Chapter 172

Kartna laid out the three methods he had devised.

First: bribe the guard of the relevant gate. Although it was termed bribery, it really meant using something other than money.

Second: enter by going through the dangerously hazardous zone where even the gates couldn't reach. Kartna visibly paled as he mentioned this option.

Lastly,

"Enter as a member of the Thieves Guild. Using an identity prepared by us, you will be able to pass through the gate confidently."

"That surely can't go as smooth as it sounds."

"In that case, we can't use the guild's infrastructure."

"And to use the guild's infrastructure?"

Kartna smiled, pointing to the floor.

"Obviously, take the path where the light doesn't reach. We have underground passages dug out. This option would be my recommendation, but there are two issues."

Kartna raised his index finger.

"Without a legitimate identity, it will become tough to operate in the Empire. Also, like the imperial gate guardians, you need permission from the Thieves Guild's master controlling that area."

"That's it?"

"That's all. I guess for someone like you, such issues are trivial, right?"

"Of course. Because you'll take care of it."

"But I am just…"

"So there are thieves operating in the empire without identities? Must be tough."

"They have their ways, developed over time."

"Just one more thing. What does the Empire want from adventurers, Kartna?"

There had to be a reason for the Empire's keen interest in adventurers. If they were just being cautious, they could simply ban their entry altogether.

The answer was straightforward.

"Adventurers are expected to help assist with tasks requested by the Empire. It's not always compulsory… and if the task seems unreasonable, some negotiation is possible."

"For example?"

"Mages or engineers might have to contribute to technological advancements, while warriors or knights might participate in monster extermination campaigns. In return, they are granted considerable convenience and freedom in their activities within the Empire."

Ultimately, the Empire was on caution against talented people, but was also trying to take advantage of them for their development.

As for thieves?

It meant forfeiting both benefits and authority.

"Are you on close terms with that guild master?"

"No. I don't know their name or face, and the same goes for them. We think of each other as business partners that are difficult to trust."

"You must know their preferences then."

"Shall I prepare a gift?"

"Something modest. I'll cover the expenses. Just enough to pique their curiosity."

"I'll plan accordingly. Got everything else figured out?"

"Roughly."

Such a response might unnerve the average person, but not when it came from the adventurer before him.

Kartna shrugged and stood up.

"I'll start by clearing the route."

* * *

Heinrich Valaran turned out to be a more capable king than Seojin had anticipated. From his time as a prince learning statecraft from the former king, Heinrich's interest had always been more in the shadows than in the open. He believed that to truly serve the common people, a king needed to know more and see more.

"The Thieves Guild are like weeds and will keep sprouting unless you pull them out by the roots. And those roots are many, spreading deep and wide. Unless you take them out all at once, they will continue to take root in deeper and deeper areas… I'm not sure what I should do with them."

Back when Heinrich said these words, his expression wasn't that dark. Contrary to considering them as nuisances, he looked curious as to what kind of use he could find for them.

"I've looked deeply into them. They must have noticed me by now. A one-sided relationship can't last, after all. Luckily, they seem less concerned about the collective well-being of their group."

Heinrich held more interest in the Thieves Guild than anyone else, studying and collecting data on them. Thieves, as he saw it, valued the personal prosperity over the group's. Using the royal treasury, Heinrich had managed to gain a basic understanding of the guild's inner workings.

"The Thieves Guild's roots spread across the entire continent of Salevania. Uprooting them all would be impossible even for all the kings combined. Maybe if perhaps a god or a dragon were to try."

Heinrich decided to accept them, offering them regulated freedom, not debauchery. He was stern on crimes against commoners, but more lenient on those committed against nobility.

He shared a list of nobles who had sworn their fealty to him with them, advising, though not ordering, to avoid these individuals.

That turned out to be effective. The thieves didn't mind the narrower scope of targets. Their new way of life was more satisfying and thrilling, and no one tried to drag them into the light. This allowed Heinrich to see deeper into areas he couldn't before.

"This is what I could see from a higher vantage. I hope this proves to be helpful for my only true friend."

It was a letter filled with information about the thieves that Heinrich had come to know. Whether these insights were due to the game's internal system or whether they were Heinrich's own conclusions was unclear, but the letter was crammed with information on the Thieves Guild.

'It seems like the system set it up,' Seojin thought, considering the quest he received to go to the Empire.

There were two previews with different requirements: the king's personal letter, and securing a useful thief NPC as an ally. Seojin already knew Kartna, but without this, he would have had to rely on the information in the letter.

