Winterfell's thieves guild was infamous for its underground hideout, tucked away with other shady businesses. Only those with a specific set of skills, like thieves or bandits, could find and access it.Thieves were the sneaky type, skilled at pickpocketing and slipping in and out of places unnoticed. Bandits, on the other hand, were more like rough warriors, relying on strength and dirty tactics. These classes were earned through actions like stealing, robbing, or even killing.Inside the guild, there was always a lot of activity around the notice board. Here, members could take on different jobs, from simple tasks like taking something from someone’s home to more dangerous missions like assassination or violent robberies where no witnesses were allowed to live.“Remember that job last month? The one where we had to take out the entire family, no survivors,” one thief mentioned as he looked at the board.“Yeah, paid well. The old guild master wouldn’t have allowed it though,” another
The two thieves bolted as soon as they saw their leader’s body shoot out of the window, impaled by the green arrow.Jackson’s eyes narrowed as he questioned the two frightened thieves. “Are you sure it was a green arrow?” he asked, his voice filled with suspicion.The taller thief nodded quickly. “Y-Yes, boss! I swear it was a green arrow! But... it could have come from a scroll too! We didn’t see anyone cast it, just that arrow—out of nowhere!”Jackson drummed his fingers on the desk, deep in thought. “A high-level mage could have done this, or maybe someone used a scroll. Either way, it’s someone way above our level.”The shorter thief, still shaking, added, “Boss, we didn’t know anything about this. We thought it was just a regular job!”Jackson sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I believe you. You two just got unlucky. Now get out of here.”The thieves shared a quick look of relief and rushed out the door, eager to put as much distance between themselves and the mess as possibl
He raised his hand, and the man stopped immediately, understanding the silent command. Caster knew he couldn't take on this opponent; it was clear he was a professional killer. But there was a big issue—the magical contract he had signed. Breaking it would lead to severe consequences, much worse than just losing some mana."You know the rules," the man said quietly. "I can’t say anything. Might as well kill myself now... but..."His eyes glanced at a painting on the wall. The assassin noticed this and moved gracefully to the painting, sliding it aside to reveal a medium-sized safe with a combination lock."2309567," the guild master said, keeping his eyes on the shadows.The two guards looked at each other, puzzled. Their leader hadn’t given the order to attack yet, even though their friends were dead. They watched as the assassin approached the safe. Before he could enter the code, the man turned and addressed the cat man."You, enter the combination."The assassin's voice was col
Caster spent the rest of the night in a cold cell. The people in this world didn’t care much about their prisoners. The place he was confined in was infested with rats and was cold and uncomfortable. There wasn’t even a bed or a chair; he had to lean against the wall. Luckily, they allowed him to keep his clothes, which were thick enough to help him endure the chilly night.He wondered if the guards would face repercussions if it became known that he was actually the son of a noble. Laws prohibited imprisoning nobles in such conditions before a trial. Even then, most sentences would merely strip the noble of some status or impose a fine and damage their reputation.Aristocrats took these matters very seriously. Some would rather die than lose their titles and lands. They would fight fiercely against such losses, even if it led to violence.Unable to sleep, he had time to think. He worried about the possibility of someone ransacking his workshop and stealing his belongings. His posse
Caster spent the rest of the night in a cold cell. The people in this world didn’t care much about their prisoners. The place he was confined in was infested with rats and was cold and uncomfortable. There wasn’t even a bed or a chair; he had to lean against the wall. Luckily, they allowed him to keep his clothes, which were thick enough to help him endure the chilly night.He wondered if the guards would face repercussions if it became known that he was actually the son of a noble. Laws prohibited imprisoning nobles in such conditions before a trial. Even then, most sentences would merely strip the noble of some status or impose a fine and damage their reputation.Aristocrats took these matters very seriously. Some would rather die than lose their titles and lands. They would fight fiercely against such losses, even if it led to violence.Unable to sleep, he had time to think. He worried about the possibility of someone ransacking his workshop and stealing his belongings. His posse
The only person Caster could think of who might be after his life was Saul, the one who sent him here. But Caster quickly dismissed the idea. It didn’t make much sense. How would Saul have found him so fast? And would he really risk making a move in the count’s territory? It seemed unlikely, but not impossible.Caster leaned against the wall of his workshop, deep in thought. “It’s probably more connected to Vanny,” he muttered. The fact that they’d bailed him out of prison without him asking—now that was suspicious. He’d heard rumors too, about shipments being robbed and a rise in thefts around the city. Something wasn’t right."Maybe the demon manager knows more," Caster thought. But first, he returned to his workshop. To his surprise, he saw a guard outside—a worker from Vanny Royale. It made him pause. “Do they really care about me as a worker, or am I just an asset they’re protecting?” He wondered. Inside, other men were already checking out the broken window and the mess in t
