Chapter 224: [224] Robers

Artie was leaning on the edge of a large ornate window, staring at the sky with a stoic expression on her face.

Today’s sky was beautiful, at least to her. All the stars were hidden behind a veil of clouds, trapping the light underneath them.

Because of this, they glowed with a strange sort of luminescence. Regardless, it was a darker night than most.

“That ceremony was way too long!” A voice came from beside her. “That little kid just kept yapping for hours!”

Artie chuckled and turned in the direction of the voice, just in time to see Yennefer sink into her chair with a dramatic frown on her face.

“He’s actually the Archmage, you know?”

“Pfft.” Yennefer turned to stare at her, then smiled. “The whole witch outfit was really worth it though, I’m not going to lie.”

Artie raised her arm, glancing at the intricate patterns on her clothing.

“I guess…”

She was in a dark purple mage’s robe made of the finest quality materials.

Her large witch’s hat was by far the most uncomfortable part of the outfit. It covered part of her face, her red hair spilling down from underneath it.

She had also been given a staff as well, but the one Eliron bought her was superior, so she kept it back in her room.

Speaking of Eliron…

’I wonder what he will think…’ Artie mused, a smile unconsciously sneaking up on her face.

“Getting an organisation uniform will be pretty cool, wouldn’t it?” Yen stared up at the ceiling, twirling her silver hair with her finger.

“Well, you could always take the exams to become an official priest. I’m sure you will pass with flying colours.”

“Sounds like work.” Yennefer yawned. “I would rather spend that time doing something more… fruitful…”

Artie folded her hands across her chest, a puzzled look on her face. “Like what?”

“Uhum!” She cleared her throat, avoiding Artie’s gaze.

“W-why are you still wearing it though?”

It was an obvious attempt to change the topic, but Artie answered anyway.

“Weren’t you paying attention during the ceremony?” She tiredly frowned.

Now that she thought of it, Yen seemed far more invested in the food than anything else.

’Both her and that sly fox.’ Artie thought as she glanced at Tsukiko, who was sprawled over on the floor, sleeping.

“After the indoctrination, it is customary that the new wizards take up roles in the palace for twenty-four hours.” She explained.

According to the Archmage, it was to strengthen the relationship between royalty and the tower.

There were two other wizards who were indoctrinated that day. While she was told to guard this location, one was at the gate, while the other was at the armoury.

“We are to remain in uniform during this time. Our robes are like our armour, you know?”

“Working you guys on your first day, that is pretty brutal.”

Yen glanced at the hall they were in, then asked, “And where does this hall lead to again?”

Artie glanced down the hall as well. The place was lit up with several magical lamps that lined the walls, yet shadows clung to the edges, giving the place a very eerie appearance.

“The treasury…” Artie replied calmly.

“I see…” Yen got up from her chair and stretched, walking up to the window to stand next to Artie.

“We better guard it well then… hmm, I wonder what evil Eliron is up to right now.”

<•••>

“Achooo!” Eliron sneezed into the bush he was hiding in.

The prince stared at him with wide eyes. “Are you trying to get us caught?! My God, I’m going to get thrown in jail, aren’t I?”

“Calm your balls, old man.” Eliron sneered. “We’re not going to get caught as long as you follow my instructions.”

They had worn the same rogue masks Alex had used in the past, and dressed in all black. Even if they were caught, they would be impossible to identify.

“Alright, how many guards are we expecting?” Eliron was slowly hitting a wooden bat on his palm as he stared at the large castle.

“I must first ask you, Lord Eliron. What are you trying to steal? We are in the midst of war, I would appreciate it if you did not touch any of our royal relics…” the prince said with a grumpy smile on his face.

“Very patriotic for a robber, aren’t you?” Eliron smirked, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

“Please don’t degrade me like that, Lord Eliron.”

“Don’t worry, of course I won’t steal your artifacts.” Eliron chuckled. “Who do you think I am, huh? A thief?”

