Despite the comfy leather seats behind them, both men knelt in front of the large hardwood desk. It was a magnificent thing made of polished dark wood, with thin veins of gold running through it, as if crafted from black marble rather than wood. The designs carved into its side were masterfully done, yet worked to enhance the natural beauty of the wood rather than detract from it. The result was a piece that screamed opulence and power without being gaudy, in stark contrast to the furniture preferred by many nobles.

Not that Thomas had seen many noble office rooms, of course. The closest he’d ever gotten had been the office of the head priest when Sister Audrea brought him along for the orphanage’s yearly review, as was his duty as the oldest at the time.

However, the office he now knelt in differed greatly from those distant memories.

Where the head priest’s office was a bright place, lit by the large, open patio window that overlooked Halirosa, this place was lit only by a roaring stone fireplace. Thick red curtains hung across the windows behind the desk, blocking even a ray of natural light from passing through.

The temple office had been spacious and welcoming… to the extent that cold stone and solid walls could welcome. Yet somehow, it had felt larger than it could ever really be. This new office felt suffocating despite comfortably fitting more than half a dozen people. As if the walls were designed to feel like they were pressing in on you.

The temple office had been filled with various bright paintings and numerous marble statues trimmed with gold or glowing with arrays. Each had a testimony and story, if you knew how to look. The various ‘trophies’ hanging on the walls of this new office also told their own stories. Though Thomas wasn’t nearly as keen on learning about them.

Yet, somehow, it still felt homey. The warm wooden accents and thick carpet gave the room a refined feeling Thomas would have expected from a parlor. If he was a betting man, he would have guessed such duality was intentional, letting the office owner present the atmosphere they desired, according to their guest. Or maybe that was just the nature of his current circumstances.

Said circumstances were a large part of why the young man was so focused on the style of the room. Anything to take his mind off where he was and who was staring at him.

A drop of cold sweat slid off his bowed head and fell to the plush carpet underneath him. Thomas’ eyes snapped to the side of the room, though he dared not lift his head fully. Five figures stood there, three on one side, two on the other, with a gap in between the pair. Though their gender and species varied, each wore a sharp, black suit. They all stood straight as a board, eyes forward, their hands behind their back. Thomas swallowed, then, seeing none of them react, exhaled a ragged breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

After a moment, the rapid beating of his heart stilled just in time for him to hear Seeker finish his report. “That about sums it up, Icefinger, sir. While I couldn’t ascertain where the goblins found such artifacts, I believe the answer should already be abundantly clear.”

The room was silent for a long time before a deep baritone voice called from behind the desk. “I see… You believe there’s a Dungeon somewhere in the cavern.”

Seeker lifted their head and met Icefinger’s gaze. “Yes, sir. If I had to guess, it’s a powerful one, too. Old. None of the younger Dungeons could have produced artifacts of the level needed for goblins to so easily trounce Bosco.”

Thomas instinctually followed Seeker’s gaze and glanced at the man sitting behind the desk. There, leaning back in the oversized leather chair, dressed in a dark suit, fine enough to make some nobles jealous, and gently stroking a purring cat, was… another cat?

Or rather, an Awakened Beast of some feline tribe. The Nebelung clan, if rumors were to be believed. Though with his meticulously groomed fur and piercing ice-blue eyes, Thomas felt Icefinger looked more like a lion than a cat at that moment.

Icefinger leaned further back in his chair. The smile that crept onto the gang leader’s face sent an icy chill up Thomas’ spine. That was the smile of a predator who’d found a new toy to play with.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Icefinger spoke, his eyes never breaking from Seeker’s. “Magnus, as my Captain Of Enforcers, how would you have described Bosco?”

One of the five, the most dwarf-looking dwarf Thomas had ever seen, took a step forward, his arms still folded behind his back.

The common man might have had trouble picking Magnus Ironheart out of a group of dwarves, but not a single member of Icefinger’s gang would ever have such trouble. After all, as Enforcer Captain, Magnus was by far the more ‘public’ of Icefinger’s Capo. It wasn’t a coincidence that new members were required to attend and watch the ‘pointers’ the dwarf regularly gave to those older members who got a little too overconfident.

One couldn’t say watching a large man be beaten to a bloody pulp with his own leg by a dwarf a quarter his size didn’t leave a lasting impression.

When Magnus spoke, it was far softer than one would expect from a dwarf, though it still left Thomas’ chest vibrating with how deep it felt. “Bosco was stubborn, prideful, and overall a third-rate adventurer who took more joy out of being over those lesser than actually working toward a goal. He was more competent in keeping the more… rambunctious members in line rather than being an actual leader. That said, his actual martial prowess was middling at best. Not terrible, but he was never rising above Enforcer. That he was even allowed to take this mission was mostly because we couldn’t risk wasting more competent Enforcers while the situation further east was ongoing. The Camp’s movements have a lot of important people nervous, and there’s still no concrete information why.”

Finished, Magnus took a step back and resumed his previous position.

