Chapter 5
Minsic sat at the edge of a sandy desert in the far east of the kingdom.
The town was a mix of sandstone and dark granite mined from the nearby mountains.
The larger, more luxurious buildings had the hallmarks of deep desert construction: light tan with domed rooftops, airy walkways, and breezy courtyards.
Scattered in between were squat gray houses of granite.
Though they were less impressive, those smaller buildings represented the bulk of the city’s citizens and businesses.
That unfortunately meant that my party wouldn’t be allowed in, so I opted not to bring them and traveled alone.
My dexterity and constitution were high enough that I could run the whole way.
I had covered an even greater distance in my tedious search for the tower, and that was in below-freezing temperatures.
I needed every set of hands to stay busy building my defenses against Abaddon, and I could make progress on our paladin problem on my own.
Sit in a carriage for weeks or go for a jog?
That was an easy choice to make when a run to Minsic was nothing.
The speed was convenient, but it felt… undignified. I was an abyssal sovereign. Only peasants traveled anywhere on foot. But pissing into a chamber pot in a carriage for 2 weeks wasn’t all that dignified either.
When I arrived in the desert city, I decided against hiding my identity. My target, Higcliff the Mighty, was a standout member of the Dungeon Brawlers. Since I was too, I reasoned that was my best chance of getting access to Higcliff, but first, I had a few chores to do.
I rented a hotel room, hung a silk noose, and welcomed Mirko to Minsic.
“Can’t say I’m getting used to traveling like that,” Mirko said as he tugged on his collar, already hating the heat. “Gods. People choose to live here?”
“I like the weather,” I said.
“Then you can keep it, but forget that. Has anything about the plan changed?”
“Nope. Dungeon will update tomorrow. Grab as many of the girls as you need to buy up the enchantments we want.”
“Excellent. I am going to go see about buying us our own shop.”
Mirko shared this part of his plan with me earlier that day.
He insisted he could find a down-on-its-luck shop, ideally one that specialized in adventurer provisions or enchanted items, and buy it in time for the dungeon change in the morning.
That didn’t sound possible to me, but Mirko knew what he was doing.
If he said he could do it, great. Having that shop would expand my legitimate business portfolio and help us more quickly flip whatever magic items would be in demand when this dungeon’s story advanced a new chapter.
I was still pissed at the Thieves’ Guild for not backing me up with Bruhelmond, so I didn’t tell anyone outside of the Silk about my trip to Minsic or the coming dungeon change.
I was done trying to be a good contributing member.
I would keep up appearances with existing revenue streams, but they weren’t getting more sources of profit from me until they made me feel valued. My hopes for that were low.
While Mirko made offers on shops, I found the Minsic chapter of the Dungeon Brawlers and ventured inside.
In terms of size, this guild hall was comparable to Grubiit, but it was far fancier.
Horpus didn’t cut corners on quality or aesthetics, but the Minsic guild hall seemed almost deliberately garish.
The sandy walls were painted with elaborate geometric designs and then covered with paintings, trophies, and memorabilia, like an old guild master’s sword or the chapter founder’s shield.
The polished wooden tables, benches, and chairs gleamed beneath the mage lights hung overhead. The air smelled of cinnamon, not like sweat and stale ale like most any other guild hall.
My favorite touch: Every girl working the counters was an exceptional beauty, and because of the heat, they wore thin, flowing, toga-like outfits.
None of them had any silk on their bodies, and judging by the total absence of bras, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that none of them wore panties either.
Did extreme heat make nipples hard too, or was that a function of the breeze fabric shifting back and forth over them all day?
The girl who greeted me at the counter had golden brown skin and wore her black hair in a high ponytail. The slightest of movements made her hair bounce in every direction before it settled back at its center.
“Welcome to the Dungeon Brawlers,” she said. “How may I assist you?”
“I’m visiting from another chapter and was wondering if any of the local members would show me around the dungeon.”
“What level are you?”
“I meet the requirements.”
“Yes, but what is your level? We need to know that to verify your dungeon credentials.”
“I can work that out with your Guild Master or Vice Guild Master. I don’t disclose anything about my build.”
After being assured by several people in the Thieves’ Guild that my build secrets would be protected and respected, I wasn’t expecting to have to convince a counter girl that I was strong enough for this run. My reputation should have been proof enough.