Alex glanced at him from behind his mask, a wary look in his eyes, but he swallowed his response.

He sighed and shook his head. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. This is what we should expect…”

When he finished speaking, Eliron grinned wide. “Let’s get the stealing started!” he said, just as he dashed out of the bushes.

’God help me tonight…’ Alex thought as he scurried after him.

<••>

Five castle guards were standing next to a large door, their swords hanging by their sides as they chatted amongst themselves.

“I’m tired of this place, man. Every day we repeat the same boring shit.” One of the guards hissed.

“Fool.” The guard next to him shook his head. “Action is never a good thing. Would you rather be drafted to the war?”

“Exactly, Jason talks big but stayed back here instead of volunteering to join the war, hehe.” Another guard joked.

“You fool!” Jason barked, his face tight with rage. “You all just want an easy life and you claim to be warriors?! Useless!”

Without waiting for a response, he stormed down the hall, taking a bend to the right.

The sound of his footsteps echoed through the silent hall, and then they suddenly stopped.

Bang!

A loud sound followed, causing them to all stand at attention, their eyes locked on the hallway.

“Did you hear that?!”

“I did, what the hell was that?”

Then all of a sudden, Jason suddenly ran back towards them, his sword already unsheathed. “Damn it, the door has been breached!”

“Breached?! Who would have done such a thi—”

“Hello, little boys. A fine evening we are having, is it not?”

A jovial voice came from behind the knights. They all turned around to see a man in purely black clothing and a black mask staring at them.

Apart from a rickety bat, he had no other weapons with him.

“What the hell? How did a petty thief manage to get this deep into the palace?!” One of the guards asked in awe.

There were about ten different groups before them, it should have been impossible to get by them, unless—

“Step aside!” Jason had a wide smile on his face. “Finally, some god damn action.”

“Step aside!” He pushed the other guards aside. “I’ll cut down that filthy thug.”

Jason charged, his blade cutting a neat arc through the air as it raced towards the man’s neck.

Swish!

To his surprise, the man leaned back with ease, the sword whistling as it cut right above his head, the blade just a few inches away from his jaw.

It was not that the man could not go lower, he had just decided that there was no point in moving further away.

“Don’t underestimate me, you bastard!” Jason screamed at the top of his voice, swinging the blade viciously.

“Hahaha, that’s the spirit!” The masked man screamed back, mirth in his voice as he swung his bat.

Crack—!

A deathly silence filled the hall.

Jason’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, his hand trembling, just before he crumbled to the ground like a wet piece of paper.

…Eliron had slammed the bat right into his nether regions!

“What the hell are you doing?!” Another masked man appeared from the shadows. “Are you trying to render the castle guards impotent?!”

“Hey, he was wide open, you expected me to not take the shot?!”

“How dare you!” One by one, the guards raced towards him, only to be brought down without putting up a fight.

But the last guard, he was a little smarter than the rest. He turned around and sprinted towards the exit, running as fast as he could.

’He’s a lunatic!’

“And where do you think you’re going?” The masked man appeared right in front of him, his bat racing through the air.

“HELP HELP!!” The man screamed, his hands covering his privates rather than holding his sword.

“Don’t bother screaming…” the masked man smirked. “I’ve soundproofed the entire hall.”

Crack!

••

A few seconds later, Eliron and Alex were ascending the stairs, running towards what was to be their last hurdle.

But the moment they kicked the door open and rushed into the room, Eliron’s eyes widened in shock.

“?!!”

There were two beautiful women in the room, the first had vibrant red hair and eyes. She was in a witch’s robe and had a large hat that obscured her features.

The other had silver hair, flawless skin, and golden eyes that gleamed even in the partially dark hall.

Artie stared at Eliron with a blank expression on her face, while Yennefer paused mid-bite, her jerky still in her mouth.

’Hehhh? What are they doing here?!’

And then, to his horror, Yennefer cocked her head to the side, just before she swallowed a large breath and screamed—

“DIRTY THEIFFFFFF!”

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