Page 138

Secondly, and the true reason, is that the Thief Guild in the Fasin Kingdom has long been under our orcs' control. The Thief Guild's influence spans the entire Mainland, but in reality, no single entity can manage such a vast organization. Therefore, the Thief Guild is actually composed of ten major organizations and hundreds of smaller ones. Naturally, due to their identities and expertise in intelligence operations, these groups keep their information confidential. Perhaps some powerful factions might obtain fragmented information, but even within the Thief Guild itself, members do not fully understand each other's identities and backgrounds. This chaotic state provides immense survival space for our Orc Alliance. With vampires and werewolves drawing attention on the surface, our true spies have infiltrated the systems of the Thief Guild. Even if forces like the Temple were to detect something, they would need to uproot all of the Thief Guild's power across the Mainland to eliminate our informants. These spies provide critical intelligence support to the vampires and werewolves responsible for assassinations and battles, allowing them to escape dangerous situations frequently.

Since I arrived in the human world, I have avoided contacting my compatriots who have already infiltrated human society to prevent revealing my origins. However, now that the journey to the Radiant Temple is set, I must contact them to obtain necessary intelligence and support.

The Thief Guild, unlike the Adventurer Guild or the Mercenary Guild, does not openly display its presence on the streets; otherwise, victims of theft would have long overrun their doors. In fact, most thieves conduct transactions through acquaintances, and ordinary people rarely know the whereabouts of those in charge. Those from other industries seeking cooperation with the Thief Guild must find alternative channels, perhaps an empty alley or a side door of a tavern, which could serve as the entrance to the Thief Guild. However, for large clients, a respectable yet secure meeting place is often required, and the best choice is—a brothel.

When I say "brothel," it is a personal term. In this world, the moral framework differs significantly from what I knew in my previous life. Selling one's body is not a profession condemned by all. Women forced into prostitution receive partial legal protection, so they do not face excessive abuse, eliminating the foundation for traditional brothels. If they can enter high society and become renowned socialites, they can live lives similar to nobles. Thus, the so-called brothels here are luxurious lodgings where couples can engage in affairs, wealthy individuals can purchase sex slaves, or those who have agreed on prices can safely indulge in sexual activities. While these places do offer sex services, the primary function is for guests to bring their own partners.

The Colorful Manor is a super-luxurious "brothel" located on the outskirts of Lima City. On the surface, it appears to be a resort, but daily, carriages with tightly covered windows come and go, revealing its secrets. However, within these secrets lies another layer of secrecy. The Thief Guild has established its contact center here, ensuring absolute safety. Even if someone wanted to inspect, they would have to be prepared to stumble upon royal members engaging in illicit affairs, discover Temple officials committing acts of sodomy, and then face complete annihilation.

I entered the Colorful Manor in a carriage. The visitors here are usually either wealthy or influential, but thanks to my fame from last night's battle, the Thief Guild's intelligence network reacted swiftly. Today, after a brief appearance, I easily gained access to the VIP guest room.

Ignoring the enthusiastic and attentive reception maid, I tossed a handful of gold coins to the steward and showed him a badge in my palm. This steward was not a humanized orc, so the badge was not a symbol of the orcs but rather proof of a high-ranking VIP of the Thief Guild, merely instructing him to notify the true person in charge. Even if someone investigated my use of the badge later, they could attribute it to my fabricated hermit family.

Soon, a weasel-faced man appeared before me. Seeing the different patterns on his collar and the ring on his hand, I mentally compared them to the contact codes and data memorized before entering the human world, confirming that he was indeed an orc. However, even if he was an orc, I would not reveal my identity. Instead, I displayed another seal, proving myself as a high-ranking representative sent by the Orc Alliance. Whether I was a humanized orc or a human working for the orcs remained unknown to him.

"Greetings, sir. What instructions do you have?"

"The first thing: contact the Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance and convey that I am willing to provide the core manufacturing schematics for high-grade spirit armor in exchange for Jin Luosha's lifetime membership in the White Stone Club." High-grade spirit armor is akin to puppet soldiers wearing magical armor, excelling in close combat and resisting various magics. It is the best weapon for human infighting but has limited effectiveness against orcs with remarkable individual combat abilities. Moreover, it is expensive, so releasing this technology poses little threat to the Orc Alliance. As for the White Stone Club, it is a private organization for core members of the Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance, where decisions affecting the entire Mainland are often made. If Jin Luosha can infiltrate it, it will greatly benefit our commercial operations.

"Yes, sir. The message exchange and negotiations will take approximately one month."

"No problem. Additionally, provide me with a red-level intelligence file on Saint Spirit Mountain."

"Yes, sir. However, the red-level file needs to be retrieved from headquarters and will be available in about three days."

"That's fine. As long as it reaches me within half a month."

The red-level file is the highest-level secret document of the Orc Alliance within the Thief Guild. It contains records of all the secret agents and sleeper cells planted in the Temple over the years, aimed at stealing the "Horn of Doom" sealed within the Temple. When the old man Leimen stormed Saint Spirit Mountain, despite being invincible, he was stopped by the "Sevenfold Locking Prison" set up by the Twelve Sages outside the underground sealing chamber, unable to enter. Consequently, he pushed the Elder Council and the War God Temple to gather extensive intelligence on the Temple, hoping to find a way to bypass its defenses and seals.