Eternal Rest

Bones had anticipated enjoying the fight between the two silver rankers, but it quickly became one-sided. Darsumi, a second-tier Bladedancer, easily outmatched his opponent. After an initial exchange, Darsumi danced around his adversary, deftly avoiding and parrying attacks until he landed a decisive blow to the head, rendering the man unconscious.

"Bones! Gather the staff!" Darsumi yelled. Bones nodded, scanned left and right, then turned back to Darsumi.

"Go right, your left. Staff quarters are in the left wing," Darsumi instructed.

"Alright, be right back," Bones replied, and swiftly departed. Less than five minutes later, he returned, dragging an elderly man with three maids trailing behind. Fear was evident in their eyes, and one maid sank to her knees in shock upon seeing the bloody and unconscious guards.

"Well, this complicates things," Darsumi muttered, descending the stairs. He reassured the staff that they wouldn't be harmed, explaining their intention to rob the mansion. After calming the distressed maids, he escorted them upstairs to the master bedroom on the upper floor and secured the doors. He then turned to the elderly man.

"Lead us to the vault, and we'll be out of your way in no time," Darsumi commanded.

"Sir, I..." the old man began, but Darsumi cut him off.

"I know you're the head of staff, and I know you know where the vault is," Darsumi said firmly.

Reluctantly, the old man nodded and led Darsumi and Bones into the study room.

The room was a lavishly decorated office with red carpet on the wooden flooring, bordeaux-colored curtains, and paintings adorning the walls. A single sofa rested against one wall next to a window, and a large desk occupied the center of the office, flanked by two luxurious armchairs. Behind the desk stood an ornate, high-backed throne chair, with a large bookcase spanning the entire length of the opposite wall.

"Behind the painting?" Bones asked as he entered the room and made an observation.

"Kind of cliché, don't you think?" Dar commented, noting the old man's flinch at the mention of the paintings. "No imagination..." he murmured, then asked which painting. The old man pointed to a large painting on the right side of the wall. Bones approached, lifted the painting, and revealed circular doors leading to the vault.

"I don't have the key! Only the master has the key, and he keeps it with him at all times!" the old man hurriedly explained. Darsumi nodded and assured him they no longer needed his assistance. He escorted the old man to the master bedroom, where the maids were waiting.

Meanwhile, Bones summoned the Incomplete Skeleton Key and attempted to insert it into the keyhole. Predictably, it didn't fit. He waited for Darsumi to return and then asked for instructions. Darsumi instructed him to constantly shape the key while inserting it. It sounded simple, but Bones soon realized how challenging it was to shape the key to match the lock precisely. Darsumi left the room to tie up and gag the guards, returning ten minutes later to find Bones still struggling with the key. He didn’t disturb Bones, instead moving to sit in the throne chair behind the desk and pulling out a bottle from the bottom drawer as he waited.

After twenty minutes of concentrated effort, a faint sound of bone scraping metal was heard. Bones managed to fully insert and turn the key. Numerous ticking sounds of cogs turning echoed, and the door to the vault slightly opened.

Bones peered cautiously inside and quickly stepped back upon seeing the dim glow of runes. He turned to Darsumi, who got off the chair and walked over to the vault. "Runes? There’s a formation inscribed inside the vault!" Bones exclaimed, giving Darsumi a questioning look.

"Why the surprise? Every safe and vault has some form of extra safety measure. If they didn’t, we wouldn't need the Skeleton Key and could just force the lock open. That's another reason you have to be the one to open the locks with the Skeleton Key. The key opens the lock without activating the formation. I'm sorry Bones, I thought I had mentioned it."

"You didn’t, but it’s fine. Any other surprises?" Bones asked. Darsumi shook his head and motioned for Bones to check inside the vault. Bones stepped closer and pulled the doors wide open, revealing a mesmerizing array of silver and gold. What drew Bones’ attention the most were the intricately cut precious stones.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Darsumi said, standing next to Bones and admiring the wealth inside. "Those are mana crystals of different affinities. Red ones are fire-affinity, blue are water, yellow are earth, and so on."

“Use the ring I gave you, and we'll take half each,” Darsumi instructed. Bones summoned a plain silver ring in his hand. Each member of the heist had one to use for storing stolen goods.

“I understand now why we’re not storing the goods inside our inventory space,” Bones remarked, sensing the intense mana emanating from the vault.

“Aye. You and I might handle storing items in our inventory, but for others... it could damage their souls, if not shatter them. Come on, let’s get to it!”

The two quickly emptied the vault and checked on the guards and locked-up staff, all of whom seemed fine with minor injuries. As they exited the mansion, Bones couldn’t resist asking how the others planned to open the vaults, considering he was the only one with the key.

“Well, forcefully, I’m afraid. We can’t have you opening every vault for us. Mirami has her own way of opening locks, and Durram—ah, you’ve only just met him. Well, he, Thaddeus, and Hemdus are handling the first house. Durram can deal with the formation and force the lock open. But for the last two houses, we'll definitely need the Skeleton Key.”

"Incomplete Skeleton Key," Bones corrected.

"Don’t worry, Bones. The key you made will be more than sufficient for any vault in this city."

“Seriously? Any vault?”

“Well, maybe not the royal treasury,” Darsumi replied, chuckling.

The two left the estate and merged with the crowd gathered around street performers entertaining onlookers. The ceremony was well underway, nearing its end. Darsumi and Bones maneuvered through the crowd, aiming for the meeting point with the rest of their group. They didn’t have to wait long; within an hour, everyone had assembled, wearing smiles of anticipation.