“They are very busy, sir,” she replied. “I can try to make you an appointment.”
“Sure. Is there a party that would take me, though? If we’re going through this trouble, that would be good to know.”
“Yes, there are two who might be willing, but I will warn you that they’re selective.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “I wouldn’t mind speaking with them while I wait for my appointment.”
“Their earliest available appointment is in two and a half weeks. The Guild Master’s is four weeks.”
“Could you let the Guild Master or Vice Guild Master know Byron of Zaglis is asking to speak with them?”
The girl, who had been looking down at an appointment book, froze. Her eyes darted to my clothing and then whipped side to side and up and down, taking in every detail of my attire.
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said. “No one told me you were coming, and I meant no offense. I was only following our process.”
“I’m not upset, and you deal with a lot of personalities, I’m sure. So really, it’s fine.”
“Still. For me to be unaware of your arrival is inexcusable.”
“I didn’t tell anyone I was coming here,” I assured her. “You’re the first in the Guild to know.”
“Thank you for your graciousness, sir. Please wait one minute.”
In a jiggly hurry, the counter girl disappeared into the back. The other two girls working that day hadn’t been close enough to hear our conversation. They eyed me with equal parts suspicion and curiosity. The first girl returned a moment later.
“Right this way, sir.”
She led me to an office and held the door open for me.
A man who was four and a half feet tall, at best, stood behind his desk with his hand out. “Welcome to Minsic, Byron. This is a welcome surprise, to be sure. Come in. Come in.”
“I didn’t mean to make a fuss,” I said, accepting his invitation to sit.
“No fuss at all,” he said. “You can call me Alexi, and I would be delighted to connect you with an adventuring party. Is your visit purely for brawlers, or do you have other guild business?”
That was his way of asking whether I was here just for the dungeon or if I had something in the works for the Thieves’ Guild.
“Brawlers only,” I answered. “I know better than to work in a city without cluing in the local guild master.”
“I suppose you would. How is my old friend Horpus faring these days?”
“You know him. If he’s making money, he’s happy, and he seems pretty happy to me.”
“I must confess that he and I have had a bit of a falling out recently,” Alexi said. “I was worried he may still hold a grudge.”
I resisted the urge to laugh. Yes, how surprising that Horpus would still be upset that you helped a profitable member get away with raping his niece. Can’t imagine why he would hold a grudge about that. It’s a mystery.
“I’m not aware of anything like that, and I’m not even sure he knows I’m here,” I replied. “I try to travel quietly if I can, so few people are aware I intended to come this way.”
“I see. Well, when you do see him, give him my best.”
“Of course.”
“Okay, back to the matter at hand. You want to join a local party while you are in town.”
I nodded. “That’s correct. I’m happy to help a party grind, but my primary interest is learning about the dungeon.”
“Considering a move to Minsic, perhaps? Your eye for business is not unknown to us. We would welcome you with open arms.”
“No, I’m just visiting, but thank you.”
“If you change your mind…” He added a wink for effect. “At any rate, yes, I believe we can accommodate you. Do you have a preference for who you’d like to escort you?”
As much as I wanted to request Higcliff specifically, I felt that would arouse suspicion as to the real motivations for my visit. Byron the Oblivious wouldn’t even know who Higcliff was.
“Whoever you recommend is fine, I’m sure,” I answered.
“That will make this easier, yes. I will need to confirm with the adventurers. Given the hour, I doubt I’ll see them tonight to share your request. I believe two parties who fit the task will be checking in first thing in the morning, however. I can speak to them then.”
“I’m not in a hurry,” I assured Alexi. “I showed up unannounced and don’t expect you to move mountains on my account. I’ll swing by in the morning, and if it takes a few days for a run to be available to me, it takes a few days. I can explore the city in the meantime.”
Alexi relaxed. “I appreciate you being reasonable. You are a polarizing figure, and the truth of a person is hard to discern when that is the case.”
“There was an effort to defame me as a murderous psychopath, yes. I’m not happy about how successful that effort really was, and I’m afraid I’ll be having conversations like this for years to come because of it.”
“A shame indeed. Other than your request for a tour guide, can I assist you with anything else? Food? Girls? Drugs? Business opportunities?”