone here. I can just run away and hide for several months and wait for them to forget… No! They didn't forget even after centuries, there is no way that'll work. I can run away, but they'll keep hunting me…I have to kill everyone here, erase every last trace…no, the whole city, I must erase it…burn them down, destroy every last one that stands in my way.

Liam changed his mind quickly. They are nobles, they must own a luxurious bath, and the water is usually heated with a fire crystal. If I can get my hands on it, I'll burn this whole mansion to the ground in seconds. He started crawling around, looking for a safe way into the mansion.

Soon, he found a small window leading to the basement. With a quick look inside, the room was filled with food; it was the mansion's storage.

Good, there are no maids inside, I should be able to make it through there, and since it's already the basement, I should be able to get to the fire crystal quickly as it's usually stored under the bath.

The fire crystal is usually the size of a melon and is suspended in a large water tank underground. It can be activated with a simple surge of mana so almost anyone can operate it. The whole heating system works by using the crystal to heat the water inside the tank then pumping it into the bath with a regular hand pump, and is usually operated by maids.

As Liam crawled into the basement, a maid approached from the bushes and squatted beside the basement's window, looking at him inside. He's been crawling everywhere, should I tell the lord or just dispose of him… I doubt he knows I'm tailing him everywhere due to my skills, but I'll just stay back and watch if he's up to something bad.