Meanwhile, Andras, disguised as Noelle, began his secret mission: to seize the Magic Book. Master Florian had already explained in detail before the ball where Master Albert's chamber lay. The Royal Archmagi had used the same suite for centuries, so it was unlikely Albert had moved in the past twenty years.
Disguised as a half‑elf maid, Andras advanced cautiously through the corridors. He carefully observed the pattern of the royal guards—where they changed shifts, which corners they lingered at longest. Every detail was noted in his mind, for success depended upon precise timing and invisibility.
When one of the real maids passed by, Andras stepped slowly beside her and spoke softly:
"Excuse me, miss…" he began, his voice perfectly imitating the lilting melody of the half‑elves. "Could you tell me where the Archmage's chamber is?"
The question seemed innocent, but behind it lay the full weight of the secret plan: the theft of the Magic Book, an act that could alter the fate of the Kingdom itself.
The Young Wolf, wearing Noelle's guise, leaned closer to the royal maid, his voice gentle yet firm.
"Listen, I have a request," he said.
"How may I help you?" the girl asked, a touch of curiosity in her tone.
"My master dislikes wine," Andras replied, perfectly imitating Noelle's voice. "Could you bring me bottled beer? Two or three bottles will be enough—for now, at least."
The maid nodded.
"There's bottled beer in the storeroom. Come with me, we'll fetch a few."
"Thank you, you're a great help!" Andras smiled, following her down the corridor.
"I know how picky nobles can be," the girl remarked as she opened the storeroom door. "They always want what isn't already prepared."
The Young Wolf, disguised as Noelle, stepped into the cool, shadowed chamber where shelves of drinks lined the walls. The maid quickly took down three bottles.
"Only three?" she asked.
"He couldn't drink more than that anyway," Andras answered curtly.
"Then here you go—three bottles," the girl said, handing them over.
"Thank you! If you ever visit Greenwood, I'll repay the favor," Andras replied as he accepted the bottles.
The maid looked at him in surprise.
"You're from Greenwood?"
"Yes, we came from Greenwood," Andras said confidently.
As he stepped out of the storeroom, his thoughts darkened:
"Good thing I erased the Wolf crest from Noelle's maid uniform during the transformation. That way I can claim to be from Greenwood without suspicion. From the clothes alone, they'll never know the truth."
Disguised as the royal maid, Andras slipped silently out of the storeroom. Of the three bottles of beer he carried, two had already been opened earlier and laced with a strong sleeping draught, then carefully resealed as though nothing had happened. The third remained untouched, to make the gift appear more genuine. Hidden within his magical storage, he carried the bottles as he crept toward the part of the castle where the Royal Archmage, Master Albert, kept his chambers.
Only two guards watched the corridor. Andras approached with the innocent smile of a maid upon his face.
"Good evening, lads!" he greeted them warmly. "Guess what—I've got good news. The girls decided to sneak you a little treat. Here, two bottles of beer."
One guard frowned immediately, his voice stern.
"We can't drink while on duty! If the Archmage catches us, he'll burn us alive."
Andras leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
"Master Albert is already so drunk that by morning he won't even remember how he got into bed."
The other guard's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"The nobles are all drunk too," Andras continued, his words ringing with conviction. "We've already smuggled a little something to the guards below. Just make sure no one gets knocked out too hard, and no one will notice you're enjoying yourselves. Or what—are such pleasures only for the nobles?"
One guard chuckled, the other nodded.
"She's right. One beer won't be noticed."
"If the lower guards dared to drink, then the nobles must already be well drunk," said the first guard. "If the old wizard's drunk too, he won't care enough to stagger back here to check on us."
"Exactly!" laughed the other. "No one will come up here until morning."
At last, the two guards accepted the bottles, and Andras knew: the sleeping draught would soon take effect. The path to Master Albert's chamber was slowly opening before him.
Disguised as the royal maid, Andras handed over the bottles with a sweet smile.
