Chapter 58: Infiltration
The manor was so large and had so many servants that it was difficult to know who was who. The constant turnover of staff, combined with Lord Wade’s method of dismissing the older ones to recruit newcomers, created a perfect instability for an infiltration.
Andromeda intended to use this flaw to her advantage. She closed the documents and stored them in her cape before blowing out the candle.
...
Night had fallen long ago when Andromeda reached the outskirts of Lord Wade’s manor. She hid in the shadow of a large tree. Being a fourth sense Chi user, she could easily mask her presence, making her chi almost undetectable even to the most experienced guards.
Guards patrolled along the perimeter walls. Andromeda waited patiently, observing the movements, counting the intervals between the rounds.
It was then that she saw a feminine silhouette hurriedly exit the manor through a side door. The servant advanced staggering, her sobs muffled by her trembling hands. Her clothes were completely torn, revealing red marks on her arms and neck. She seemed barely able to stand.
Andromeda suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. The servant jumped, raising eyes reddened and swollen by tears.
Upon seeing Andromeda’s outfit, especially with her clothes, the servant immediately knew who she was dealing with....it was an assassin. Her face fell apart even more, if that was possible. She opened her mouth to scream, but Andromeda was faster.
< Third Sense of Wyrm: Domain of the Serpents >
A flow of Chi escaped from her body, enveloping the space around them in an invisible barrier. The servant found herself trapped in an energy field that completely blocked the surrounding space. No one could hear or see them inside this bubble.
"Answer my questions and there will be no problem," declared Andromeda in a calm but firm voice.
The servant looked at her, her eyes filled with terror and despair. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out for a few seconds. Finally, she spoke in a broken voice: "I prefer to die... after what I just experienced... die rather than continue to suffer."
She lowered her eyes to her tattered clothes, and Andromeda immediately understood what she had endured. Anger rose in her, a cold rage that made her fists tremble. Lord Wade deserved far worse than what she had planned to do to him...
Andromeda gently approached the servant, lowering her voice to adopt a more reassuring tone. "Listen to me carefully. I came specifically for Wade. I am going to take care of him. But to succeed, I need your help."
She paused. "If you want to take revenge for what he did to you, you should help me. Give me the information I need, and I promise you he will pay for his crimes."
The servant trembled from head to toe. Her tears continued to flow, but something changed in her gaze. A glimmer of hope mixed with hatred appeared deep in her eyes. She slowly nodded while sniffing.
"Good," said Andromeda while slightly releasing the pressure of her barrier. "Tell me about the manor. How does it work here? Where do the servants live? What are their tasks? Everything you know."
The servant took a deep breath to calm herself, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her voice was still trembling, but she managed to speak coherently. "The servants sleep in the north quarters of the manor, on the ground floor. We are separated by function... there are those who take care of the kitchen, those who do the cleaning, and those who... who are called to Lord Wade’s apartments." She shuddered at those last words, her face tensing from the memory. "He calls us in shifts. The guards know that we must not ask questions. We must stay silent and obey."
Andromeda listened attentively, memorizing every detail. "And the new arrivals? How are they integrated?"
"We arrive through the servants’ entrance, to the west," explained the servant, vaguely pointing in the direction of the manor. "We are given a uniform and assigned a task... With the number of girls who constantly leave and arrive, no one knows everyone. If you enter wearing a uniform and keeping your head down, no one will know you are an intruder."
A satisfied smile touched Andromeda’s lips. It was exactly what she had hoped for. "Perfect. Now, I will need your clothes."
The servant looked at her with a mix of confusion and relief. Without a word, she began to remove her torn dress. Andromeda did the same, quickly exchanging their outfits. The servant’s dress was too small for her, but she managed to adjust it as best she could.
"Take this money," said Andromeda while handing her a well-filled purse. "Flee this city. Go as far as possible and start a new life."
The servant seized the purse with trembling hands, her eyes widening at the substantial sum it contained. "But... how am I going to get out? The guards are everywhere."
Andromeda placed a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. "I will take care of that."
She used her Chi, creating a wave of pressure that gently propelled the servant outside the perimeter wall. The young woman landed on the other side, on grassy ground, and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Andromeda deactivated the barrier around her and advanced toward the side door through which the servant had exited. She now had to blend in with the others, find a way to approach Lord Wade.
She headed toward the servants’ area. She kept her head down, as she had seen the servant do, hoping to go unnoticed.
But she had not taken three steps when a deep voice called out to her.
"What are you doing here at this hour?"
Andromeda stopped. She immediately recognized the voice of a guard.
"Lord Wade had called for me," she replied in a submissive voice.
The guard approached her. He scrutinized her for a moment, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. But Andromeda kept her head lowered.
’With her clothes... She must have gone through a bad time...’ thought the guard while sighing. He did not approve of what his master did, but in this world it was better to mind one’s own business.
"Hmm, I see... Don’t stay outside. Go change and join the others in the north quarters."
"Yes, sir," murmured Andromeda before quickly moving away.
...
Two weeks had passed since Andromeda had infiltrated Lord Wade’s manor. She had perfectly integrated among the fifty servants, learning the routines and the dynamics of this place she despised more and more.