Chapter Eleven - the Thieve’s Guild of Alpta

Starting next chapter, I think I'll no longer have them be free? My plan is to keep 10 chapters ahead of what's being posted on RR once this is out! That'll probably be... when I have like, 50 chapters. So November-ish?

***

Rosario looked over her new costume and was pleased with her work. 

It wasn’t perfect. Ideally, she’d be working with more leathers. KingBreaker was one of those somewhat more realistic games where most of the armours and costumes were... if not period-accurate, than at least designed according to real historical examples. 

Basically, leather armour was rather uncommon, since it was rather uncommon historically. But it still looked right for [Rogue]’s armour.

Instead, what she had on hand was that one set of skirts she had singed a little and a few sets of slightly-worn maid’s apparel. Her [Seamstress] skills came into place, taking the garments apart and refashioning them into pants and shirts and a light coat, not dissimilar to what she saw normal people on the streets wearing.

It had taken her several hours, and unfortunately didn’t gain her any levels, but she supposed the experience was valuable all the same.

When morning came, she dressed, then slipped out of the room, tugging up the hood of her new coat to cover her hair and ears. 

She blended into the crowd fairly well. A little taller than the average man, but not by too much if she stooped a little, and her garb was close enough to the local style not to raise suspicion. The darker colour did contrast a little with the general brighter styles around her, but it blended into the background as well.

“This should not be so fun,” she muttered, but she couldn’t help the ghost of a smile on her lips. 

This was like... advanced cosplay. 

As she approached the alley deep in the Black Docks, she started to flick on a few of her [Thief] and [Rogue] skills. First [Inconspicious] which made it harder for people to notice her, and then [Hide Job] and [Hide Identity]. When she had picked up that Job tree, it was mostly for exactly this kind of utility. There was supposed to be a higher level skill that would let her pick the job and level she displayed, and she wanted to test out if she could display NPC jobs, to better sell the illusion of maidness. 

The alley was entirely empty, but she could sense that it was being watched over. It was like a prickle on the back of her neck. Looking around, she noticed a window across the street with the curtain slightly peeled back and a shadow behind it. Some of the younger people lingering on the street corner were also not talking and were just standing around, bored. Very unlike how normal kids would act.

She pushed in, walking with a straight back. 

Her plan was simple enough. [Rouge] was one of those Jobs that was fantastic for earning money. It also came, she hoped, with the benefit of not having to do much official paperwork. That, and she had an idea of how to continue levelling up her [Scullery Maid] as well, which was nice.

The alley was dark, damp, and smelled vaguely of rotting fish. It was also too clean. The trash piles by the entrance stopped a few steps in, and it was clear that the trash was all set up on some pallets that could easily be moved. It was decorative trash. The idea almost made her laugh.

The alley curved slightly, with a wall jutting out. The door she was looking for was around that bend and behind the jut. It was placed in such a way that someone walking through would, in all likelihood, miss the door entirely. 

She moved to it and gently tried the handle, which was locked, but that lock was slightly oversized and had hundreds of little marks around the keyhole. Anyone with even a modest lockpicking ability would be able to open this. Anyone without could probably manage with a screwdriver, actually. 

She cast [Unlock] on the door, limiting her mana to only a pinch, and that was enough to let her twist the handle and step in.

The entrance was more or less as she remembered, stairs leading down into a large, open basement with some old wooden crates taking up space. Nothing suspicious at all.

That was, until she went around one of the crates and discovered another set pressed into the wall. It was the kind of thing that would go unnoticed, and honestly, if she didn’t know about it beforehand, she would have missed it too.

Pulling on a latch, she silently opened the door, then slipped in.

The space behind was the guild.

Alpta was built along the coat of lake Alpta. She wasn't sure which was named first, so she didn’t know who to blame for the lack of creativity there. In any case, it was built on a rise, with a cliff overlooking the lake. Part of the city, the lower section, extended out over the edge of the lake, with stairs leading down to it.

The Black Docks were a set of docks down below, as well as a shanty town of sorts where poorer fishing vessels came in at night. The entire area was supposedly prone to flooding in the spring as well, so many houses were built on stilts unlike the rest of Alpta which favoured much sturdier construction.

The Thieve's Guild was set inside that cliffside, in a series of ancient tunnels dug out by some great beasts that could chew through stone with ease. 

The tunnels were a small maze. She navigated it out of habit. Left, right, right, past the fake wall, left, straight, and then into the Thieve’s Guild.

The caverns were reinforced and had been used by some minor nobles as storage... and then promptly and perhaps purposefully forgotten.

The result was a large space broken up by pillars and separated into sleeping quarters, common rooms, and storage for a respectably large guild of sneak-thieves, purse-cutters, and smugglers.  

