“And you expect me to believe that this is the thieves guild?”

Raising her gla.s.s, the dragon squinted at the murky liquid inside, courtesy of the waitress who only glanced at Alester before bringing  a ‘Greenhorn Shot’ for her and a ‘Redthorn Whisky’ for the tall thief.

“What, does it not live up to your expectations?”

After heading deep inside the outermost district of the city, Alester led them into a surprisingly well-preserved tavern, quickly securing an empty table and ordering their beverages.

“To be honest, I had expected a proper guild building, a dangerous atmosphere and lots of shady people.”

Surveying the other patrons, Nisha wasn’t quite sure what she had expected.

Her lessons on the city included information on this area; it housed most of the servants and slaves working in the other districts as they were deemed unworthy to reside in the houses of higher standing . Despite that, most of the clientele currently  frequenting the [Swaying Bear] - which featured a graphic image of said drunk animal on its sign hanging above the entrance - didn’t match with the impression the elven girl had of the few slaves she encountered so far.

“That’s such a prejudiced view. Not everything about the guild is bad. Take me for example. For a small fee, I guarantee the security of any shop using my services. Not having to worry about a break-in should be worth a few coins, right?”

Snorting slightly, she pushed her gla.s.s away, after smelling the alcohol inside.

Why do Annabelle and Lydia insist I should never drink it? Not that I would without being forced anyway. I can’t understand how Galan and Luthais can even drink this.

“You do realize that with the thieves guild, these shop owners wouldn’t have to worry about theft in the first place, right?”

Emptying his gla.s.s, Alester waved away her answer.

“I don’t think that’s true either. Imagine for a moment if there’d been no guild. People here in the slums still would be penniless, some of them desperate to survive. There’d still be break-ins, theft, extortion, and murder. Just without any rules, any limit, and any watchdogs. So in the end, everyone profits from having us around.

It’s an idle thought, in any case, since a vacuum of power will always try to fill itself. Even if every thief, cutthroat, and swindler died overnight in the city, the very next day another band of crooks would replace them. A perfect world with no crime would be delightful, but there will always be someone at the bottom, who is envious what others have. If that person disappears, the next person will fall to the lowest spot and envy what the one above him has.

No, I guess the shop owners get a splendid deal with me protecting their stores.”

Raising his hand and signaling the waitress, he ordered another drink.

Nisha, on the contrary, stared into her own, contemplating his point of view. She  had not considered their side yet, always wondering why they would resort to crime instead of making an honest living. While the dragon did not  completely understand or trust Alester's words, she also understood his meaning. The powerful prey upon the weak. The wolf will always follow his instinct and hunt other animals. The society they lived in would always have thieves, which might or might not be constrained by rules , but they would always exist.

“Enough with the philosophical debates. I have some good news for you, though, this isn’t our real headquarters. I had promised you I’d help you with the pickpocket problem and that’s why we’re here.

There’s a special drink in this hole.”

Pointing at her gla.s.s, Nisha raised an eyebrow. How exactly would a poisonous beverage help her in dealing with the pickpockets?

“Don’t give me that face; I’m not trying to trick you.

Look, you don’t even have to drink it. The important thing about the ‘Greenhorn Shot’ is how they serve it. Every beginner in the guild gets initiated in a place like this; there’s a few of them.

Put the gla.s.s aside and look at what’s beneath it.”

This doesn’t sound quite right. If he’s playing a joke on me, I’ll throw the drink in his face.

Glancing at the cup served to Alestar, which had held his ‘Redthorn Whiskey’, Nisha noticed a thin wooden coaster beneath it.

Moving onto her drink, Nisha saw that a metal plate rested beneath it instead.

“Put some of your mana or aura into the metal and then give it to me. I need to finalize the settings once you do your part.

And do try the ‘Beginner Shot’, it’s one of the better drinks you can get here. Most treat it as a celebratory drink for new recruits, encourage them to strive to get more successful and to be able to order drinks like these regularly.”

Nisha observed as the metal plate obediently soaked up her energy like a sponge, leaving behind an imprint akin to a signature recorded on the plate before handing it to the crook, who simply added a mark of his own before returning it.

