Infiltrating The Cathedral

Tahrren exited the cathedral and waited on the terrace of an inn across the street. Night fell quickly over the eastern plains, and only when the surroundings were completely dark did he take action.

He positioned himself near the gate, analyzing the guards' patrols one last time. Once he was ready and was sure no guard would spot him, he focused for a few seconds and cast a spell beneath his feet. More precisely, he created a little air vacuum beneath and around his boots, preventing sound propagation and allowing him to move silently.

This technique, called Veil of Silence, was usually used to cover the entire body. Belonging to the wind element, and although the theory behind it was simple, it required considerable mana control to master, so only experts in the arts of assassination, espionage, and infiltration could use it to its full potential.

Control that Tahrren, being primarily a warrior, did not possess. Therefore, he contented himself with using it on his feet up to his ankles, the body area most likely to emit noise during movement.

Once his preparations were complete, he jumped over the gate with a spell and slowed his descent in the same way.

Although the Veil of Silence limited sound propagation, it did not eliminate it. He needed to take maximum precautions and avoid any situation able to compromise his position.

He was currently at the far end of the garden, near the west wall of the cathedral. This wall was no less protected than any other facade of the compound but had the distinct advantage of being less illuminated by the adjacent alleys, further reducing the risks Tahrren was taking.

He slipped through the plants, avoiding the paths and overly leafy bushes. He even tried to harmonize with the wind, concealing the rare and faint sounds of his movements among the rustling of the tree foliage.

After long minutes, Tahrren finally managed to approach the wall. Or, more precisely, the entrance he had spotted before. It was wider and more easily accessible than many others, and it also led to a corridor of the nave that directly led to the transept crossing.

However, two guards were constantly stationed in front of this entrance. Moreover, some of the guards' patrols also passed through there. However, Tahrren did not know the frequency of these passages.

Two solutions presented themselves to him: either he patiently waited and analyzed the flow of the guards, or he forced his way through. With several hours ahead of him, he opted for the second solution. After all, the outcome mattered more to him than speed.

He crouched behind one of the trees in the garden and scrutinized the comings and goings of the many men guarding the place.

After an hour of observation, he noticed that three groups of guards took turns crossing the corridor. If the first group passed at a definite moment, the second would pass five minutes later, and the last group ten minutes after the second. Finally, the first group passed again fifteen minutes after.

That was his best window of opportunity, although short. He would have to neutralize the guards stationed at the entrance. In order not to be spotted before leaving, he would have to steal the scepter and exit within this brief timeframe.

He patiently waited for the last group to pass one final time to maximize his window.

Once they were gone, Tahrren rushed towards the two guards stationed in front of the entrance and knocked them unconscious with a gentle yet brutal burst of wind, which had the same effect as a blunt weapon.

He manipulated the wind in such a way that their fall was slowed down, ensuring that no guard was alerted by his swift assault.

He didn't waste a minute and hurried down the corridor. He hugged the walls, taking full advantage of his Veil.

In just a few seconds, he reached the transept crossing. From that moment on, he considered himself in unknown territory.

He knew next to nothing about the positions and patrols of the guards, which prevented him from fully capitalizing on this small victory.

Fortunately, and he was glad about it, he already knew how to bypass the barrier that prevented access to the relics.

He took a deep breath, motivated himself once again, and did his best to stay calm.

That wasn't the first critical situation he had faced, but the stakes this time were higher than ever and went beyond his person. Even the interests of the Holy City were not his priority.

What mattered most to him and held the most interest was his contract with the dwarves. And to give himself at least a chance, he had no choice but to succeed. Today and more than any other day, he was fighting for the sake of the entire world.

Clutching onto a wall, he spied the surroundings from the corridor. Unlike the nave, which had side corridors branching off the main one, the transept crossing was a single, unified space that led to the rest of the cathedral.

He had to be wary, not only of the guards watching the transept, but also those crossing the nave. Fortunately for him, none of them were looking in his direction.

In front of him, however, this time, three guards were facing him. He only had two hands and couldn't use a low-scale spell like before, or else the third guard would have time to notice him. Using a high-scale incantation was, of course, out of the question.

He had no choice but to neutralize the third guard from a distance. Since they were not his enemies, he didn't want to harm them. But faced with this impasse, he had no other option but to accept it.

He discreetly left the corridor and approached the guards. Their gaze was mainly focused on the center of the nave and not the side corridors, where Tahrren was coming from. They didn't notice him, allowing him to get close enough for close combat.

However, before resorting to force, he incanted a wind arrow directly aiming at the farthest guard.

He then rushed towards the two remaining men while sending his arrow. He eliminated them the same way he did with the two guards in the garden.

He eliminated the three men guarding the transept at the same moment, and to prevent their fall from making noise and alerting other soldiers to his presence, he invoked a mass of air just above the ground, forming a cushion.

Once he was rid of the guards, he approached the barrier separating him from the relics while scanning the surroundings to see if other guards were present.

Finally facing the last obstacle separating him from his objective, he couldn't help but let out a brief sigh.

He suspected it at first glance, but now he was certain: beyond being an anti-personnel barrier, it was an incapacitating barrier. Moreover, it was most likely linked to a sound-based wind spell that served as an alarm substitute.

Unfortunately for the Ophelians, Tahrren had learned the art of barriers from their undisputed mistress. Indeed, no one knew more about barriers than his longtime partner and teammate, Amalia.

Using a counter-barrier spell, he managed to penetrate the barrier system. Barrier spells were among the most complex incantations in existence. Beyond simple magical barriers, it was possible to imbue them with specific attributes.

For example, in this case, on top of the base barrier, there was an incapacitating wind spell and a sound spell serving as an alarm. These spells were ruled by more or less complex magical coding, which allowed for the protection and management of these spells.

For instance, it was possible to command the spell to activate only in the presence of a specific being or, conversely, to allow specified people to cross the barrier.

These codes themselves were encrypted by the mage who cast the barrier. The more complex the mage's encryption system, the more difficult it was to modify its attributes.

Two options were available to Tahrren: forcibly breaking the barrier or simply modifying its code. He chose the latter, as the former would have resulted in him being hunted down by all the kingdom knights.

Having been trained to penetrate barriers by his partner, he quickly deciphered it. Although the coding was encrypted, the logic of the spells was still visible to him. He rewrote the code of the two spells to allow himself entry.

He advanced into the heart of the cathedral. Numerous relics were scattered around him. But among them, only Ophelia's scepter interested him.

He tore it from its pedestal and hurried towards the exit, not forgetting to be discreet. He retraced his steps through the corridor, crossed the garden, and jumped over the gate.

He continued to move stealthily and entered an alleyway. There, he sat on the ground with his back against the wall and sighed again, exhaling all the air from his lungs. Finally, a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

"Mission accomplished," he said with a small laugh, raising the scepter towards the sky.