Godfather's System

Choice - 14

Toross walked away, leaving me with a critical decision.

Which direction was better? The courtyard was of a known quality. After spending almost a day there, I was very familiar with the layout of the courtyard, including many nooks and crannies I could use to hide. Unfortunately, while it allowed me to hide, it also trapped me in a place I couldn't retreat.

And, that didn't even consider the most important question. Why was Toross trying to bring me there? Maybe he had a path to escape there, some kind of vehicle that I risk using or maybe, he had allies from the sky.

In comparison, downstairs was a complete unknown. The only thing I knew was the soldiers that had been defending the exit were sprawled across the corridor, defeated in a very permanent fashion.nove(l)bi(n.)com

I decided to brace the unknown downstairs. Still, even with the decision made, I had to wait for Toross to reach their room. I focused on my senses, and tried to listen.

As I listened, I heard some kind of movement from the other side of the door. With the magical door muffling the sounds, I wasn't able to do much. I only knew that someone armored was on the other side, currently moving.

And they were not near the door.

Another source of danger, but also an opportunity, especially when combined with my 'obvious' identity as an unconscious victim. I didn't know if the people on the other side were allies or enemies of Toross. If they were his enemies, my little trick would work perfectly.

But even if they were his allies, would Toross react to the disappearance of his prisoner, one that he was planning to exchange for a great deal of money?

Would a traiter trust his allies when his payday had disappeared?

I was more than willing to give it a try.

I waited until Toross disappeared at the end of the corridor to stand up, the sigil I had received from Toross in my hand, and pressed it against the magical keyhole.

The moment the door opened, I dashed down, trying to make as little noise as I could manage, only looking through the crack, enough to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

It wasn't long, but it was enough for me to notice the roof courtyard was not empty. I could already see one soldier, dressed in the exact same silver armor the other soldiers had been wearing. He stood in front of the main tower, pressing something against the entrance.

It wasn't a sigil, but a bigger item, but if his stance was any indicator, it was clear that he had been there for a time, and behind him, I could see another flying vehicle, made of metal, hovering outside the magical dome several more soldiers visible.

I was sure he wasn't one of them I had been gambling the day before, but only through the process of elimination.

I was glad that I didn't choose to go to the courtyard.

Instead, I dashed down the stairs, doing my best to muffle the noise of my footsteps. I hoped that unlocking the gate would give them the wrong idea of where I was going, especially with the slow pace at which the gate moved.

Was that risky, certainly, but otherwise, Toross would know exactly in which direction I had escaped. I didn't think I could run faster than him, especially since I would be running through the unfamiliar ground.

As I rushed down the stairs, as fast as I could without my footsteps exploding, glad that I was barefooted, I listened for Toross' footsteps, expecting him to react to the sound of the opening with an explosive rush.

Yet, when I heard his footsteps again, I was already at the bottom of the stairs, just a few feet away from the area where we had been gambling, a few pieces of silver still on the ground. I decided to waste a few precious seconds picking the two biggest pieces and putting them in my pockets, one on each side.

I had no idea whether they would be useful, but having and not needing them was better than the opposite. Even then, I limited myself to only two. Having some kind of wealth was nice, but not when it would risk them clanging as I ran forward.

Only when I was at the end of the corridor, facing yet another locked gate, I paused. Should I open it, risking making a noise, or trust that I had managed to read Toross' mentality correctly, relying on instincts that I had developed while dealing with dregs of the society during my long life?

A few seconds weren't too much to waste, I decided, especially if the worst came to the worst, I could open the door but lay in front, continuing to fake my coma, letting them believe that whoever kidnapped me had chickened out, abandoned me.

Then, I heard the explosive voice of Toross, loud as an elephant. "What do you mean he's not here? Do you think I'm an idiot that you can cheat!"

Excellent, I thought, even as I tried to hear the response, but since they chose not to imitated wild animals, I failed to hear them. "Nonsense, he was already fed a skill of the Lord of Destruction, do you think he can just shrug that off and go for a walk? And why is the door open?" Toross shouted once more.

Followed by the sound of clashing metal.

"Success," I whispered in satisfaction as I used Toross' sigil to unlock the other door and took a look of what was on the other side.

Another set of stairs, but this time, it was a more ordinary gray stone rather than high-quality marble decorated with precious stones and metals.

Servants quarters.

Exactly what I needed.

I triggered the door from the other side using the sigil once more, hoping that they were too distracted by their fight to notice the sound of the gate.

Pity I didn't know how to lock it.

Then, I dashed down, climbing down the connected seat of stairs. Soon I reached another corridor one that was made of a dark, porous stone with no decoration. I rushed forward, aware that Toross wouldn't last long against his allies, and that assumed they couldn't talk enough sense to him.

Either way, I was right on time.

I rushed, expanding my newly enhanced senses to avoid the servants that were moving around. It was night, but many servants still moved around, wearing their smooth gray robes.

Luckily, unlike the upstairs, the corridor was blocked with many crates and other items, creating enough barriers for me to stay concealed whenever a servant got too close. I didn't know if any of them had Perception as a Stat, but considering none of them actually reacted to the sound of fighting while the door was open, I guessed that it wasn't particularly intense.

Even better, the corridor soon split into several, giving me a chance to take alternative paths, avoiding the areas with more intense servant activity.

I bobbed and weaved as the servants darted about their tasks, running in and out of many rooms to carry their orders, haste filling their steps. Understandable, as it was hardly something that could be developed without too much chaos.

However, I wasn't just moving forward and trying to stay unseen, but paying attention to what each servant was carrying. Some carried buckets of water, and others lugged around boxes filled with various items, their care showing their value. .

I was searching for something simpler, a search that was completed when I noticed a servant moving around, a bundle of old, gray clothes bundled carelessly, treated like rags. Accurately, if the huge, ragged tear I could see on a dangling sleeve was any indicator.

I could have followed the servant, but rather than that, I waited until the corridor was empty of others, and approached behind him, my breath mixing into my movement as my footsteps timed perfectly with his, using his sound for concealment.

A little trick to make assassinations much more effective. Yet, as I closed forward, there wasn't a blade in my hand.

Instead, I just tripped him, my hand already lashing to grab the clothes of his hand, only to throw myself behind another pile before he could react a simple chain of activities, yet only possible thanks to the abilities that were granted by my new stats, allowing me to move even faster than I had been able to do in my youth.

"Are you cleaning the floor once again, Euon," came a voice before the servant could stand up. Another servant nearer to the end of the corridor.

"Very funny," answered my unfortunate victim as he stood up, touching his wrist, the redness disappearing immediately. "Was that you?"

"Are you blaming me for your clumsiness again" the other servant answered, and they started bickering as they moved away.

As I listened, I stayed behind the pile, rapidly changing out of the bright clothes of the hero, and into the dirty, gray robes of a servant.

I hoped that it be enough for me to walk around unnoticed.