Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) by Grayson Sinclair (black authors fiction txt) 📕

have bothered with because nobody else could be bothered to be punctual. I could have had a bath and a change of clothes by now. Damn it all.

In usual fashion, it took the entire thirty minutes for everyone to show up and five minutes after that to get down to business. Wilson called the meeting, so I deferred to him and let him go over what he needed to.

“All right, everyone. Settle down,” he said as he stood from his chair to gaze around the room. “We have a few matters to discuss since it has been some time since our last official meeting.”

“Let’s hear it,” I said.

“Right,” he said, pulling a stack of papers from his inventory. “A few things to go over. Several contracts came in over the past few weeks, a couple escort jobs for Yllsaria, along with a bounty on one of the bandit kings, but I obviously turned that one down. And finally, a retrieval job. Some nobleman’s estate was robbed by a thief not associated with the Thieves Guild, so naturally, both parties want the matter resolved and are willing to pay handsomely for it.”

“All right, good call on turning down the bounty. Let’s leave the bandit kings to their own devices,” I said, taking a long pull of my ale. “What was taken?”

“Gold and other small items, but the noble only cared about some heirloom of his, a ruby-inlaid golden amulet that held sentimental value or some such nonsense.”

I chuckled. “Nobles and their jewelry. Though, it’s odd that someone is operating outside of the guild. Risky business, and suicidal. Reach out to your old Thieves Guild contacts and see what details you can learn about the robbery.”

“Already on it,” Wilson said with a wry smile.

“Of course, you are. Anything else?”

“Just a few more minor things. A representative from both Aldrust and Yllsaria stopped by about a week ago, both wishing to renew our trade agreements. I told them I would need your approval on those.”

“Done. That’s just more easy money in our pockets. Besides, we have to clear out any monster nest that pops up in our territory regardless—might as well earn some coin while we’re at it. Is that it?”

“All I needed to discuss, at any rate.”

I stood up, a headache already creeping up on me. “Well, that makes this the shortest meeting, ever.”

Everyone laughed and began to rise from their seats and filed out of the room. I was about to head out myself when Wilson grabbed my arm.

“What is it?” I asked, turning to face him.

“When my contacts reach back out, I’d like to take the job personally.”

“Don’t see why not,” I said with a shrug. “But why all of a sudden? I thought you got tired of fieldwork?”

He smiled, wrinkling his forehead and lighting up his storm-cast eyes. “What can I say, retirement has worn thin these past few years.”

I clapped him on the shoulder, returning his smile. “Have at it. I can run the guild for a little while by myself.”

“No, you can’t,” he said smugly.

“No, I can’t,” I said, laughing.

“Just don’t burn the place down while I’m gone,” he said as he walked past me and into the hall.

Chuckling, I followed him. “No promises. I do love a good fire.”

Before I forgot, I pulled open my interface and opened the Guild Quests tab.

Quest: Thief Taker

Recover Stolen Heirloom From Central Kingdom Nobleman

Type: Contracted

Difficulty: B

Reward: 4500 Exp

 

Cycling through the guild roster, I selected Wilson’s name.

 

Assign Wilson

Yes/No

Yes.

Wilson stopped, staring at his interface, and accepted the quest.

Quest Accepted.

Exp Share: 75/25

 

Since I’d hit max level, the experience didn’t matter, but we’d get paid well for the quest, and that was good enough for me.

“Thanks,” he said and vanished into the shadows, leaving me alone in the corridor.

All right, time for that bath.

Once I climbed to the third floor, I went to my room and straight to my bathroom. The same stone that comprised my room and the entirety of the castle met me as I shut the door. In the center of the room was a long basin filled with water. It resembled a small pool more than a bath, but I loved it. A mirror and sink sat in the corner, and held my toothbrush and shaving kit, while a shelf carved deep into the stone wall on the opposite end of the bath housed my soaps, shampoos, and washrags.

The only other items in the room were a towel rack and wicker laundry basket by the door. I stripped, tossed my dirty clothes into the basket, and climbed down into the bath. It was hot, but not quite as hot as the day before. Fire stones are wearing thin. Need to get with Adam in a couple days to replace them.

The reflection of the water shimmering along the stone-gray walls and ceiling gave the room a charming atmosphere, like an underwater cave deep beneath the earth. Rather than feeling claustrophobic, I was at peace. This was my favorite place inside the castle hands down, a place that was entirely mine.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror of the water. My appearance had changed slightly in the thirty years since coming to this world. I still looked exactly like I did when I was twenty, though, with a few exceptions. My time as a refugee had emaciated me, but years as a warrior had left me with lean muscle, and I’d grown my hair out in the past few years. My copper locks were tied back in a knot.

I undid the leather cord that held up my hair and ran my hands through the strands as they fell about my shoulders, trying to work out any tangles that had accrued since last night.