The demon manager leaned back in his chair, taking a slow drag from his pipe before asking, “So, tell me, what exactly happened last night?”Caster hesitated briefly, then gave a shortened version of the night’s events. “I used a detection spell to find where they were, and then I used another spell to hide myself in the shadows,” he explained, carefully leaving out the detail that the detection spell was inscribed on metal.“Not bad, kid, not bad at all,” the manager said with a nod. But his eyes narrowed as he pointed out a flaw in Caster’s story. “Detect life, huh? That spell doesn’t cover a big area, and using scrolls for it would be pretty expensive, don’t you think?”Caster kept a neutral expression, choosing not to respond. He wasn’t about to reveal his new class choice, especially not to his boss. Trust wasn’t something he handed out freely.After a moment of silence, Caster, feeling frustrated by the manager’s questions, decided to get to the point. “We’re getting off-topic
The night was lit up by the lunar glow of the moon. The sky was clear and the stars shone like diamonds, which were twinkling above in the astral plain, as far as the eyes could see.The boy that sat down was full of purpose he was in a room which was only lit with candle light. His outfit – a delicate tunic inlaid with fabulous gems – looked elegant and silent in the lanterns’ glow. A more than moderately-expensive necklace was hanging pointlessly around his neck, and his loud black leather shoes, stuffing on his sleeves promoted his nobility. Congregating with a white feather on the side of his head and an insignia ring around the finger of one of his hands.The man, who appeared to be of noble birth, was busy reading what seemed to be a lengthy missive. After he had read the last line, he threw the parchment to the ground and held a single finger at the thing. She watched in awe as flames burst from his palm and consumed the letter in a stream of fire mana.“The thieves guild won’t
Caster was mature enough to see the world as it was. He understood that most younger folk saw it through a lens of hope and ambition, their dreams of treasure and fame setting them apart from his more grounded approach. Some were from humble beginnings: sons and daughters of farmers; young people from families that were better off but that had fallen on hard times and now were boy or girl determined to claw back some of that perceived lost respect, no matter the price."My jaw twisted into a small smirk as I imagined their wide eyes and wide, baseless plans and all they think is, ‘Get some gold, a shiny sword, you’ll be a hero.’" It was the same story, time and again: things that were often only dreams, rarely aligning with reality.Lowfield had been a deliberate choice despite what she had become. Knowing full well it wouldn’t be clear, he took the fast route but he took the fast route. The road taught him about its steep hills, its rocky passages and on occasion, the unfriendly tra
The early morning breeze bit into the cloak and the underdress at Caster’s shoulders as he walked the narrow cobblestone path into Lowfield. Today he had gotten rid of his imposing helmet and heavy armor. Dawn's fresh smell of its own earth together mingling with the familiar taste of his workshop on his clothes. He wasn’t hiding his identity, or painful silence had been left behind, today. Today was about remembering the life that kept breathing after his magesmith-tools stopped.The caravan had added liveliness to the town which reminded me of festival time, the town was waking up. Some of the faces settling onboard Caster recognised—newcomers amongst the adventurers. With fresh ambitions and none of the resolve yet tested, they walked on their own journey wide eyed and reminded him of the person he used to be. He watched the newcomers with a kind of quiet amusement, catching snippets of eager chatter about dungeons and imagined battles, bravado thick in the air.A young man, prob
Casting his small treaty of provisions, a load of stale bread crusts, some wrinkled fruits, and a hard wedge of cheese that once lived on a more hospitable broke surviving clunk to clunk. He made a gagging noise as he peered at the dried meat again and poked it with distaste. "Wouldn't it kill the fates to give me a real meal?" Just once. Something hot, even." He sneaked a look over at where a stove should be, the ones that made his mouth water when a hearty stew bubbled away. For a moment he smirked, "No stove yet … maybe I could conjure a magical pan up." "Oil might be asking for a miracle."Peering out the window he squinted at the city in the early light. Carts creaked along cobbled paths and vendors hawked fresh fish and newly baked bread in the place I had walked into, even now. He’d done a lot with the house in the week that he’d been there, turning it into something livable, barely. "What the hell?' he murmured, 'Doors actually close now' he concluded feeling a bit more proud
