Malum held his hand to his face. He breathed some warm hour on his cold hands as he thought about the potential attack of a demonic Noble.

  That was something even his Uncle was afraid of. It had better be a Baron because if it was any higher than Malum may as well have his funeral now.

  A Baron meant the absolute peak of demonic power, on the mortal level. That meant it was possible for a mortal to kill it, but possible didn’t probable.

  Now he had not only 2 sources of danger, now he had to include another factor to the thick rest mist outside.

  At least he had answered some questions he had forgot to ask Jameson; all the revolt talk had taken his mind away from the waves completely.

  He couldn’t even afford to keep his mind on it, Malum had to lock those thoughts for now and focus on the immediate future. First was the Knight, then was the revolt, then was the war.

  With his plan in mind, he finished of his breakfast and ensured his beggar outfit was perfect and that his dagger was properly secured on his belt. Happy he was ready, Malum departed from the mansion and headed towards the Knights house.

  It was fairly nice area with detached homes and nice gardens littering the street. Wagons could be seen in the drives of every home and a gardener or two could be seen out the front of a few houses.

  It was rich, but it wasn’t Noble rich. This was only one step below it, here were your Knights.

  Having a Knighthood did not mean you wielded the sword to a high degree, it just meant that the King had acknowledged your actions as meritorious enough to elevate your status beyond the common peasant.

  These were doctors, merchants, even some particularly successful jesters had climbed to this status.

  Walking down the street and Malum found himself looking at the houses with greed. Most looked even fancier than the Mansions lining the Noble district, however his opportunity sense told him that the gold lining their gates was as fake as the jesters inside the courtroom.

  The house was looking for came only a few more steps, and looking to the side Malum saw the house was distinct from its neighbours. It wasn’t rundown per-say but the garden outside was rife with weeds and instead of flowers held tall grass swaying in swaths.

  The house itself held greenery of its own, with vines clinging to its walls and whilst it did look nice on the house Malum was less sure about the damage it would do to the walls. He had lived in many houses growing up and he knew first hand how nature could reclaim its own.

  Today his goal wasn’t to break and enter, first he just needed to collect some vital intelligence. So, he sat on the street and pulled a cloth over his face.

  He then put a small pouch in front of him and let his eyes do the rest of the talking.

  Begging was a crime, but that was only in the Noble district. For as much as these Knights wished they had the privilege, Malum couldn’t be moved away unless the Knight asked him to do so and most hadn’t the guts to go near beggars.

  Several hours later and Malum was correct in his thoughts. Nobody had came near him in the slightest, although not many had avoided him either. Most travelled through their carriages and Malum wasn’t blocking the roads.

  The sun had rose to its peak and was slowly beginning to fall back down. He was starting to get hungry and so he ran down the street and bought himself a nice loaf of bread which he could chew on.

  Back to his spot and he waited again.

  It wasn’t until evening when he was asked to move. Malum had seen the Knight the arrive back home on the carriage and was only staying now to be sure nothing else would change. He was happy with what he had gathered so he gave into the nearby houses Butler and disappeared from the sidewalk.

  He walked back to that bakery and got himself something to eat and then walked his way back to the house.

  The Knight left at around 10AM and came back around 6PM, that when the carriage left and returned and it was the most important information Malum needed.

  Tomorrow, he would leave at 10 and have a little wander inside of the Knights home. He had already seen the security and had made a special something for the other people that may live inside the house.

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  The next of the plan, would need him to sleep first and so that’s where he started.

  Breakfast with Florence was a good as life got and as a reward for waking up later he got to eat with his friend Jameson as well.

  They discussed the letter on the demons and other news in the city. By the time Malum had finished his morning toast with a side of eggs he headed for the door and said goodbye to his friends inside.

  His clothes were different from yesterday and so was the way he walked. He was in come casual wear worn by the gardener he had seen from yesterday. He had picked them up for little cost from a store down the street and looked far more convincing after he rubbed some dirt on them.

  A tool belt round his hip, and a shiny trowel complimented his disguise. His dagger stayed by his side and the tool-belt hid several other useful items.