Icefinger was sat in silence for a long moment, stroking the cat in his lap, before he once more spoke. “I see. Interesting. What of you, do you concur?”

Seeker nodded. “Yes, sir. Magnus’ description of the man is accurate enough. Though I would like to state for the record that despite his… flaws, the man was peak [Shackle Breaking]. Regardless of his mistakes, that should have been more than enough to deal with such a small village. Even a Deep Village.”

A melodic voice spoke next, a laugh hiding in her words. “Oh? And what of you, Seeker? Are you telling us you were chased away by a bunch of goblins, too?”

Seeker turned to stare at the speaker. She was a tall woman, with a slim, vulpine figure. Three bushy tails swayed behind her in an invisible wind. As Seeker met her eyes, her smirk grew into a wide grin.

The odd rivalry between Orion Swiftshadow, Icefinger’s Lead Information Broker, and Seeker was well known in the gang. For as much as the two seemed to treat each other as old lovers, and the rivalry as a game, the actual competition between the two was fierce and bloody. To such a degree that there was a running pot on who would kill the other first.

Seeker grinned back and answered, “Oh, of course, my dear. Why wouldn’t I run? Who knows what else they had in reserve? Sure, I could have killed them all then and there, being peak [Spiritual Awakening], —” Seeker rubbed his advancement during his time in the Deep in her face, making the woman frown, “—but that would have driven the rest into hiding, and cut any leads to the Dungeon. I felt it was the best use of my time to rush back home and inform the Boss of what we’d found. After all, the others had already proved their impotence; there’s no way I’d trust them with such an important task.”

Icefinger leaned forward. “Enough. I don’t need to hear your every thought process, Seeker. All that matters is the results. I trust you’ve already taken the next steps?”

Seeker bowed his head and answered, “Yes, sir.”

Icefinger grinned, placed the cat on the ground, and leaned against his desk, lacing his fingers together. “I see… Good. Very good. Keep me informed as events develop. Magnus, start organizing a strike squad. I don’t care what it costs or who you have to pull from where. I want this cavern captured, and the Dungeon located before any of the clans catch word. Do what you have to.”

“Yes, sir!” Magnus said.

Icefinger then turned back to Seeker. “You’re dismissed.”

Seeker stood without another word, then took his place in the empty gap between two of the Capo.

Thomas moved to stand as well but was hit with a freezing wave of energy that made it hard to breathe.

When Icefinger spoke, his voice was as cold as the freshly fallen snow. “I wasn’t speaking to you, boy.”

Thomas’ body felt frozen solid. He couldn’t even shiver as Icefinger spoke. “Seeker, who is this that you brought to me? I thought you told me that there were no survivors?”

Seeker took a step forward and answered. “Not of the members that entered the tunnels, no, sir. Young Thomas here got into an… altercation with Bosco and became inconvenienced. Yet, despite that, the boy didn’t run, and I found him as I left, trying to enter the tunnel. I know how you hate to waste a good seed, so I dragged him back with me.” Seeker then stepped back in line.

Icefinger frowned, and Thomas felt the energy intensify. He could even feel frost forming on his skin, and had already lost feeling in his fingertips. Even if he couldn’t move to see either.

“I don’t take kindly to new bloods questioning their team leader’s authority, boy. What could have possibly made you think that was a good idea?” Icefinger said, gently tapping the surface of his desk. A thin sheet of frost began forming on top as he did.

Thomas struggled to open his mouth and barely spoke. “A real leader… considers… the words… of those under… them… for the… betterment of the… whole.”

The six figures surrounding them all gasped, their eyes wide.

Icefinger glared down at Thomas, his frown deepening and his eyes narrowing to slits.

Thomas’ heart dropped. There he went again, opening his big mouth without thinking. Sister Audrea always said it would get him killed one day if he wasn’t careful. Well, now here he was.

The icy pressure, crushing and freezing him all at once, suddenly vanished, and Thomas collapsed to the carpeted floor, heaving.

Icefinger threw his head back and laughed, a deep echoing thing. When he finished, the man stared down at him and wiped away a tear. “I like you, kid. You have guts. Good. You’ll need them to get anywhere in our line of business. Tell you what, since you have such strong feelings about what a proper leader should be, then prove it. I’m assigning you Bosco’s details and duties. Show me you have what it takes to do what he couldn’t.”

Thomas froze. This time, it was not because of the pressure of the man in front of him. Rather, it felt like his brain hadn’t properly processed what Icefinger had said.

He quickly recovered, however, and kowtowed in front of him, calling out. “Yes, sir! I won’t disappoint you, sir!”

Icefinger leaned forward and spoke, his voice cool and even, though not with the icy bite of before. “You misunderstand, kid. I can tolerate mistakes. Even failure. What I won’t tolerate is incompetence. Bosco proved he didn’t have what it takes. So now it’s your turn to prove to me you do.”

Thomas stood and bowed ninety-degrees. “I understand, sir!”

Icefinger grinned. “Good. See that you do. You’re dismissed. All of you!”

—————————————

Osamaru