Infiltrating the House of Hartmore would require finesse and expertise surpassing their previous heists. Mirami had devised a plan for the final two and most crucial robberies, and began instructing everyone on their roles. Given the time constraints, the strategy involved incapacitating most, if not all, inhabitants by sleep, as Mirami had already done successfully in her assigned house.

The party of dwarves and Bones blended into the bustling crowd, moving eastward away from the ongoing ceremony toward their next target—the expansive Hartmore estate situated in a secluded area, distinct from neighboring houses.

Unlike other estates, Hartmore's lacked a garden, instead featuring a wide road leading to a "U"-shaped mansion about a hundred meters from the gates. Two stern guards stood watch at the entrance, while four patrolled each corner of the estate. A direct approach seemed unwise, a fact Mirami had already anticipated. Leading the team, she halted their advance just before the estate came into view.

"This is the spot, our entry point, and supposed escape route, though we'll see how everything goes," Mirami said, gesturing towards the sewer hole at their feet. Everyone peered down, focusing on the plate lid covering the entrance. Hemdus knelt down, lifting the lid and setting it aside. One by one, they jumped into the darkness below, with Hemdus closing the lid securely behind him as he descended last.

The team swiftly navigated through the tunnels of the sewer and soon arrived beneath the mansion. Mirami checked her remaining bombs, counting them silently, then motioned for everyone to follow her lead. She planned to enter the mansion through a drain cover leading to a storage area. From there, she intended to use the modified sleeping gas from the bombs to incapacitate the guards.

"Alright, this is it! Wait here for me. I'll be back shortly," Mirami instructed before climbing the metal ladder. She lifted the drain cover slightly, peered around cautiously, then looked down and nodded to indicate they were in the right place. With a final effort, she removed the lid completely and disappeared from their sight as she entered the mansion.

"What's in those bombs?" Bones asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Sleeping gas," Thaddeus replied. Darsumi chimed in, "Modified for increased effectiveness. The guards affected should be knocked out for at least half a day."

Bones was taken aback by Mirami's impressive capabilities and expertise. "I didn't think she could make bombs this effective!"

"Nah. While she does craft her own bombs and sleeping gas, these particular bombs were bought for this job," Darsumi clarified.

"Ah, I see. Will it work on a gold ranker?" Bones inquired.

Everyone shook their heads at Bones' question. The gas might affect a gold ranker to some extent, but it wouldn't incapacitate them.

"Then how are we going to deal wi-"

growl

Bones paused as everyone turned towards the far end of the tunnel, where growling sounds emanated. Faint shouting could also be heard mixed with the growls.

"Your friends, Bones?" Darsumi asked. Bones thought for a moment, then nodded. "Most likely. I can't imagine those growls coming from the Ratmen, though."

"I don't think those were Ratmen," Thaddeus interjected.

"What the hell are they then?" a voice from above asked. They all looked up to see Mirami grinning as she descended the ladder to join them in the sewers.

"Everything alright, lassie?" Hem asked. Mirami explained she had released the sleeping gas into the mansion's ventilation system, but it would take a few minutes to spread throughout the entire estate. The team settled in to wait and discussed their plan of action.

Five minutes later, Mirami led everyone into the cramped storage area. With limited space, they huddled together until Mirami cautiously opened the doors and peered inside. After confirming no one was alert, she fully opened the doors.

"Alright, same pairs as before. Spread out and knock out anyone still conscious! Remember, no killing unless absolutely necessary!" Darsumi warned the team.

Mirami's sleeping gas proved highly effective, rendering almost everyone in the mansion unconscious. The only one still active was the head of security, as expected of a second-tier silver ranker. Hem spotted the Head stumbling and attempting to reach the sliding doors to the balcony on the upper floor.

Quietly approaching from behind, Hem readied his hammer. With an overhead swing aimed at the man's head, the Head sidestepped suddenly, causing Hem to miss. Before he could recover, the Head rammed into him shoulder-first, sending him sprawling.

Hem grunted and regained his footing just as the Head staggered towards him. Swinging his hammer wide, Hem grinned as Bone Spikes pinned the head of security, allowing him to land a powerful blow on the man's side. The impact broke bones and sent the Head crashing into a wall. Hem checked to ensure the man was still breathing, then gave Bones a thumbs-up. Shortly after, the team gathered having secured all the guards.

"Every guard is accounted for, and I've restrained the head of staff and stashed him in a closet. The rest of the staff have the day off due to the festival," Darsumi explained, laying out the next steps. "Hem and Bones, you two proceed to the vault. The rest of us will scour the mansion for valuables." He finished with a grin, cautioning them to avoid windows and regroup on the ground floor in thirty minutes.

Darsumi approached the nearest window, checking outside to ensure the guards remained on patrol. Their infiltration had gone unnoticed amidst the festival's clamor, the altercation with the silver ranker unheard over the distant festivities.

Unlike the other houses where the vault was easily accessible, Hartmore's vault was located in the mansion's basement. Bones and Hem descended to the ground floor and then split off from the rest of the group. The two headed towards the basement, while the others began searching each room for valuables.

The stairs leading to the basement were secured by thick, formidable doors that seemed challenging to breach.

"Mr. Boney, if ye please!" Hem requested politely.

"Mm? Why, it would be my pleasure, Mr. Hemdus!" Bones replied, playing along. He approached the doors with the Incomplete Skeleton Key in hand and effortlessly unlocked them.

"Yer gettin' the hang o' it!" Hemdus complimented.

Bones waved off the praise, remarking that unlocking a door was much simpler than a vault. Hemdus persisted with his praise, assuring Bones that opening the vault would pose no challenge.

"If only it were that easy!" Bones thought to himself, appreciating Hemdus's encouragement nonetheless.