The Thieves Guild

Generally speaking, thieves wouldn't target someone dressed like Rhode.

A thief's target was either someone obviously careless or a well-fed merchant. The way Rhode was dressed as a spellcaster usually put thieves off stealing from him.

But there were thieves who still tried to rob Rhode. In truth, this theft was a test arranged by one of the city's factions. Rhode's reaction to the test would determine what happened next.

Rhode stood still without moving, watching the thief fall toward him, as if waiting for the man's hand to reach into his pocket.

Seeing that his target made no move, the thief was secretly delighted. He hadn't been willing to take on this task of testing someone in the first place. In the past, these tests had often ended with the thief offending the target by accident. But this one didn't seem like much. Although he was dressed as a spellcaster, he didn't seem to be on his guard. The moment the thief bumped into him, he could swipe anything valuable from his person.

Thinking of how he could keep anything he stole during the test, the thief reached out even faster. The man in front of him was probably an inexperienced spellcaster. If the thief succeeded, the magical items on him could fetch a high price.

Suddenly, the instinct sharpened by years of thievery told the thief something was wrong. He tried to pull his hand back and retreat, but it was too late.

The thief watched in terror as a clawed hand darted out from the side, moving far faster than he could.

The clawed hand seized the thief's own. He was just about to fight back when a sudden burst of pain hit him. Half his hand fell to the ground.

For a moment, pain swallowed the thief's senses. Fear filled his face. He knew this test had put him up against someone he shouldn't have crossed.

Blood dripped onto the ground. The thief tried to flee, but just as he was about to move, he realized that the spellcaster in front of him still hadn't made a move.

Rhode hadn't moved at all since the thief tried to fall against him. He had only watched the man. It was the vampire beside him who had reached out and slashed the thief's hand.

A powerful premonition of death told the thief that if he tried to run, the spellcaster before him would unleash a spell and kill him.

Suppressing his fear and pain, the thief dropped to his knees. He didn't dare look up at the black-robed spellcaster, and instead quickly rattled off a string of excuses, begging Rhode for mercy.

Rhode didn't make things difficult for him. He simply asked:

"Where is the Thieves Guild in this city?"

The thief quietly gave Rhode directions. Rhode then asked:

"Where is the Free Professional Merchants Guild?"

After getting his answer, Rhode paid him no further attention. He walked around the kneeling thief while using the Mental Mark to control the vampire and suppress his bloodlust, then headed in the direction of the Thieves Guild.

The thief remained kneeling where he was, his face full of regret. Even after he stopped the bleeding, he had lost the hand he was best at stealing with. His career as a thief was over.

As Rhode continued on, he clearly sensed the way the gazes around him had changed.

As soon as he entered the city, Rhode had felt people watching him, trying to learn his background, purpose... and strength.

Perhaps it was the stigma attached to being a necromancer, but Rhode didn't believe that everyone entering the city for the first time was subjected to this kind of test.

During the thief's test, the vampire had crippled one of the man's hands with a single blow. This ruthless display of strength had undoubtedly intimidated the hidden watchers nearby. On top of that, Rhode himself hadn't lifted a finger. His unfathomable strength led those who had been watching to mark Rhode and his companions as dangerous.

Rhode hadn't asked which faction had arranged the test. Whether it was one of the city's factions or the Thieves Guild made no difference to him. He clearly had no intention of wasting his time on such matters; he had more important things to do.

With the vampire beside him, Rhode followed the thief's directions and arrived at the entrance to a building.

Rhode looked inside. The interior was dimly lit by just a few oil lamps, yet it was still brighter than the tomb he had been in before.

The building was crowded, but silent. Even those who spoke did so in low voices. Under the lamplight, shadows shifted across the room, giving the place a peculiar air of ceremony.

Seeing the scene inside, Rhode knew the thief hadn't lied to save himself. This was the place he had come to find: the Thieves Guild.

As soon as Rhode entered, a black-robed attendant came over to ask his business.

Though people also went to taverns to get information, unlike those noisy places, the Thieves Guild treated information as a commodity. Whether one wanted to buy information or obtain it, there were designated places for doing so.

Rhode told the attendant that he wanted to ask about something. The attendant quietly told him to follow, then led them farther inside.

Following the attendant, Rhode and the vampire crossed the Thieves Guild's hall and came to a room.

The attendant knocked twice, then opened the door. Rhode and the vampire went inside.

Rhode looked around. It was a soundproof room for inquiries, furnished with a long table. The only light came from candlesticks at either end, illuminating the objects on the table.

In the candlelight, Rhode saw a quill at each end of the table, with a sheet of parchment in the middle.

An old man sat at the far end of the table, dressed in a hood like the attendant. A black veil covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible, with deep wrinkles around them. He rested his wrinkled hands on the table, showing Rhode that he had no weapons, and watched him in silence.

Rhode knew from his past-life knowledge of the Thieves Guild that, for the guild in this town, this was the highest level of private room for an inquiry.

Rhode guessed that word of his attack on the thief had reached the Thieves Guild, which was why they were giving him their highest level of hospitality.

Perhaps the Thieves Guild had arranged that earlier test.

Without dwelling on it, Rhode sat down in the chair in front of the table while the vampire stood beside him.

The old man lifted one hand from the table and gestured for Rhode to write down his question.