  Ready for a little breaking and entering, Malum refreshed the idea in his mind. How he would enter, exit and deal with any disturbances along the way.

  Now all was left was to enact it.

  The street wasn’t far and wandering guards dropped considerably after leaving the Noble district. The roads became dirtier and workers replaced servants wandering the street.

  Malum looked into the withering cobbled drive of the home to see the carriage had left. With the house no longer having a Knight inside, he first looked for the two security guards.

  They weren’t specialised and didn’t looked skilled but the two guards wandered the street looking for exactly this. Rich streets paid for these sort of services as it reduced crime considerably and kept away the `riffraff.`

  Malum had eyed them up yesterday and he saw them down the street having a smoke. With them out the way, Malum hopped gate and crouched inside the dense shrubbery. The thick green gave him a good place to hide and let him get a better idea of where everyone in the house was moving.

  Malum had used his hours outside not being idle and had spotted around 4 inside the home. One was likely a butler of some sort, one was likely the wife of the Knight, one was a child whome Malum had seen when the Knight arrived and the other one was some sort of maid.

  Those were his guesses basing of the height and clothes of each person but he expected to be wrong and based his plan to include that.

  His method of dealing with them was fairly simple. Like most people, he had a poison just for them. He reached inside of his tool belt and pulled a bottle from it.

  He checked to make sure it was the right one and after confirming it he closed his tool belt back up.

  He then slowly began to close the distance between himself and the house. The greenery left him a sheltered path and he slowly made his way closer.

  Now by the wall, he looked up to see an open shutter. It was the one he had seen yesterday and had seen a few of the characters inside of the mansion.

  Using the potion he opened the lid and poured its contents into the house. He then went round the back and found another open shutter. He opened his tool belt again and found himself another full potion.

  He then emptied that inside of the open shutter. Feeling the slights effects he quickly took the antidote he had on him and then he entered the house.

  Through the wooden door he heard a thud upstairs as he walked in. He assumed it was the maid or something and continued his search of the floor.

  The wooden interior revealed a modest family home. Those vines had indeed done some damage but it seemed repairs were underway.

  A few portraits done by street artists spoke of a fairly happy family. The Knight’s graduation clearly being front and centre being on top of the fireplace.

  The butler was head down in one of the inner offices and looking at what he was working on, it seemed the house was struggling with its finances. The Knights income was more than good but two servants income was taking its toll.

  Malum exited the room and headed upstairs where he saw the scene of the wife, maid and child all sat in some sort of play room together. There slumped bodies around the child put a smile on Malums face. He had nothing against children, they were the bright and joy of the sick realm he lived in.

  Leaving that scene he then did what he came here to do. He pulled his sword from his sheath and began to etch something into the wooden walls of the main corridor.

  `Come and get me!` were escribed into the mans home.

  He then drew the smiling image of himself which Malum hoped the Knight would link back to him. In a rage, he hoped the Knight immediately would go and arrest him.

  For that he needed to leave one last thing. Something the guard could use to have something along the lines of probable cause.

  So he left the dagger he used that night inside the wall. The guard would recognise it, and linking his own image to the holder, he would be able to guess that he was the culprit who had invaded his home.

  To him it would look like a confession. To the courts it would look different.

  Malum smiled at the thought of removing one of his own sources of danger and moved swiftly out the door.

  The poison was a potent one that spread via the wind but for its strength and fast acting nature, it also wore thin pretty quickly and if an incredibly healthy night was to inhale it they would be back up in the minuet but his targets were only a maid, butler, wife and child so he reckoned he had would be able to at least make it down the street.

  He quickened his pace and searched outside for the guards. They were on the opposite side of the street but not having the time to spare Malum just decided to walk out the front gate.

  His gardening uniform looked normal to the guards and Malum simply gave them a wave when they eyed him up.

  He walked down the street as he felt their eyes burn through him but as quickly as they were interested it soon turned back to their conversation. Malum heard it fading as he walked and thought to himself about how much those two would be punished for that small decision.

  Fate was one tricky mistress, but Malum was getting better at swaying it in his favour. Now he just needed to watch and let it work for his goals.