PFC Chapter 36 Thieves Guild
Chapter 36 Thieves Guild
The garrison camp in Ambermill is located in the heart of the town.
The area is surrounded by high blue stone walls, with guards patrolling day and night in shifts, and a constant stream of Dalaran battle mages and soldiers coming and going.
Everyone assumed that the area around the military camp was the safest place in Ambermir. Petty thieves and dangerous individuals wouldn't dare approach it.
But William never expected that, right next to this heavily guarded military camp, just a wall away, was the headquarters of Ambermill's Thieves Guild.
If Elena hadn't personally led the way, even if he had wandered around here for ten days or half a month, he definitely wouldn't have discovered the slightest clue.
The building before me was extremely simple, a plain two-story house with white stone walls and a wooden roof. The walls were covered with vines, the doors and windows were old, and there were no fancy decorations. A faded wooden sign hung at the entrance: "Harris Fur Trading".
People come and go at the entrance, with hunters carrying bows and arrows and adventurers carrying weapons coming and going to trade, buying and selling animal pelts and related miscellaneous supplies. It looks like an ordinary community shop, blending in with the shops along the street and having no presence at all.
"This is it, boss."
Elaine stopped and turned to look at William, her previous liveliness turning into seriousness.
"Boss, let me tell you first, don't say anything out of line once you're inside. Just let me speak."
William nodded slightly, subtly glancing around. This must be a gathering place for thieves, and the little liar must be a member. For now, he'd listen to her and see how things went inside.
Thinking this, he turned his head to look at the patrol passage of the military camp just a few steps away to the left, where the footsteps of the soldiers and the shouts of training could be clearly heard.
Surely the thieves here aren't so vicious as to do anything harmful to someone like me who's here to do business?
The two walked side by side into the store.
The shop was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of animal hides and grease. Behind the counter stood a thin young clerk with short hair and narrow eyes, who wore a smile as he glanced at strangers.
Upon seeing Elaine enter, the young man greeted her casually, his tone incredibly familiar: "A rare guest, Elaine. It's been a long time since I've seen you. Where have you been hiding all this time?"
Unlike her usual playful demeanor, Elena simply nodded and stepped aside to let William out from behind her, her expression extremely serious: "I'm here to take care of something. By the way, this is my boss."
The five simple words made the shop assistant pause slightly.
Having spent many years in Ambermill, everyone knows that Elena has always been a loner, independent and self-reliant, never relying on anyone, let alone a boss.
Could it be?
The shop assistant subconsciously looked up and carefully examined William from head to toe.
William was dressed in clean and appropriate traveler's clothes. He had a calm demeanor and upright features, and looked like a well-off but inexperienced and respectable person.
A sharp glint flashed quickly in those narrow eyes.
In his eyes, William's demeanor and appearance made him a perfect lamb offered to him. Not only was he easy to manipulate, but he was also easy to fool, and he definitely had a lot of money on him.
Sure enough, as usual, another easy target.
He didn't ask any further questions, just casually said "Oh," and waved his hand behind the counter in a nonchalant tone: "Got it, go in. Same rules as always, no outsiders allowed, finish your business and leave quickly."
He clearly accepted Elena's identity and didn't question William's background too much. Within the Thieves' Guild's territory, as long as you have an insider to guide you, you generally won't be too restricted.
"Um."
Elena responded and said no more. She led William around the long counter and pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door at the back.
Behind the door was only a long, quiet, and secluded corridor. The walls on both sides were made of stone bricks with mottled marks, and the fishy smell in the air had dissipated, replaced by the damp and cold smell of earth.
At the end of the corridor is a wooden staircase leading to the second floor.
According to common sense, the second floor of the shop is most likely a rest room or storage room, and the core area of the guild should also be upstairs.
But Elaine didn't move an inch, not even towards the stairs. William's heart stirred slightly; he quietly followed behind her, waiting for her next move.
Elena turned and walked to the wall on one side of the corridor, raising her hand to grasp an old copper torch hanging on the wall.
The torch was black and old, covered in a thick layer of dust, looking like a long-abandoned decoration that no one would notice. But the dust was actually an artificially aged effect. With a slight twist of her wrist, Elena slowly turned it half a circle to the left.
Click—!
A faint, muffled sound of mechanical gears turning quietly echoed in the silent corridor.
The next second, the thick stone wall in front of them suddenly trembled, the entire wall surface slowly caved inward, and then slid sideways.
A dark, narrow cave entrance suddenly appeared before the two of them, and a cold wind rushed out from inside the cave, carrying a strong underground dampness.
William watched in surprise, secretly marveling at the sight.
Such secret passages and mechanisms are only noticeable to thieves and, perhaps, even mages. Speaking of which, with such a loud commotion, didn't the mages in the military camp outside notice?
"Let's go, boss. It's dark inside, watch your step, the path is a bit steep."
Elena turned back and gave a word of advice before bending down and crawling into the hole.
William followed closely behind and stepped into the secret passage.
After a while, a slight muffled sound came from behind again, and the light from behind disappeared. They could only slowly walk down by the light of torches a few meters apart.