'Anyway, this makes things easier.'

Unfortunately, the letter didn't cover the Empire's thieves. But it was filled with the guild's structure, behavior patterns, and opinions based on various incidents in Valaran.

'This is reliable information,' Seojin affirmed.

It was the minimum requirements for the quest, just presented as the king's letter.

Kartna returned. "Adventurer, what are you doing?"

"Reading a love letter."

"Hmmmm…"

"Why that look?"

"I was just thinking it was plausible. Are you ready to go? We have prepared the route."

Seojin folded the letter. He had already memorized the necessary details.

"Let's go. Underground again, I assume?"

"Just made a new tunnel. It's a rule of ours to block the entrance after using it to travel between countries."

"You actually dug it, huh?"

"I am a man of truth. Though perhaps I… spice things up a little bit at times."

They were ready to embark on a new journey. Seojin, with his newly acquired knowledge, and Kartna, with his unique skills, were delving once again into the shadows.

* * *

The tunnel was exactly as the word suggested. It was filled with a musty, damp air, the winding path reminiscent of an ant colony.

The occasional forks in the path were all traps, Kartna had added.

"We prepare for the worst. No one knows what lies at the end except the designer themselves. It might be difficult to get out in one piece."

"What if an innocent citizen gets lost and ends up down here?"

"Although cheating innocent citizens is indeed part of our job, we're not completely reckless like that. As you've seen, if someone went through all the effort to enter here, they're far from innocent."

"What about like a miner, perhaps?"

"There are no mining passages near here. Dozens of designers put their heads together to create this."

That was true. If someone had made it this far, they must be interested in the thieves.

Or maybe they were a foolish tomb raider.

-We'll soon see signs of tampering. Feels like I've become a mole.

-Any people around?

-No one. No traps either. It's just a path from up there forwards.

At that moment, Flappy contacted him. She was following the path Kartna mentioned, going on ahead of them.

Seojin trusted Kartna, but that trust was only in his skills.

'I'll have to find a way out just in case. Kartna is a thief after all.'

Seojin wouldn't be as on guard as he was now against a player, but NPCs were designed with a developer's intent. And thieves were far from righteousness or common sense.

'The moment something from the other side becomes more valuable than what I offer, they'll surely betray me.'

That was the principle and values of thieves.

Heinrich Valaran's letter contained the same sentiment.

"There are no traps from here on."

"It seems the designers lack artistic sensibility."

"To us, art is a luxury. As long as we can pass by unseen, we have no complaints."

"And what about stealing luxuries?"

"That's just for fun. We can also sell them to buy other things."

Even when verbally jabbed, Kartna's face showed no change in expression.

Such things really didn't bother him.

They weren't directly connected to profit.

Now the surroundings were poorly constructed walls of gray brick.

Following this path, Seoiin would find the person he was looking for.

-There's an iron door, and two men guarding it… Hmm, they're far from guards. They're just sitting comfortably, playing a card game.

-Card game?

-'Knights and Dragons'. I didn't expect to find people still playing it. It was a popular game in back alleys about a hundred years ago.

Flappy continued her explanation with apparent interest.

"Knights and Dragons" was a card game where players played cards with different compatibilities to determine victory or defeat.

Of course, there were special combinations, but the main requirement of the game was psychological warfare.

"Kartna. Did you happen to bring cards?"

"I always carry them. Why do you ask…"

"Poker?"

"Well, it's a bit different. It might be unfamiliar to an adventurer like you."

"I was just curious if thieves cheat even at cards."

"We do. But if you get caught cheating, your wrist might get chopped off. Depending on the pot, you might just end with a missing finger…"

"Depending on the pot?"

"We don't go that far for a simple pastime game. It's only when something really important is at stake."

"Such as?"

"Like the distribution ratio of a stolen treasure, or gaining command of a certain group. Those who like such stakes are obsessively fixated."

"Interesting."

"It seems you've become a bit interested in us?"

"Better to strike first than to be stabbed in the back."

"I feel endangered already."

"Of course, there's always exceptions. Haven't you planned something bigger?"

"I expected you'd say that, adventurer. Anyway, cards… I knew that preconception was widespread, but it's true. There's nothing like gambling to kill time."

Before a heist or while waiting in a hideout for a target, gambling had always been a close friend to thieves, and its significance was unique.

-You know all the rules, right?

-Most of them. I'll figure out the few changes after watching a few rounds. Why, want to play a round together?

At Flappy's question, Seojin smiled leisurely.

-I have a feeling that's what they want/