I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

After settling in with Luisa Selvarum, Victor went to his room in the mansion and retrieved the sword he had left in the closet. He also made sure to put on all the components of his armor that he didn’t wear casually, such as bracelets, shoulder pads, and the steel mesh that went between his leather tunic and shirt.

As he left the mansion, Frugeon surprisingly offered to help, but Victor politely declined, because even though Luisa was very strong, it was still more than necessary for someone to stay by her side and protect her.

*

Contrary to what Garret had imagined, Victor’s first target that night was not the merchant’s mansion just outside of Klento.

The hunter knew that attacking Garret directly would not solve any of his problems, as Garret was smart enough not to place himself where the Black Sword would be.

Instead, Victor went to each of Garret’s major warehouses in Klento. He got the locations, information, and details, thanks to Luisa.

Victor visited two of these large warehouses until he finally felt the presence of the Black Sword with Den in the third one. This sword had been with him for a few weeks, so it was only natural that their energies were intertwined.

Not coincidentally, the warehouse where the Black Sword was stored was the largest warehouse Garret had in Klento. Following simple logic, it was almost obvious that Garret planned to move it unnoticed through the many goods and items that went in and out of this warehouse every day. That way, he would have a better chance of preventing Victor from getting the sword.

This large warehouse was located on the northeastern edge of the city, near the oldest wharves, and was known for its ruthless security. Armed guards patrolled the area constantly, making the mission very dangerous, but Victor had faced much worse.

The warehouse was imposing, with stone walls and an iron fence surrounded a slate roof at least ten feet high.

Victor hid in the shadows of an alleyway, watching the guards as they made their rounds near the entrance. He counted six men at the entrance, two in the watchtower, two at the gates, and two coordinating the entry and exit of the wagons.

Victor knew that brute force would not be the best way to overcome the obstacles in this case, for he could sense the presence of the Black Sword in this shed, but he didn’t know its exact location. To find Elban’s sword, he would need a bit of cunning this time, just like in the Duke of Kozáni’s castle. He waited patiently, studying the patrol patterns of the guards, but just as he was about to move forward to try to sneak into the storeroom, he heard the sound of a glass bottle rolling behind him.

Victor felt his heart race for a moment as he heard the sound. He quickly turned around, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, only to find to his surprise that it was Bel Selvarum behind him. The young apprentice looked shyly at his master.

Bel, with his wide eyes and panting breath, was obviously nervous about being recognized. He was dressed in dark clothing, suitable for nighttime infiltration, but his posture and movements betrayed his lack of experience.

Victor felt a mixture of surprise and irritation at seeing the boy there. He took a few steps back and gestured for Bel to do the same.

"Bel, what the hell are you doing here?" Victor whispered, trying to keep his voice down so as not to attract anyone’s attention.

Bel lowered her head for a moment, embarrassed, but then looked up and faced Victor with determination.

"I... I just wanted to help, Master. I know this mission is important and dangerous, and I couldn’t stand by and watch you risk your life alone. Garret is a dangerous man."

Victor took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. He knew that Bel had good intentions, but the boy’s presence there made an already complicated situation even more so.

"Bel, this isn’t training. This is a real mission and any mistake could cost us both our lives." Victor spoke in a stern tone, but he couldn’t help being a little proud of his pupil’s courage. "Go back now, before it’s too late."

Bel shook his head negatively, stubbornly.

"No, Master. I know I can be useful. Please let me help."

Victor looked around to see if the guards had noticed them. Satisfied that they were still safe in the shadows, he pondered for a moment.

There was something about Bel’s determination that reminded him of himself when he was younger. Maybe the boy really could be useful, as long as he was extremely careful.

"All right, Bel." Victor finally gave in. "But you must follow my orders to the letter. One wrong move and we’re lost, understand?"

Bel nodded vigorously, with a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Yes, Master. Understood."

Victor then moved to where he was standing and pointed to the warehouse in front of him.

"Right. We have to deal with at least six guards with swords at the entrance, and there are probably even more inside, but there are also workers inside, so we can’t go in swinging our swords like mad. The priority is to get in without being seen. You will follow my instructions and only act when I say so, understood?"

"Yes, Master." Bel replied, more confident this time.

Victor quickly made a plan. He knew that the main entrance was out of the question, even more so now with a partner. They had to find an alternative way into the warehouse. From where they were, they could see that the building had high windows, probably to provide some ventilation on the second floor. There was no security protecting those windows, as they were more than seven meters high. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Let’s go around the warehouse and find a way up to those windows." Victor pointed to the windows on the second floor of the building. "I hope they’re not as well guarded as the main entrance."

They moved carefully, keeping to the shadows and avoiding any sudden movements that might alert the guards. They jumped the iron fence easily, and as they approached the side of the building, Victor took a length of rope from his belt and tied it to a small hook. Victor threw the hook up and it caught on one window.

"I’m going to climb up first and pull you out later. Keep your eyes open and follow me closely." Victor whispered.

Bel nodded and tried to control her panting.