Pippin, a soldier assigned to patrol Martin’s estate, let out a loud yawn as he stepped out of the barracks. “Ugh, this is so annoying. I’m dead tired.” The estate’s sheer size was a constant source of frustration for Pippin. It was practically a fortress, sprawling far and wide. What was the point of having 500 soldiers stationed here? Most of them were concentrated around the outer walls and the main mansion, leaving the rest of the estate sparsely patrolled. This meant that the few soldiers tasked with inner patrols had to cover a vast area on their own. “Well, guess it’s time to visit my secret spot.” Pippin had developed a knack for slacking off. He had discovered a blind spot on the estate—an area with no surveillance and little foot traffic. It was his personal hideout. Whenever it was his turn to patrol, he’d sneak off to this spot, take a quick nap, and then pretend he’d completed his rounds. If he got caught, he’d be in serious trouble, but so far, his luck had held. “Who’s going to notice? This place is way too big.” Pippin reached his secret spot and plopped down on the ground, perfectly at ease. Having grown up rough, sleeping on dirt didn’t bother him in the slightest. Thud, thud... “Huh?” He pressed his ear to the ground, certain he’d heard something. “What was that? Is something moving?” The noise was faint, almost imperceptible, but it was there. “Nah, must’ve imagined it.” Brushing it off, Pippin stretched out and closed his eyes. He didn’t let himself fall into a deep sleep, staying just alert enough to wake if needed. Having done this so many times, he was confident in his routine. After a while, he got up and resumed his patrol, none the wiser. Two days later, Pippin was on patrol duty again. He returned to his secret spot and lay down for another quick rest. This time, the faint noise returned. Thud, thud, thud... “What the...?” When he lifted his head, the noise vanished. But when he pressed his ear to the ground, it was there again, faint but undeniable. “Is something living down there? Maybe it’s running water?” He shrugged it off once more and went about his day. But when he returned a third time and heard the noise again, he couldn’t ignore it anymore. Thud, thud, thud... “There’s definitely something down there.” Over the past few days, the sound had grown louder. Pippin noticed the ground even felt like it was faintly vibrating. His curiosity reached its peak. “What could it be? Why would something be moving underground?” If it were a monster, the estate wouldn’t have been built here. Any such creature would have been discovered long ago. It didn’t sound like water, either. Determined to get to the bottom of it, Pippin grabbed a shovel and started digging. The deeper he dug, the clearer the noise became. Pressing his ear to the disturbed soil, he muttered to himself, “A tunnel?” The idea struck him like lightning, and his suspicions solidified. The noise, the vibrations—it all made sense. Someone was digging a tunnel. “This is it. I’ve stumbled onto something big. If I report this, I’ll be rewarded for sure.” Pippin raced to his superior, breathless and full of self-importance. He exaggerated the details, emphasizing how his sharp senses had led to the discovery. Several soldiers were sent to investigate. They dug into the ground, pressed their ears to the soil, and confirmed Pippin’s report. “It’s true. Someone’s tunneling down there.” With the discovery validated, knights were called in. Using their enhanced senses and mana, they confirmed the sound of digging and issued orders. “Station guards here. Whoever’s digging will surface eventually.” The next day, the ground began to stir. As the soldiers waited with weapons drawn, a small hole appeared. Moments later, a head popped out. It was a dwarf. The knights and soldiers blinked in disbelief. None of them had expected a dwarf to emerge from the tunnel. “What the... a dwarf?” As they tried to process what they were seeing, a knight stepped forward, sword in hand, and pressed it against the dwarf’s neck. “Who are you? How did you manage to dig this tunnel?” The dwarf, eyes darting nervously, stammered, “A-a thief, maybe?” “You crazy dwarf...” The knight glared at him, then turned to his soldiers. “Arrest them. Throw them in the dungeon. I’ll report this to the young master. Search the tunnel and find out where it leads.” The dwarves were rounded up and hauled away in chains. As they were dragged off, they wore dazed expressions, unable to comprehend how they’d been caught so easily. Despite their confidence and meticulous planning, something had gone wrong. The dwarves muttered among themselves, frustrated that their work had been discovered. “It doesn’t make sense. We were so careful. The security here must be tighter than we thought...” In truth, their downfall had been sheer luck—Pippin’s laziness and curiosity had inadvertently exposed their operation. Martin was furious when he received the report. “Where did they come from? Find out immediately!” “We’re investigating, but it’s taking some time,” a knight replied. “Why? Just follow the tunnel! Where does it lead?” “We’ve sent soldiers in, but the way is blocked by a thick door.” “A door? In a tunnel?” “Yes, it’s incredibly sturdy. It seems to be locked from the other side. Forcing it open could collapse the tunnel.” “Damn it!” Martin clenched his fists in frustration. The tunnel was undoubtedly a deliberate design to safeguard the culprits. If they destroyed it, they’d lose any chance of tracing its origin. After a moment of thought, Martin’s eyes burned with rage. “Search Dominic’s warehouse. He’s been acting suspiciously. This has to be his doing—trying to rescue the hostages.” “Yes, sir.” A squad of knights and soldiers marched toward Dominic’s warehouse. The mercenaries guarding the perimeter stepped aside reluctantly, knowing nothing of the tunnel and unable to resist the knights’ authority. As the knights prepared to storm in, they were stopped by Dominic himself. “What’s the meaning of this?” Dominic demanded, his face cold. The lead knight sneered, drawing his sword. “Why are you here at this hour? What are you hiding in there?” “This is my private property. Even as knights, you have no right to trespass without cause.” “It’s the young master’s order. There’s been a break-in at the estate, and we’re here to investigate.” “I have no knowledge of that. Leave.” The knight’s