Chapter 9: The Midnight Infiltration
The Sterling estate at midnight was a place of silence.
The grounds were illuminated only by the pale light of a shattered moon and the occasional flicker of magical runic lamps mounted on the towering stone walls.
For a normal servant this was the time to be fast asleep in the cramped dormitories while praying to the Goddess that tomorrow would bring slightly less backbreaking labor.
For Leon it was the time to risk his entire second life on a completely unhinged heist orchestrated by a digital degenerate living inside his head.
He crouched behind a perfectly trimmed hedge in the lower courtyard and watched a pair of estate guards march past his hiding spot.
These men were clad in heavy steel armor etched with glowing blue runes that enhanced their stamina and durability.
They were Adept level Aura Knights who formed the backbone of the noble family’s private military force.
Their heavy iron boots struck the cobblestones with a synchronized rhythm that sounded like a ticking clock counting down to Leon’s inevitable execution.
In this brutal hierarchy of magical supremacy a common servant caught wandering near the female bathhouse would not even get a trial.
The guards would simply sever his head from his shoulders and toss his body into the incinerator before the sun came up.
Leon desperately needed the system rewards to survive this harsh reality.
The promised ten points of Strength and the Basic Stealth Cloak were invaluable tools that would elevate him entirely out of the pathetic weakling category.
He waited until the two armored guards turned the corner toward the main armory before he activated his newly acquired Agility.
The fifteen points of Agility coursing through his muscles made his body feel incredibly light and responsive.
He pushed off the ground and sprinted across the open courtyard with a speed that completely shocked him.
His boots barely made a sound against the stone path as he rapidly closed the distance to the isolated building designated for the senior female staff.
He also relied heavily on his Minor Mana Concealment skill to wrap a cool invisible shroud around his novice core to ensure the magically sensitive guards could not detect his presence from afar.
The communal female servant bathhouse was a sturdy wooden structure built over a natural hot spring near the western edge of the estate. Thick plumes of white steam billowed out from the small ventilation windows near the slanted roof and filled the surrounding air with the intoxicating scent of floral soaps and crushed lavender.
Leon pressed his back against the damp wooden wall of the building and forced his violently racing heart to slow down.
The penalty for failing this quest was permanent paralysis of his left arm which would render him entirely useless in a fight and effectively end his life in this ruthless world.
He looked up at a slightly ajar ventilation window located about ten feet off the ground.
The old Leon would have needed a ladder and twenty minutes of agonizing effort to reach it. The current Leon simply bent his knees and channeled his newly awakened mana into his calves.
He launched himself upward with a powerful vertical leap and grabbed the wooden windowsill with a firm grip. His ten points of Strength made pulling his own body weight up feel as effortless as lifting a wooden spoon.
He squeezed his head and shoulders through the narrow opening and carefully lowered himself onto the wooden rafters overlooking the main bathing area.
The sheer wave of intense heat and humidity instantly assaulted his senses and caused a layer of sweat to form on his forehead. He lay perfectly flat on the thick wooden beam and peered down into the thick fog filling the room below.
The bathhouse was divided into a large stone pool filled with steaming mineral water and a separate changing area lined with wooden benches and woven storage baskets.
The glowing runic lamps on the walls left a soft amber light through the swirling mist and created an incredibly sensual atmosphere. Leon held his breath as the unmistakable sound of water splashing echoed gently against the tiled walls.
Through the thick curtain of steam he could just barely make out the breathtaking silhouette of Elara wading into the center of the hot spring.
The Head Cook had her long dark hair pinned up in a messy bun to keep it dry while the warm water lapped gently against her slender waist.
Even obscured by the fog her incredibly voluptuous figure was a sight that could bring most common men to their knees.
Her wide hips and massive chest completely defied logic and Leon suddenly felt a profound sense of gratitude for the system forcing him into this wildly inappropriate situation.
However he could not afford to get completely distracted by the gorgeous woman bathing below him.
The system timer was rapidly ticking away in his peripheral vision and he still needed to complete the most dangerous part of his midnight mission.
He carefully crawled along the wooden rafter until he was directly positioned over the designated changing area where the senior maids left their uniforms.
He utilized his passive Lie Detector skill to read the subtle fluctuations in the room.
He could see a faint aura of deep frustration and lingering embarrassment radiating from Elara in the pool.
She was violently scrubbing her arms with a coarse sponge and angrily muttering under her breath about arrogant little floor sweepers who did not know their proper place.
The fact that he was currently occupying her every thought brought a deeply satisfied smirk to his face.
Leon silently dropped down from the rafters and landed perfectly softly on the damp wooden floorboards of the changing area. His enhanced agility absorbed the impact entirely and prevented his boots from making even the slightest squeak.
He quickly scanned the row of woven baskets until he found the one containing Elara’s neatly folded black and white maid uniform. Her pristine white apron was resting right on top of the pile just waiting to be stolen.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of parchment and a charcoal pencil he had smuggled from the kitchens earlier that evening.
He needed to leave a bold note to fulfill the final requirement of his unhinged quest but his mind suddenly went completely blank.
Writing a provocative letter to a tyrannical woman who actively wanted to throw him in the dungeon required a very specific type of suicidal confidence.
Before he could finish writing the first sentence the sound of splashing water abruptly stopped.
Leon froze in place as he heard the unmistakable sound of wet bare feet stepping out of the hot spring and slapping softly against the stone tiles.
Elara was done bathing and she was walking directly toward the changing area where he was currently standing.
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