Imperator: Resurrection of an Empire

- ? Perspective -

The wind whispered softly through the moonlit courtyards of the imperial palace, carrying the faint scent of trees and marble dust.

To most, the grand structure represented the invincible might of the Kingdom of Romanus.

Its towering columns and gilded statues of eagle-winged warriors seemed eternal, unassailable.

To Leaf 3, it was just another fortress to conquer.

She crouched silently in the shadows of the outer wall, her black cloak blending seamlessly into the darkness.

A silver crescent moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the manicured gardens and gleaming marble walkways.

Somewhere deep within this labyrinth of stone and gold lay her target—a vault containing confidential military plans.

Plans that her benefactors desperately needed.

Her mission was simple on paper: infiltrate, locate, and extract.

In practice, the odds were stacked against her.

The Praetorian Guard, the kingdom's elite soldiers, patrolled the palace grounds in staggered rotations.

They weren't just soldiers—they were legends, battle-hardened veterans chosen for their loyalty and skill.

Killing one was dangerous.

Killing more than one and staying undetected?

Suicidal.

But Leaf 3 wasn't here to fight, not if she could avoid it.

Shadows were her ally, silence her weapon.

If anyone caught even a glimpse of her, it would mean failure—and death.

She moved like a phantom, sliding along the wall toward the nearest entry point.

Her keen eyes traced the movements of the guards, each step memorized and mapped in her mind.

Four guards on the southern courtyard—two patrolling in opposite directions, one stationed near the central fountain, and another by the palace gate.

The key was patience.

She melted into the shadows of a nearby tree, her dark leather armor swallowing the faint light of the moon.

She waited, heartbeat steady, breath shallow, counting the seconds.

One guard passed within ten paces of her hiding spot, his chestplate glinting faintly in the moonlight.

He yawned, his spear resting lazily on his shoulder.

Amateur, she thought, her lip curling in disdain.

The imperial palace wasn't as impervious as the world believed.

Even the Praetorians could grow complacent.

As soon as he turned the corner, she slipped forward, her soft-soled boots whispering against the stone.

In two heartbeats, she was at the shadow of the wall, pressing herself flat against it.

The fountain guard stood in her path.

She sized him up quickly—taller than the others, wearing a plumed helmet that marked him as a higher rank even within the Praetorians.

His spear rested easily in his hand, but his stance was still disciplined.

He wouldn't be as easy to bypass.

She reached into her belt and withdrew a small clay orb, no larger than a hen's egg.

With a flick of her wrist, she rolled it across the cobblestones.

The orb clinked faintly as it came to a stop near the fountain.

The guard stiffened.

"Who goes there?"

he barked, stepping forward, his spear leveling.

He crept toward the fountain, sound of his cloak grating against the bulk of his chestplate.

The moment his back was to her, Leaf 3 moved.

She darted from her hiding spot, gliding across the courtyard with lethal grace.

Her dagger gleamed briefly before plunging into the gap between the guard's breastplate and his neck.

He gasped, a choked sound, and she caught him before he hit the ground.

In one smooth motion, she dragged his body into the fountain's shadow and mimic'd wiping her blade clean on his crimson cloak.

"One down,"

she murmured under her breath.

Meanwhile the now 'dead' Praetorian could only lay there upon the ground listening to the babbling of the fountain going on nearby while staring up at the stars cursing his own weakness and indolence in his heart.

This was a challenge put out by the king and he'd failed, he'd allowed an assassin to infiltrate and not only that he'd also been 'killed' by that very same assassin without being able to do anything.

As he was reflecting Leaf 3 continued on.

The palace's grand entryway loomed ahead, its gilded doors flanked by two more guards.

These wouldn't be as careless as the last.

Their posture was rigid, their eyes sharp, and they carried curved scuta shields in addition to their spears.

Leaf 3 took a moment to assess her options.

Killing them would be loud.

Too loud.

She needed another way in.

Her eyes flicked to the upper levels of the palace.

Marble columns stretched high above the guards' heads, framing balconies that overlooked the courtyard.

There—a narrow ledge ran along the side of the wall, leading to an open window on the second floor.

Without hesitation, she scaled the nearest column, her gloved hands finding the faintest grooves in the stone.

Her training had turned her body into a machine of precision and strength, and she reached the ledge within seconds.

She edged along the narrow strip of stone, her body pressed tightly to the wall.

Below, the guards stood motionless, oblivious to the shadow creeping above them.

Reaching the window, she slipped inside and found herself in a dimly lit corridor.

Rich tapestries adorned the walls, depicting the conquests of Romanus in intricate detail which were being added to all the time.

Her target was near now.

She could feel it.

But at the same time with victory so close she was even more on alert, the number of guards protecting the palace exterior were lesser overlooking the wide area the palace ground covered while inside there were dozens more and ever last sound made would alert them to her presence.

Her training had prepared her but now that she was actually doing it, she found she could not steady her pulse.

Discovery meant 'death' and that was not something she ever wanted to face again.

Steeling her resolve once more Leaf 3 entered through the second floor window and into the Palace corridor.

She was close to halfway there, find the vault and all she'd need to do after that was escape with the contents.

Her graduation as an agent was within her grasp and she meant to take it.