smirk widened. “Dominic, don’t act high and mighty. You’re just a mercenary. Don’t let the young master’s generosity go to your head.” “Even so, you have no authority to invade my personal space.” “Enough talk. Move, or we’ll move you.” The knight’s threat was accompanied by soldiers tightening their grips on their weapons. Seeing this, Dominic’s mercenaries also drew their weapons, stepping forward in solidarity with their commander. Tension crackled in the air. Both sides were one wrong move away from violence. The knight scanned the room and chuckled darkly. “Is this how you want to play it? Are you hoping to intimidate us into backing down?” Dominic bit his lip, suppressing his anger. He knew he could easily take down the knight and his men, but the repercussions would be disastrous. “Damn it...” After a deep breath, Dominic stepped aside. “Fine. Check what you want and leave quickly.” "That's more like it," the knight sneered, scanning Dominic with a smug expression before pushing open the door. Creak... Thump-thump! As the door swung open, Dominic felt his chest tighten. His heart pounded, and his head spun as if the walls were closing in around him. "Check the floor! There has to be a tunnel connection!" the knight barked as he marched inside. It’s over... Dominic thought, his worst fears confirmed. The mention of thieves made it clear—the dwarves had been caught. He had always known there was a spy in the mercenary corps. That same spy must have reported the suspicious construction in the warehouse. Martin wasted no time, sending men to investigate, accompanied by Dominic’s ever-watchful overseers. The warehouse, while disguised as an office space, was thoroughly searched. Soldiers ripped up carpets, pounded the floors with weapons, and scoured every corner for signs of the tunnel. But they found nothing. "What’s going on? Is this not the place?" Even after tearing apart the room and nearby open spaces, they came up empty-handed. The knight, now visibly annoyed, used mana to smash part of the floor, but still found no tunnel. After another round of fruitless searching, the knight glared at Dominic and growled, "Whatever you’re up to, be careful. We’re watching you." With a final warning, the knight stormed out with his soldiers. Dominic stood frozen long after they left, sweat dripping from his brow. Only after what felt like hours did he finally collapse into a chair, wiping his clammy hands on his tunic. “That was close...” The tunnel entrance wasn’t even in the city. The warehouse was nothing more than a decoy to mislead their enemies. In truth, the actual work was being done just outside the city. For the dwarves, the location didn’t matter; city or countryside, their precision and speed remained unmatched. The city outskirts were actually more advantageous—easier to bring in supplies and create a more substantial opening early on. Though the immediate danger had passed, Dominic knew time was running out. The dwarves were captured, and while their pride might keep them silent, torture could easily change that. By morning, Dominic had disguised himself and sought out Ghislain. Rumors about the dwarves being caught infiltrating Martin’s estate had already spread like wildfire. When Dominic explained the situation, Ghislain scratched his head nonchalantly. "Eh, these things happen. That’s what makes life interesting, don’t you think?" Dominic stared in disbelief. How could Ghislain be so calm? Wasn’t he taking this seriously? "But the dwarves were captured! Martin won’t let this slide!" Dominic’s voice shook with panic. Ghislain chuckled. "Relax. Martin’s a noble. He knows dwarves are valuable. He won’t hurt them—not right away. He’ll probably try to bribe them first." "But this ruins everything! How can you just—" Dominic stopped mid-sentence, realizing Ghislain was grinning. "Plans are just that—plans. They’re meant to adapt to the situation. What matters isn’t the process." "Then what does matter?" Dominic demanded. Ghislain’s smile widened. "Getting the result we want." "But how? The whole plan has fallen apart!" "Simple. I’ll go in, free the dwarves, and rescue the hostages myself." "...What?" Ghislain clapped Dominic on the shoulder. "Can you mobilize the troops quickly?" "Y-Yes. They’re already armed and waiting," Dominic stammered. "And the valuables?" "We’ve secured what we could. The rest will be left behind." "Perfect. Everything’s ready. Now, take your men and wait at the agreed location." "But... how are you going to—" Ghislain cut him off, gripping Dominic’s shoulders firmly. "Trust me. Just focus on your part. From here on, no mistakes. Understand?" The intensity in Ghislain’s gaze left Dominic no room for argument. He nodded instinctively. "Understood." Dominic’s resolve hardened. If this fails, I’ll storm the estate myself. If nothing else, I’ll take Martin down with me. "If this doesn’t work," Dominic said grimly, "I’ll crush Martin and his estate." "And the hostages?" "They’ll die anyway if we fail. Better to die fighting than let that bastard win." Dominic’s voice was cold, his eyes burning with years of pent-up fury. Meeting Ghislain had unleashed a fire within him he hadn’t realized he was capable of. Ghislain smiled approvingly. "Now that’s more like it. A mercenary needs guts like that." "I’ll start preparations immediately." "Good. I’ll handle the rest. Tell my knights to wait by the tunnel door until I arrive." After giving orders to his knights, Ghislain poured himself a cup of alcohol, swished it around his mouth, and spat it out. He then splashed the remaining liquor onto his body, soaking his clothes. The stench of alcohol wafted off him in waves. "Perfect," he muttered, smirking as he staggered toward Martin’s estate. "Stop right there! Who are you?" barked one of the guards at the gate. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 Ghislain swayed slightly, his eyes half-lidded as he stared at the guard. "Didn’t you hear me? Who are you?" The guard scrunched his nose in disgust. "Ugh, you stink of booze. Get lost!" He shoved Ghislain’s shoulder, but the drunkard barely moved. "Oh?" Ghislain slurred, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Did you just push me?" "Yeah, I pushed you. What of it?" the guard snapped, stepping closer. Ghislain chuckled darkly. In one swift motion, he launched himself at the guard, landing a powerful kick squarely on his face. Thud!