The spell renewal, which involved casting new spells over the old ones, produced an interesting effect; the resulting spell became somewhat blurred and heavily influenced the magical background. Working to overcome the defenses in such conditions became nearly impossible. This continued for about a day.
— Did she release the servants again without any apparent reason? — Both of the young women who worked for the mage had long since shared their blood with the vampires, naturally without realizing it, and the hunters knew about the periodic time off the mistress regularly gave her staff with remarkable consistency.
— Yes.
— It's becoming quite interesting what she's doing alone in the house.
The men lewdly chuckled, each imagining their own scenarios.
Since Martha Tap took the position of the archmage of the barony, she had become the most enigmatic figure in the city. The young woman led a very modest lifestyle, rarely left her house, and seldom attended social events. She responded with firm rejections to attempts by men to establish closer relations.
At the same time, she was always sweet and friendly in conversation, not shying away from company, leaving the most positive impressions of herself. But she never made any friends. Not a single one. All this spawned rumors among the city's residents, which could rival the absurdity of rumors about Vlad and his people, but the knight had already become tiresome, and he didn't live in the city constantly, whereas the mage still intrigued the city's gossips.
— Alright, post taken. Take a walk around the church, check things out, and then you're free.
— Yes, sir! — The man saluted and quickly left the attic. For a vampire scout, free time was not sleep but quite the opposite. It was a legitimate opportunity to participate in tavern brawls or play gambling games, which often ended in fights. It was a sin to pass up such a chance to taste human blood.
After watching the departing figure, Sergey turned his attention to the small window used for attic ventilation. From here, there was a perfect view of the front facade of the mage's rented house, and sometimes much more was visible than the young woman would have liked to show. A dream for both a scout and a voyeur, all in one package.
Of course, Sergey was here not for the first or second reason, but because the recent events, specifically the rebellion in Zalona, were too important and required private contemplation without any distractions. He needed to assess all the chances and possibilities, as that was ultimately what his position entailed, not only gathering facts but also providing solutions.
Twilight fell on the city, giving the vampire's eyes a rest from the blinding daylight. Street lamps began to light up, which was quite normal for this district. Perhaps the baron could afford to install them throughout the city, but for a completely wooden settlement, it was not the best decision. The mage's house door opened, and she stepped out onto the street.
The vampire had no doubts. The choice between trailing her and trying to sneak into the house while no one was there was not even a question. The lady left her house too rarely, and it was always for work. Now, since she hadn't been summoned from the castle, it meant she had business within the city.
Quickly leaving his observation post, he dashed into the alley and ran down it. Passing by houses, he emerged from the servants' street onto the gentlemen's street and discovered that the girl had managed to leave, and he no longer saw her. However, he could still sense her. The scent of perfume was faintly detectable, but it was a fragrance used only by the mage—something southern and extremely rare. The strange thing was the place from which the scent was coming: an alley connecting the street to the back courtyard of a local inn.
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