While walking out of the forest, Renya muttered to herself, "It's getting dark... Time for me to take action."
Her steps quickened as she headed towards the city of Handelsfurt. Upon arriving at her usual inn, she entered quietly and changed into the uniform she wore when on duty—dark, sleek, and suited for infiltration.
As night fell completely, Renya opened the window of her room and slipped out silently, landing lightly on the roof with a "tap... tap". With a few agile jumps, she moved into position and crouched on a higher rooftop.
Looking out over the busy Adventurer Guild building, she narrowed her eyes.
"Quite a lot... yeah," she muttered, pulling out the thermal binoculars Paul had given her.
She surveyed the area through the lenses, tracking movement. Groups of adventurers still walked in and out, laughter and shouting echoing faintly from below.
With a small sigh, she whispered, "Looks like I have to wait a little longer."
Two hours later...
The guild building was finally quiet. The lights inside flickered low, and only the faintest signs of movement remained—perhaps one or two staff wrapping up for the night.
Renya took a deep breath.
"It's time."
With a swift motion, she activated her stealth skill—
"[Vanishing Mist]."
Her body shimmered and faded into a translucent shadow.
In a blink, she slipped from the rooftop to the ground and entered the building through a service door left slightly ajar. She moved quickly but silently, her steps calculated.
She climbed the stairs with fluid grace, and upon reaching the second floor, scanned the hallway. Her eyes moved across the labeled doors:
Rank Assessment Room
Inventory & Loot Room
Adventurer Archives & Data
Guildmaster Office
Staff & Vice Guild Master Office
She paused in front of the last one, narrowing her eyes.
"Found it."
After arriving at the Staff & Vice Guild Master Office, Renya tapped the tiny communication crystal at her ear and whispered in a barely audible voice,"Prince... the Vice Guild Master shares a room with the staff. The Guild Master's Office is separate."
A short moment later, Paul's calm yet firm voice replied through the crystal,"Install the device in both rooms. Make sure it can pick up sound from all corners."
As Renya moved to respond, beginning with, "Rog—", Paul interrupted her again,"One more thing. The Archive Room... Is it a separate room, or connected to either office?"
Renya paused for a split second, puzzled.The Archive Room? she thought. What does he need that for...?
Still, she remained composed and replied softly,"No. The room is separate from the other two."
She glanced down both ends of the corridor, checking for any signs of movement. The hallway was silent.
Paul's voice came through again, firmer this time."Install devices in all three rooms. And place one above the entrance to the Archive Room. Understood?"
Without hesitation this time, Renya responded,"Roger."
Moving swiftly and silently, she slipped toward the Archive Room, her eyes scanning for patrols or wandering staff.
After entering and placing the mic device carefully in a hidden spot that could pick up sounds from every corner of the Archive Room, Renya quietly stepped out and moved toward the Vice Guild Master & Staff Office.
As she slipped inside and examined the space, she murmured into the communication crystal,"Prince... the room isn't divided after all... is it...?" her voice laced with uncertainty.
Paul's voice responded steadily through her earpiece,"We don't know for sure. But it's better to be thorough. Place it anyway."
"Roger," Renya replied with a short nod, already scouting for the best location.
With quick, precise hands, she installed the mic device behind a decorative wall trim, its range covering the entire room. Once done, she immediately moved toward the Guild Master's Office.
The door was locked, but she didn't hesitate—she reached into her pouch and retrieved the multipurpose key Paul had designed. The click was almost inaudible, and the door creaked open just enough for her to slip inside.
Inside, the room was darker and more formal, lined with old books and a heavy wooden desk. Without wasting time, Renya planted the final mic device near the ceiling corner—perfectly placed to pick up voices from all directions.
Just as she turned to leave—
Clack... Clack... Clack...
She froze. Someone was walking toward the Guild Master's Office.
The sound echoed faintly through the still-open crystal link, and Paul, who had been monitoring through the call, quickly whispered,"Hide."His voice was calm, serious, but urgent.