“There we go. This item marks you as a person under my protection and should take care of most thieves aiming for you. Everyone that holds a plate - and this is pretty much everyone in the thieves guild - can sense the presence of another badge, but shop owners protected by our branch or suppliers for the alchemists also get badges, so it isn’t too unusual for someone not part of the guild to hold one.

To top it off, I don’t have many enemies that would go for you despite holding my sign, unless you forget that it’s okay to steal from each other if you don’t get caught; it should be alright. Of course, this works both ways, if someone still wants to cut your purse, give them h.e.l.l.”

An attractive design. Makes sense, though, stealing from the guild itself regularly would damage the wealth it ama.s.sed and you can’t control everyone either.

“Thank you. Also, sorry, I have to decline the drink. I don’t think I’m old enough yet to drink.”

Pocketing the badge, Nisha immediately felt the effect, as almost everyone else in the establishment held a similar plate, their subtle aura marking them in her view as part of the thieves guild.

Alester naturally rose his eyes to that announcement and helped himself to the gla.s.s, emptying it in one shot.

“Well, that’s unexpected, although not altogether surprising. Age is hard to estimate while dealing with an elf, and I’d have guessed you’d be twenty turns of age at least. With growing slower and all that … “ 

“No offense taken, I understand where you are coming from, although I haven't met many other elves.

Nonetheless please do tell me, why are you going so far to help me out? I don’t remember doing you a favor that would warrant this.”

Wiping away any remaining wetness from his face, the gangster grinned at her.

“Don’t see it as a favor, consider it an investment into the future.

Firstly, you were ready to fight dozens of thugs with nothing but a single short sword. Call me insane,  but I don’t think you were planning to only make a desperate last stand in a deserted back alley.

Secondly, you very eloquently made your points and argued with an aggressor, dismantling his position and picking up on my words very quickly, showing great talent in that regard.

Thirdly, you managed to create enough losses for the pickpockets just by robbing them to make them act against you and borrow muscle from our protection money branch, which also shows your ability and personal strength.

So it stands to reason my act of goodwill here will pay out nicely in the future if you don’t mind me being this blunt.”

Raising the gla.s.s, this time empty, to her honor, Alester’s appearance spoke volumes just how pleased he was with himself.

“Certainly, all excellent reasons. Although you said it yourself earlier when you talked about thieves in general, everyone wants something, so you didn’t do it for free. What’s in this deal for you?”

Putting a dampener on his mood, Nisha interjected with an amused tone of voice.

“Well, I did say you were quick on the uptake … 

Alright, I might as well tell you. Frankly speaking, you are trouble for the pickpockets. You make a good target with your small stature, and a purse is visibly hanging from your pockets. And every time a thief tries to go for it, you take their total earnings for the day without them even noticing, so they lose a lot each time.

This act hasn’t gone completely unnoticed, and the cutpurse leader has already complained and sent out word regarding you, she was quite angry to lower herself even to contact lower bosses like me.

After I’ve concluded our little meeting here, I can go and report in that the mysterious elven thief will no longer pose any trouble for her branch. When it turns out true, a person of a higher rank than me will owe me a favor roughly equal to the losses I prevented, which, as I already mentioned, are quite high. That’s what’s in it for me. A large advantage for me, much needed if I want to keep climbing the ladder in the guild.

Happy now?”

To Nisha’s wonder, the man wasn’t angry or anything of the sort at being discovered to h.o.a.rd a secret profit. Rather, he was still pleased with himself for taking charge of such a huge opportunity.

For the dragon, the situation now made sense as well, and she had an easier time accepting the metal plate. As a sort of instinct, the gift made her feel apprehensive, the hidden catch potentially outweighing the benefits she might get by accepting it.

At this time, however, the elven girl also saw his gains and could feel satisfied with both sides harvesting a profit from their encounter.

“As a sign of goodwill, I’ll further bend the rules a little today. Usually, you would have to prove yourself first to ensure you aren’t a spy sent by the crown or the guard through a lengthy trial period before I can initiate you further, except me really can’t imagine you being part of that at your age.