Inside the cave was a winding stone tunnel leading downwards, the passage narrow, allowing only two people to pass at a time. The further down you went, the dimmer the light became, and the colder and damper the air grew.
The two of them spiraled down the winding stone steps, descending countless steps and sinking dozens of meters, completely escaping the noise of the ground.
A moment later, the view ahead finally opened up.
A spacious, empty underground hall appeared before William's eyes.
The entire hall was over 400 square meters, with a height far exceeding that of ordinary rooms. Several glowing fluorescent crystals were embedded in the ceiling, emitting a faint, cold white light that barely illuminated the entire space. Rows of torches lined the surrounding walls, but only a few were lit.
On the walls on both sides of the hall, there are rows of tightly closed solid wood doors, each leading to a different area, the purpose of which is unknown.
In the center of the hall, there was a solid wood table that was about ten meters long and nearly two meters wide. The tabletop was covered with scratches, as if it had witnessed countless underground transactions and secret plans.
At this moment, there was only one person in the vast, empty hall.
A young man who looked to be in his early twenties sat alone at the head of the long table, his posture lazy and arrogant.
He casually crossed his legs, leaning back lazily in his chair, his fingertips twirling a sharp dagger. The dagger danced between his fingers, its cold light flashing constantly, his movements fluid and skillful, revealing him to be a seasoned assassin who had spent years in the underworld.
Hearing footsteps approaching, the young man didn't look up, continuing to toy with the dagger in his hand, his tone casual and playful: "Elena, who is the person you brought in?"
Elena stopped and stood in front of the table, her demeanor more composed than when she was up there: "Karen, this is my boss."
Karen.
William silently noted down the name; it belonged to a manager with considerable influence in the Ambermill Thieves' Guild.
"My boss wants to come to our guild to discuss business," Elena added solemnly.
"business?"
Upon hearing this, the young man named Karen finally stopped what he was doing, put away his crossed legs, leaned forward slightly, and looked up at the two of them with a sharper gaze.
He sized William up and down, his tone brimming with confidence: "What kind of business? Tell me. In Ambermill, I can handle most small matters myself; there's no need to bother the chairman."
The moment he finished speaking, William's gaze sharpened slightly, and he subconsciously activated his system panel.
The next second, rows of clear data instantly came into his view.
Name: Karen
Race: Human
Age: 25
[Occupation: Junior Stalker]
[Status: Healthy, Alert]
[Combat Strength Assessment: A master assassin skilled in striking from the shadows.]
William muttered to himself that the current system could only provide basic information; in the past, it could even scan all the equipment you were carrying.
But it's not so bad, it's better than being completely clueless.
Elena shook her head, her tone firm and unwavering: "You can't make that decision, Karen. My boss wants to see the head."
Karen raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"My boss is from the cathedral area," Elena added.
This statement is simple, but its weight is immense. The people of Lordaeron today all understand the significance of it.
Karen's nonchalant expression vanished instantly. He clicked his tongue twice, his gaze sweeping strangely over William before turning to Elaine beside him. His tone was a mix of teasing and scrutiny: "From the Cathedral? Not bad, Elaine. After three years, you've managed to latch onto such a powerful figure?"
He paused, then his tone became playful: "Speaking of which, you wouldn't be so desperate as to try and trick your boss into joining our guild for some benefits, would you? That used to be your specialty."
After all, in the Thieves' Guild, there are far too many half-elves who resort to opportunism and betray their teammates.
Elena wasn't angry; she simply shook her head gently, her eyes exceptionally serious. "I wouldn't. Karen, you know I've never done that before."
"Karen, this time I'm really leaving."
"Once this matter is settled, I will leave Ambermill for good and head south to Stormwind with my boss. I will never come back here again, nor will I get involved in any of the guild's affairs."
Now that we have a choice, why struggle to survive in the dark?
Although her boss was an honest and kind man, he gave her dignity, and he believed in her so much... she would never do those thieving and cheating things again.
Karen looked at her serious expression, paused for two seconds, then sighed slowly, her teasing gone and replaced by regret, and said, "Alright, I believe you. To be honest, the boss has always been very optimistic about your talent. She's always had the idea of training you into a top-tier stealth operator. It's a pity that you still have to leave in the end."
As the two were casually arguing, the atmosphere in the otherwise quiet underground hall suddenly and inexplicably changed.
William sensed that something was subtly watching him from within the otherwise peaceful hall.
The feeling was extremely subtle.
It felt like something intangible was constantly touching his senses, drawing him toward that source of tactile sensation that kept circling around him.
His gaze slowly swept across the empty hall, past the tightly closed wooden doors on both sides, and over the dimly lit corners... Finally, his eyes settled on the empty chair opposite Karen.
The chair was completely empty and looked quite ordinary.
But that intense and blatant sense of being spied on was constantly being transmitted from there, in his perception.
Without hesitation, William strode straight toward the empty chair.
Karen was slightly taken aback when she saw his action. Just as she was about to ask a question, she saw William reach out and touch the back of the empty chair.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the back of the chair, a languid, charming, soft, and alluring female voice suddenly rang out from the empty chair.
Words tinged with playful reproach echoed through the empty underground hall.
"Ouch—little one, where are you touching?"