“All right, that was all the loot you offered. It will take a few days to set up an auction for the items you didn't want. You should stay in Patterson for a few days, just in case the customers or other guildmasters want to see you. Do you have any plans?”

“After work, I like to enjoy a nice meal and whatever relaxation I can afford; usually that's a bath and some company.”

“Oh, we certainly have that here. The guild itself has a decent bar and restaurant downstairs. It's attached to the main building, but there's no door into the guild hall; drunk adventurers and job picking don't mix, not after Rusty took the job for the rust jelly.”

“A rust jelly?”

“Yes, and it does exactly what you think it does to metal. The fool came back in a pair of pants three times too small, and his pristine plate armor was rusted to pieces. The guild had to compensate a family, and he got a new nickname.”

Jaeger chuckled at that.

“I'll probably be eating there a lot since I plan on making this place my home bureau. So tell me about some places in town? Also what about rooms, I haven't really spent a night in the city yet.”

“Bureau? No, never mind. The guild has rooms for rent, and as you advance in rank you get access to better ones, so the novice rooms are pretty bare. The upside is that the novice rooms are basically free. Patterson is full of restaurants and bars, some of which cater to certain guilds and some of which cater more to certain types of people. Hell, I know for a fact that the Thieves' Guild even runs a bar; it's great for gathering information or meeting shady contacts.” She got a focused look on her face as she paused. “If you don't want to stay at the guild, I would recommend Bear's Bar, a full service restaurant and inn. The food isn't fancy, but it's good and affordable. The owner is also located near a bathhouse and the red light district.”

Jaeger nodded and stood up.

“I guess that’s where I’m headed. Can I leave Ventress here?”

“Yes, we'll stable your horse for you. The rates for guild members aren't too bad, but as an Outworlder, your horse will be stabled for free. This was mainly put in place because some of you show up with exotic, killer steeds and the guild figured it would be cheaper to stable them here than risk city stables.”

“Good, she deserves a break as well. I'll stop by tomorrow around noon to check in, maybe check on some jobs. I appreciate the help, Lisette.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Like I said, Jaeger, it's no problem. Now let me collect these items and I'll see you out.”

Lisette took out three pouches and placed the items from each pile into their respective pouches. She took extra care with the cursed items and even cast a spell on the pouch. She went to the back of the room, pulled out another wand, and tapped it, summoning a safe. Apart from its sudden existence, it was an ordinary safe, at least at first. When she opened it, Jaeger caught a glimpse of a deep, glowing space filled with items. Lisette put the pouches away and made the safe disappear before turning back to him.

“What was that?”

“This was one of the safes leading into the guild vault. It contains all of the guild's funds, auction items, cursed items, and more. Before you get too excited, the vault is the most secure thing in the guild. The safe was just a shadow that I could put things in, but not take things out. The real safe is with Guild Mistress Hecate, and while the thought of her having it makes me uneasy, she has yet to blow all of our funds.”

Lisette had started to speak with confidence, but when she got to the subject of Hecate, a slight waver entered her voice, Jaeger noticed. He almost asked, but a prickle on his neck told him it was better not to know.

“Fair enough. Guild Mistress Hecate seems terrifying enough to prevent theft.”

“Yes, no one has ever stolen from her. And survived.”

They made some more small talk as they walked down to the guild entrance. Lisette wasn't half as naive as Jaeger had first thought, she was a competent and learned mage who was obsessed with magic. When they parted at the entrance, Jaeger got a very familiar feeling from her, one he hadn't felt since the fall of Beser.

He was damn sure that Lisette was a princess, and not an eighth in line, technically a princess. No, she carried herself and spoke with a tone he'd only heard from King Beser, it was commanding and firm with a touch of kindness. It made him remember a comment from their training session, it had been fuzzy when he woke up but he was sure she'd called herself a princess. Jaeger had ignored it at first, not caring, but now that he'd decided to work closely with her, he had to care. If she was a princess, why did she work in a guild and not advertise her status openly? He had a few guesses, but none of them made him happy.

This is going to get complicated, I just know it. Sigh. At least she's not a damsel in distress.

Walking away from the building, he made himself stop thinking about what a princess was doing in hiding. He simply didn't have enough information about local politics to form an opinion. Instead, he concentrated on getting to Bear's Bar; Lisette had given him detailed directions and told him it wasn't too far.

He stopped as an idea struck him, Bluthund said he could find a target, it never said the target had to be a person. All he had to do was know his target, and Lisette had described the place pretty well, even giving him instructions on how to get there. Focusing his mind, he activated the ability and opened his eyes. For a moment nothing happened, then, more slowly than before, a golden trail appeared. It was fainter than usual, but it hovered in front of him, pointing the way to his destination.

“I need to talk to someone about this.” He walked along the path, following its turns. “Where is that damn cat when I want him?”

“Where indeed?”