NOVEL WEB Chapter 15: The count's house
Zane walked into the room. It had a large bed that could accommodate two people—not that they needed sleep, though. There was a large wooden wardrobe, a reading table, and cabinets beside the bed.
On the wall were two glass oil lamps hanging. They were connected through an oil tap within the walls. All you had to do to get light was twist the knob—the wick would be dipped in oil, and as it flicked out, a flint and steel would rub against each other, causing a spark that would ignite the wick.
It was one of the trivial bits of knowledge that came early on in the game. Zane walked to the bed and sat down, leaning his back against the headboard.
Lucy stood at the door like a guard. Zane looked at her with confusion. "Why are you standing there?" he asked.
"Uhmm..." She didn't have a reply. She simply stood there because she felt she was his servant and shouldn't be too close to him in a room.
"Try to be free, Lucy. You might be my servant, but you are more than that—a partner even—because without you, I would have died a long time ago," Zane said.
"I was only carrying out my task, Master," she said.
"It doesn't matter. Just be at ease," Zane said. She nodded and walked to the bed. She sat down. There was still a bit of stiffness in her, but it was better.
"So, what are we going to do now, Master?" she asked.
"Wait until night. You recall that Count we saw, right? I want to kill him tonight," Zane said.
"Kill him? Do you want his blood or something, Master?" she asked.
'Should I tell her I'm a player? How would she take that? But she is sworn to me. She wouldn't do anything, right? Sigh...'
"Lucy, you know how you have secrets that you can't tell me, right? There are also things I can't tell you for now. I trust you, but I simply can't," Zane said.
She nodded immediately. "You don't have to worry, Master. I'll always follow you regardless of anything," she said with a smile.
"Thank you," Zane said. He heaved a deep sigh of relief in his heart and then spoke. "That Count is running an underground fight competition, and it's had a lot of children and old people fighting against their will because of slavery."
"And you want to save them, Master?" she asked.
"Save them? Not particularly. In killing him and everyone involved, they will get freedom, but honestly, my task is not exactly to free them. That is simply what I'd say is a bonus that benefits the world," Zane said.
"I understand, Master," she said.
"Alright, tell me—you said someone was watching me. Who?" Zane asked.
"I can't say who, but when we left the square, someone followed us. They tried to hide, but I could hear and smell them," Lucy said.
"Someone was skilled enough to escape my eye and almost completely escape your senses as well, in this city? That's very suspicious," Zane muttered. He looked out the window for a few seconds and then looked back at her.
"So, do you sense them now?" he asked. She shook her head. "Seems they have left," she said.
Zane was a little on guard after that. Someone had their eyes on him. What could be the reason? And who would be that skilled enough to do that?
His mind was already racing for answers, but there was nothing coming, so he had to let it be for now.
Time slowly trickled by, and it was finally night. The veil of darkness covered the city. Only the light of lamps could be seen fighting against the darkness, but their dim light did very little.
Zane and Lucy used the window of their room to get out of the building and onto the roof. He looked in one direction—the place with the highest light, near the Count's manor.
It had crystal-powered lamps all over, and it stood out when compared to the other homes with its pure and clear light.
Zane already knew that the manor was the easiest way for him to get in. The two of them dashed forward, leaping from house to house so fast that they seemed like shadows.
They arrived at the manor, just outside the compound. It was a massive building, and guards marched around it, carrying out their night duty, but Zane couldn't care less.
"Lucy, go through the front, and I'll go through the back. Take out the guards as quickly as possible. You can kill if you need to. Meet me inside the house," Zane said. She nodded in response.
He ran through the side of the manor, keeping his head low. He got to the back and jumped over the fence. Immediately his feet touched the ground, he used Shadow Merge.
His physical body fused into the shadows. He moved along the shadows, headed for the house. A guard with a lamp passed, shining light in Zane's direction. Zane moved fast, got behind the guard, and slit his throat quickly.
The guard's body fell to the ground. Zane tasted the blood before he continued on his way in.
[You have gained 2 stat points]
'I know these are real people, yet I kill them without batting an eye. Is it because I'm a vampire?' Zane asked himself the same question that had been troubling him for a while.
But now was not the time for too much thinking. He took out two more guards and made it to the house.
[You have gained 2 stat points]
[You have gained 2 stat points]
He held the knob and twisted and pulled it out, breaking the lock. He pushed the door and walked into the house.