With the guards' attention wholly diverted, the mansion itself stood vulnerable.
Shadows detached themselves from darker corners of the grounds. Men moved swiftly, keeping low and close to the walls before slipping through side entrances left unguarded in the turmoil. Most wore the plain attire of newly hired workers. Beneath their modest appearance, however, were seasoned mercenaries, trained killers accustomed to bloodshed.
They advanced in silence, their movement coordinated to avoid getting caught. Though the majority of the guards were occupied with the fires, the risk of encountering a stray patrol still lingered. Their goal for that night was clear and spread out ahead of them, highlighted in blood.
Soon, they reached the chamber where the confiscated weapons of the attending nobles had been stored. There was a grim irony in knowing that some of those very weapons would soon be turned against their rightful owners.