There were a good number of people here, but only one of them was staring right at her.

***

There was someone new in the Guild, and that was always worthy of note. Moreso when he hadn’t invited the newcomer. Even more so when the watchers up above hadn’t warned him that they were coming. Either they were clacking off (a possibility) or the newcomer was better than that.

He stood and moved around. The newcomer--a woman by the looks of her, taller than average, so maybe a non-human, not obviously armed, and in dark, plain clothes that suited someone being subtle--eyed him from across the room.

Fen Numbra wasn’t the leader of the Thieve’s Guild because they didn’t stand for that kind of thing, but he was one of their only tier-3 members, and he had been in the business for a while.

So, while still meeting the newcomer’s eyes from across the room, he activated one of the skills that came with his [Shadow Walker] Job. 

In a blink, he slammed into his own shadow, then flashed across the room and appeared on the far end of the space. When he did, he felt a shiver run down his spine. The skill was good. Damned good for any sort of thief. There wasn’t a guard in Alpta that could track him. Most thought he merely teleported, and it was a fast enough skill that that was almost true.

And yet the newcomer had watched him. Her eyes had casually followed him as he moved across the space faster than a speeding arrow.

He smiled, put on a cheery face, and stepped closer. At the same time, he fired off a friendly [Inspect]

Hidden

[Hidden] - Level Hidden

He almost wanted to laugh. It was a rather brazen display, all things considered, but it did tell him much, especially coupled with a few other things. Notably, her features once her came close enough to make them out. An elf. 

Elves were about as common as rat-folk in these parts, and he’d know. “Welcome to the guild, fair lady,” he said with a bow.

This wasn’t a [Thief]. He knew all of those. Any of them that grew this strong he’d especially know, and besides, elves didn’t mess with that business too often. Too proud.

So, a high level, possibly third tier, maybe more. Probably not a Titled, but this could easily be someone with a few second or third tier Jobs. Or they were hyper-specialized into jobs that only gave Dexterity, but his gut told him otherwise.

“Good morning,” she replied easily. “It’s been... a long time since I was last here. Forgive me if I forgot some of the local customs, or misstepped by simply walking in.”

“No harm done,” he replied. “You’ve been here before, then?”

A member of one of the previous guilds? Or a previous shape of the same guild, at least.

“It’s been a long time,” she repeated, this time with clearer emphasis.

Ah, yes, elves. 

“Of course. I imagine you’ll find things quite normal here,” he said. He prided himself on being an honest man, as strange as that may seem to some, so he hastened to add to that. “Though... times are turbulent, and there are factions within the city that offer work of a more... politically charged sort at times.”

“Oh? Well, that’s not exactly what I’m here for,” she said. “Mister... Numbra? I’m actually looking for work. Of a very particular sort.”

“Are you, now?” he asked. “Come! We can at least find a booth and have ourselves a sit. Good conversation should be had over food.”

He gestured for her to follow as he swaggered deeper into the guild, his tail flicking out behind him. As he moved he brought his arm up and gestured to some of the others who were finally starting to notice that something was amiss. With a few quick motions of his hand, hidden from view of the elf, he told the others to be wary and ready. Just in case. 

Then they found a booth. There was, of course, a small bar at the very back of the guild, with some purloined sofas, stolen cushioned, and misappropriated casks of wine and booze. 

He sat across from the elf, who demurely took a seat, and then one of the lower-ranked members brought them both a platter of cheeses and two mugs, along with a pitcher of ale.

He leaned forwards and took some of each, but the elf didn’t partake. A cautious one, then.

“So, what sort of work are you after? We have a few decent fences available to members.”

“No, not that sort,” she said. “I... can I trust you to be discreet?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” he said with a chuckle.

“I appreciate that. In that case... I’m looking for work that may advance my Job. This one.” She gestured vaguely at herself, and he took the invitation to [Inspect] her once more.

Hidden

[Scullery Maid] - Level 2

Ah. He knew what she was, now. It was rather obvious. The elven disdain for theft did not mean that they lacked other sorts of [Rogue]-ish figures. The high Dexterity. The overly casual manner of dress. The lack of fear. Even the way she avoided the food, likely in case it was poisoned. 

This was an [Assassin].

“I take it you have a target in particular?”

“No,” she replied. “I genuinely do just wish to elevate my rank as a [Maid].

He nodded.

She probably wanted to appear more suitable for an infiltration job. Probably a complex one, to get closer to someone important. It may even be someone outside of Alpta. Some [Assassin]-types, especially the higher-tiered sorts, could take years to prepare for a single job. They prided themselves on it.

Still, that didn’t make her a foe, necessarily. “I might have a thing or two,” he said. “How comfortable are you with the concept of rebellion?”

***