"Here you go. If I'm in a good mood later, I might bring you another during the night. Would you like some pastries as well?" he asked playfully.
One guard's eyes lit up.
"Could you bring us some of those expensive pastries—the kind only nobles get to eat?"
"I certainly could," Andras whispered slyly. "But you'll repay me for it later, won't you?"
The other guard chuckled and nodded.
"I already have an idea how we might repay you."
"I'll hold you to your word!" Andras said, then gestured. "Now, drink up. I'll keep watch so no one wanders by. Once you've finished, I'll take the bottles back—no evidence left behind. Hehehe!"
"You're an angel," said the first guard, while the second was already raising his bottle.
The two guards clinked their bottles together, then drained them in a single motion, one each. They handed the empty bottles back to the maid, who carefully hid them away in her magical storage.
It took only moments for the sleeping draught to take effect. The guards' eyes grew heavy, their bodies sagged, and at last they collapsed together onto the stone floor. They sank into a deep, peaceful slumber, as though the world itself had vanished around them.
The corridor was now silent, unguarded—and Andras knew: the time had come to enter Master Albert's chamber, where the Magic Book lay hidden.
Disguised as the royal maid, Andras acted swiftly. The two guards who had collapsed under the effect of the drugged beer were carefully dragged behind the door, hidden from sight so that no one would discover what had happened. He made sure not to leave the empty bottles beside them—for if anyone found them, the guards would be executed at once for drinking and sleeping on duty. The bottles were returned to his magical storage, the third untouched to preserve the illusion.
"No need for it—only two guards. Never mind," he thought as he reached the end of the corridor.
He stopped before Master Albert's chamber. The door was protected by a fire‑element magical lock: if the wrong key were used, flames would erupt instantly, burning the intruder severely.
But Andras smiled with confidence.
"With my water element I'll disable the fire lock… and with my lightning element I'll open the mechanism itself. No key required," he whispered.
The lock clicked obediently, and the door slowly swung open.
His magical sight immediately revealed a trap. Beneath the floor lay a hidden mechanism that would have fired five arrows from the sides into any unsuspecting intruder. The wall was disguised with earth element magic, but Andras's water magic easily exposed it. With a single motion he severed the five cords, rendering the trap harmless.
"Done. It's no longer active," he noted with satisfaction.
Inside the room, another secret lay behind the bookshelf. Andras pushed the heavy furniture aside with force, revealing once more an earth‑element disguise upon the wall. His water magic pierced it effortlessly, exposing a hollow chamber.
There rested the Magic Book.
Andras's eyes gleamed, though he had no time to study it. He quickly concealed it within his magical storage, carried in a small crystal‑set ring. This technique was Eli's invention from the Sky Island—a secret unknown to anyone else in this world. Not even Master Albert suspected such a storage existed.
The book was safe. In its place, Andras left a mocking note, one Albert would find in the morning.
"I wonder what face he'll make when he reads it. If only I could see… hahaha!"
He wasted no more time. The next target was the Princess's chamber—part of the diversionary maneuver. Andras knew that every step had to be timed with precision if the plan was to succeed.
The Young Wolf, still disguised as the royal maid, slipped silently from the Archmage's chamber and the corridor where the guards had already been dealt with. His steps were light, as though he truly were a servant wandering the castle, and thus he reached the Princess's chamber without drawing suspicion. Two guards stood before the door, stern and armed.
Andras approached, speaking in an innocent tone:
"The Princess urgently requires a fresh undergarment! To put it delicately… the one she wears has become damp."
One guard's eyes widened.
"The Princess's undergarment is damp?!" he exclaimed.
"Lower your voice, fool!" the other growled. "Do you want the Princess to have your tongue cut out?"
The first scratched his neck awkwardly.
"That must be terribly uncomfortable for her at such an important ball… The door is open."
"Hurry, maid, take her the garment!" urged the second.