Over time, Solam stopped paying attention to Trism lurking around outside his room. The guy looked stiff and rigid, but he actually knew what was what. Whenever Solam was busy with a young lady, he would obediently vanish and never eavesdrop from outside the wall.
When he saw Solam and Violette emerge from the room, Trism first stepped out of the shadows. Seeing that Solam had no special instructions for him, he nodded to Solam and disappeared into the darkness once more. He would keep watch for Solam from the shadows and would not come out to disturb him. Besides, given his personality, he would never make idle chatter with Solam.
This guy had not been seen for years, yet his stealth had become increasingly formidable. Even though he was a ranger... over these years, his class level had only risen by one, reaching merely level seventeen, yet his stealth was even better than that of a level nineteen professional assassin. Where was the justice in that?
Solam had long grown accustomed to his subordinate putting all his skill points in the wrong places.
With Violette in tow, Solam went up to a huge terrace on the third floor of the villa. It faced Athkatla's bay, and beneath the moonlight, the gentle sea breeze set the water shimmering with rippling reflections. The sight was tranquil and beautiful.
Solam had spent the past few days studying that legendary spell scroll, and he needed to relax and clear his head. Otherwise, he could not even sleep well. That was why he had come to the terrace to rest for a while. A glass of wine, a lounge chair, and blankly staring into space without thinking about anything.
That was the best kind of rest.
When Solam arrived at the terrace, he discovered