Too quiet. Too convenient. Too much like walking into a mouth that was about to snap shut.
But they'd committed now. Forward was the only option.
Satou led them through the storage room toward the servant's staircase in the northwest corner. The narrow spiral stairs rose into darkness above—eighteen steps total, fifth step creaky on the right side, all exactly as described.
No opposition. No traps. Nothing.
They climbed in tense silence, weapons ready, every sense straining for the first hint of attack. But the stairs were clear, and they emerged onto the second floor without incident.
The corridor between bookshelves stretched ahead—the western section of the restricted library, exactly as mapped. Tall shelves packed with ancient legal texts created a maze of shadows and narrow passages. Perfect terrain for ambush.
Still no opposition.