Caster adjusted his grip and took a close look at his work, scrutinizing every line and angle of the newly crafted weapon handle. The wood was tough but carefully sanded, bearing faint, meticulous patterns he had engraved over hours of work. "Alright," he muttered, almost to himself. "Let's see if this holds up."He lowered his gaze to the small, rough-edged mana stone beside him. Its surface shimmered faintly, a testament to the raw energy that pulsed within it. With precision, he made a tiny opening at the base of the handle, using one of his tools to keep the gap just wide enough for the stone to fit snugly. Holding his breath, Caster slid the stone into place, his hand steady even as he felt the twinge of nervousness in his gut. One wrong move, one crack, and the handle would split, and the entire effort would be wasted. He exhaled, the pressure off his shoulders as the stone was secure. He picked up a little hammer and taps the opening closed, sealing the stone.Caster was co
Caster’s gaze shifted between his rough tools and the iron-cast walls around him. The dim, flickering light from a lone torch cast dancing shadows on his workbench, where the worn mace lay, waiting. Each scuff and nick in the wood handle held a tale of its own; it wasn’t just a tool but a companion, a weapon that had been through as much as he had. And here he was, weighing its life and usefulness like a weary healer judging the last pulse of an old patient.He ran his hand over the handle one last time, tracing the grains and grooves with a practiced eye. “Adding a stone’s one thing,” he muttered. “But what it needs is stability.” His fingers slid to a small crack, an old fracture that hadn’t yet spread but threatened to. “If that widens… this thing’s done.”His hands worked without thought, reaching into the assortment of stones, metals, and powders he had scavenged over time. His fingers found a small, rough mana stone, and he rolled it between his fingers, feeling its faint warm
Caster knocked metal hard on metal, the sound reverberating in the almost pitch black workshop. With every hook an aura of magical energy was discharged providing brief glimpses of light on the roughly completed stone walls. It smelled of hot metal and a low, tense buzz, which seemed to say that the room itself had tensed to watch him.Caster, still young but hardened by the trials of his craft, stood poised over his latest project: a shield, its shape still raw but which is already starting to look graceful. Though not tall and still somewhat thin, he seemed to possess good illating strength, every punch he landed being calculated. Each movement was accompanied by complex magical ripples, which Indragni had seen on the surface of the shield before a layer of runes he more or less sketched with great detail. In addition to a frown a look of intense concentration took over his face only to be interrupted the occasional lean back to examine the painting.After several more strikes, he
Caster climbed the winding stone stairs leading upward from the basement of Lamba fortress as the red rays of the morning sun spread across Lowfield. He sighed as he breathed in the crisp morning air and hours spent wading through dim and damp caverns had taken a toll on him. The bustle outside was a stark contrast to the quiet gloom below. Merchants, hawkers, and small-time dealers filled the open area, all eager to cater to the steady stream of adventurers drawn to the dungeon.“Potion for mana, sir?” called a nearby merchant, brandishing a small flask that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Clearly, the man wasn’t going to miss any opportunity to sell.He gave her the distinct pleasure of a faint smile and a polite shake of his head. “Not today, but thanks.” The merchant glanced up as he passed saying “As he passed his gaze fell on a young boy standing beside the merchant with his hands outstretched each palm held small stones of different colors.”“Lucky charms,” the boy put out
Caster climbed the winding stairs stone leading upward from the basement of Lamba fortress as the red rays of the morning sun spread across Lowfield. He sighed as he breathed in the crisp morning air and hours spent wading through dim and damp caverns has taken a toll on him. The bustle outside was a stark contrast to the quiet gloom below. Merchants, hawkers, and small-time dealers filled the open area, all eager to cater to the steady stream of adventurers drawn to the dungeon.“Potion for mana, sir?” called a nearby merchant, brandishing a small flask that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Clearly, the man wasn’t going to miss any opportunity to sell.He gave her the distinct pleasure of a faint smile and a polite shake of his head. “Not today, but thanks.” The merchant glanced up as he passed saying “As he passed his gaze fell on a young boy standing beside the merchant with his hands outstretched each palm held small stones of different colors.”“Lucky charms,” the boy put out
Caster met them along the way quite often, which slowed down his progress. As he fought, he had to wait for them to finish before he could move on. “Hey, Caster! Need a hand?” one adventurer called out, swinging a sword at a monster.“No thanks! I’m good,” Caster replied, keeping his eyes on the battle ahead. He knew he could be accused of stealing if he forced his way through. Caster wished to avoid conflict with others, at least for now. He didn’t want to risk incurring their wrath or losing potential allies. “Once I get a silver-grade card, things will be different,” he thought. With higher levels, prestige wouldn’t be far behind, and the dynamics of encounters would shift dramatically.The level wasn’t that large; if someone knew the way, they could stroll past most dangers and quickly descend to the second level. Caster recalled hearing about hidden paths that only seasoned adventurers were aware of. These shortcuts could be the difference between life and death, especially dee