Hearing that, Renya immediately threw a rope toward the roof beam, tied it swiftly, and pulled herself up toward the ceiling. With quick, trained movements, she secured her body above the beams, hidden in the shadows.
Then, in a hushed voice, she whispered,"[Vanishing Mist]."
A gentle shimmer cloaked her body, and she vanished from sight—just in time.
Creak—
The door slowly opened.
A middle-aged man stepped in, frowning."Strange... I feel like I closed this door," he muttered, looking around the room with suspicion before shutting it again behind him.
He walked toward the desk, sat down, and began sorting through a stack of letters.
As he read one particular letter, his expression turned sour. It was about the mission cancellation—specifically, Greta.
"Really... too much," he mumbled while shaking his head, clearly displeased. His pen scratched across the page as he signed the document.
Knock knock.
A soft knock came from the door.
"Chief, may I come in?" a gentle female voice asked from outside.
" Yes "
After Carla opened the door and entered, the Guild Master looked up and smiled."Oh, Carla. What are you doing here?" he asked warmly.
Hearing that, Carla approached and said,"Chief, there's a letter for you..."She handed over the envelope she carried.
The Guild Master took it and replied,"Thank you,"before opening the letter and reading its contents carefully.
Once he finished, he stacked it neatly with the other signed documents in the designated pile on the document shelf.
When everything was done, he looked at Carla and asked,"Are there any more documents I need to sign?"
Carla shook her head confidently."No, Guild Master. That was the last one."
Hearing that, the Guild Master stood up, stretching slightly, and said,"Alright then... Let's call it a day. Let's—"he paused mid-sentence, then resumed casually,"Let's wrap up."He began walking toward the door.
Carla nodded and followed behind him, replying,"Yes, Guild Master."
Before Carla closed the door, the Guild Master's voice called out,
"Don't forget to lock it, okay?" as he walked down toward the first floor.
Hearing that, Carla responded,
"Yes—"
The door closed behind her with a CLICK—it was locked.
After confirming no one was in the room, Renya loosened her rope and quietly descended from the ceiling. She walked toward the window, unlocked it, and said,
"Prince, I'm going out," while gently opening the window.
But just as she was about to leap out, Paul's voice came through the earphone.
"Wait."
Renya froze, waiting in silence for his next instruction.
Paul's voice came again, this time calm but firm,
"Copy the letter."
Renya furrowed her brow in confusion.
"The one the Guild Master just read?"
She glanced toward the pile of documents.
"Yes," Paul confirmed through the radio.
"And it must be exactly the same as the original."
While Renya searched for the specific letter in the stack, Paul continued,
"And once it's copied, put it back in the exact same position it was in."
His tone was serious and precise.
Finding the letter, Renya took a nearby pen and ink and began to transcribe its contents with careful strokes.
"Roger," she said quietly, calm and focused as she began copying.
After finishing the imitation of the letter and returning the original letter, document, ink, and pen to their original places, Renya said,
"Done, Prince," while waiting for Paul's next instructions.
Hearing that, Paul responded in a calm tone,
"You can come back here."
Renya immediately opened the window and said,
"Roger," and then exited through the window, quietly closing it behind her. With swift movements, she jumped from the rooftop to another, heading quickly toward the western forest.
About 30 minutes later, -CLICK- The door opened. and the Guild Master walked to his desk, and said "Ah.. how could I forget.." while looking for a letter among the stacked documents.
About 30 minutes later—CLICK—The door opened, and the Guild Master walked in toward his desk.
"Ah... how could I forget..." he muttered while searching through the stacked documents.
After finding what he was looking for, he said,"Thankfully it wasn't lost..."He turned and walked toward the door, but along the way, he paused, scanning the room.
He noticed one of the windows slightly ajar."Did Carla forget to lock it?" he murmured, walking over to it. He quietly locked the window.
After making sure everything else was secure, he exited the room and—CLICK—locked the door again.