As they made their way back to Ashvale, Jinrai walked a little behind the group. He was quiet until he caught up to walk beside Amukelo. "Hey, kid. How's your arm?"
Amukelo flexed it slightly, trying to lift it without wincing. He managed, barely. "Still sore," he admitted, "but the potion helped. Healing shouldn't take more than a week."
Jinrai reached into his satchel and pulled out a small bottle with a metallic trim and a dark blue liquid inside. He tossed it over. "Drink that. We don't have a week."
Amukelo caught it, looked at the rich looking bottle with hesitation, then shrugged and drank it in one go. Almost instantly, the aching in his muscles dulled to a manageable pressure. He stretched his arm again and nodded in surprise. "That's... impressive. Where do you even get these?"
Jinrai smirked but didn't elaborate. "I have my ways."
Then his face hardened. "Alright. Let's talk strategy."
Everyone instinctively drew closer. Jinrai didn't waste time.
"Tharion and I will stay with the diplomat, the surveyor, and Ulhem," he said, pointing at the three, who had kept to the back of the group in anxiety. "We can't leave them without protection. After what we've seen, even one mistake is too much. They're the target. You protect the cargo, or the whole thing burns."
"Which means," Jinrai continued as he turned to Amukelo, "you'll go back to Eland's mansion. You're the only ones who've seen the girl vampire up close. Your job is to uncover her and expose what's happening there."
Amukelo gave a firm nod, but Pao furrowed her brow. "But how? We don't even have a dispel spell, and without that—"
Jinrai tossed her a small scroll. "It's a dispel spell," he said flatly. "Act only when you made sure she's a vampire. Not before. If you do something to a noble's girl without any reason, you'll be accused of attacking the lord's family. So be smart."
Bral scratched the back of his head. "Even with this, how do you expect us to do that? We can't just walk in and start poking around. Even if Eland lets us inside again, there's no way he'll let us roam through his mansion."
Jinrai tapped his chin with a gloved finger. "Split into two groups," he said.
"One group enters through the front door," he explained. "Keep the excuse believable—say you need to report about the attack, or request a new cart, or clarify logistics before reaching the capital. Be polite. Act normal."
"The second group enters through the back," Jinrai said, voice colder now. "A servant's entrance, garden, a window, whatever you find. You'll be looking for the girl. Don't engage unless you're sure. And if you find more vampires than you can handle call for help. Use the break the portal ball so I can help you."
Jinrai turned to Pao. "Can you make another one of those portals?"
Pao looked apologetic. "No. Not right now. The spell takes time to prepare and drains a lot of mana. If I worked on it tonight, I won't have mana to fight tomorrow."
Jinrai crossed his arms and after a moment of silence he said. "In that case we will be relatively close. Just give us some signal."
Idin raised an eyebrow. "Signal?"
Jinrai gave a faint smile. "Blow a wall out if you have to."
Idin sighed. "Oh, sure. I'll just keep a wall-smashing spell ready. No big deal."
"You'll manage," Jinrai said, not missing a beat.
Bao folded her arms. "I don't like this, we're basically gambling with our lives."
Jinrai didn't respond immediately. "I've done worse things ," he said. "In the war, sometimes you act before everything lines up. Because if you wait for perfection, your enemy gets it first."
After a brief pause, Bao sighed. "I don't like this anyway. But I don't have a better idea either."
Jinrai nodded once. "That's because there isn't one."
They walked in silence for a few minutes after that.
Then Tharion muttered, "He doesn't look it, but when he takes things seriously... He can be terrifying."
The morning air was sharp with cold, and a thin mist still clung to the earth as Bral, Idin, and Bao approached the gates of Lord Eland's estate. Two soldiers in half-plate armor stood, each at either side.
As the trio approached, one of the guards straightened up, planting his weapon more firmly.
"State your business."
Bral stepped forward, his hands calmly folded in front of him. "We're adventurers. We were meant to escort the diplomat's letter to the capital, but our wagon was attacked during the night. We're requesting an audience with Lord Eland to report the incident and request aid."
The guards exchanged a glance. They clearly weren't expecting that. One of them shifted his halberd and said, "Wait here. I'll inform his lordship. Doesn't mean he'll see you."
Bral nodded without resistance. "Understood."
At the same time, on the far side of the estate, Amukelo and Pao crouched behind a hedgerow, keeping close to the perimeter wall. The sun had barely risen. They'd scaled the outer wall without drawing attention—mostly.
Amukelo had taken the lead, gripping the uneven stonework and pulling himself up with ease. At the top, he glanced down to Pao, who was sizing up the wall with narrowed eyes.
"You can make it," he said quietly.
Pao jumped and gripped the ledge, but her boots slipped slightly against the stone. Amukelo reached out and grabbed her wrist just in time. He gave a tug—maybe too hard—and Pao flailed slightly as she cleared the edge, nearly tumbling over the other side. Amukelo caught her again, this time grabbing her by the waist, holding her upright.
She landed on her feet, slightly breathless. Amukelo gave a lopsided smile. "Try not to stumble inside the mansion, alright?"
Pao looked at him with mock indignation, brushing off her sleeves. "You pulled me too hard."
He smirked. "Sorry."
They didn't waste more time. Amukelo gestured for her to follow, and they moved low along the stone perimeter toward the back of the mansion. The path took them through an outer garden—small trees, trimmed bushes, and decorative gravel crunched underfoot. It was quiet.
As they passed the edge of the garden, Pao tapped Amukelo's shoulder. "Hey... look."
He followed her line of sight. One maid was hanging laundry to dry near a clothesline strung between two short trees. Another was tending to a flower bed, pulling weeds with care. No guards in sight.
"Unusually few people for a place this size," Pao whispered. "In the manor I lived in, there would be five, maybe six people out here this time of morning. At least two more in the halls."
Amukelo nodded slightly. "That's good for us, I guess. Fewer eyes."
Still, the thought nagged at both of them. Why was the mansion so understaffed?
They kept moving, sticking close to the rear wall. A low hedge gave them partial cover, and they waited silently as the maid who'd been gardening stood up, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked off in the opposite direction—toward the side entrance.
Amukelo raised a hand. "This is it."
They waited until she disappeared behind a corner, then dashed low across the open yard to the rear door.
The handle turned easily.
Inside, it was quiet. The air was thick with the faint scent of herbs and something sweet. They entered into a short, narrow hallway.