Let me settle the tab with the owner; then we can go and see a few more shops, maybe one of them will fit your imagination of a thieves guild more.”

Rising from his seat, Alestar went on to leave a few silver coins on the counter while also shaking hands with the soot covered man behind it.

The dragon silently mused if she should have asked for something else to drink; she had been quite thirsty after all, having been on the move since morning.

Strangely enough, Nisha felt no malicious intent from her unlikely companion, even with his unusual profession.

She’d been careful without a doubt, others might not be as friendly, however she now looked forward to seeing more of the underworld together with an experienced guide.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And this about covers all of the things I can show you in the slums. Is it more like you imagined a thieves guild to be?”

Leading Nisha towards a rather elegant establishment at the border between the slums and the common district, Alaster beamed with pride as he showed her the hidden stores and meeting points established by his guild, this being the last stop on their route. Night already began to fall and he decided to call it a day. Not many had the chance to get an introduction by one of the lower ranked bosses, opening many doors for the dragon that would have been otherwise closed.

“You are right, it matches the concept more than a random tavern.

What’s this place called? It’s more elegant than most of the spots we’ve been. And the smell in the air … something's weird here.”

I’ve smelled this scent before. Where was that? It somehow burns in my nose and leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth.

“Sorry about it, this place is the closest to the gate we have and I wanted to see you off. Don’t really like it here either, I need to start working again, have a fee to collect here.

We’re in a [Bliss] den, you really want to remember the smell and stay away from it. Nasty stuff. Lucrative, but also highly addictive. Well, it pays well for me, so I don’t really care, however take a look at the patrons and you’ll understand what I mean.”

Lowering his voice, Alester pointed out various alcoves distributed throughout the room where thick plumes of smoke wafted into the air, while a waitress with yellow skin and hollow eyes emerged from one, carrying a tray with an earthen jar and several pipes prepared on it.

At the counter itself, a few male customers were currently smoking as well, while some of them periodically picked up a piece of brown ma.s.s from the jars on the counter, directly eating them.

Their complexion matched that of the waitress, giving them an unhealthy look overall.

“[Bliss] … the name doesn’t fit. What is it, exactly?”

Curious got the better of the dragon, despite the obvious danger she was still intrigued.

“It’s a drug if you want to call it by the name. Most people try it out once and can’t stay away from it afterward, even if it is quite expensive. Usually, commoners can only afford to buy a few pieces to chew on now and then, the people in here are a somewhat exclusive club. Most of them are either merchants or overseers like me, who can afford more of the stuff. Luckily I’ve never touched it, even when I’m in charge of collecting the fee in this place and a few others like this.”

Standing in the entrance and observing the clientele, the duo of dragon and criminal didn’t stay unnoticed forever. A door towards the back of the shop opened, which led to even thicker plumes of smoke escaping while an old man with the sickly skin made their way towards them, clutching a big purse.

Recognizing the towering thief, the old man's face widened into a ghastly smile. Black and rotten stumps were all that remained of his teeth.

“Alester, what a surprise. I didn’t expect you so early this moon. Come in, come in, I have most of the coin prepared, my friends are currently gathering the rest in the back. How about you come in and wait, there are free samples prepared for you. How about it, we can smoke a pipe together. And who’s your lovely friend? A new customer?”

Acting overly friendly, Nisha wasn’t put off by his ruined appearance. Monsters in the forest often looked hideous or nasty, but usually only near the end of their life after sustaining grave injuries and still escaping from a predator.

What surprised her how the man was still alive looking like that.

“Ah, I’m afraid I was just showing my friend around the places I do business with, she won’t join us.

Miss, it was a pleasure to show you what you can expect from us, please do tell me if you end up purchasing our services. Farewell.”

I guess he doesn’t want to mention my name or give away real information about me. Guess I owe him one.

“Certainly, now I know where to find you. I will consult with my family and inform you of our decision. Farewell.”

Escaping from the pungent shop, Nisha headed home for the night, grateful for the chance to save her sensitive nose from further a.s.sault.