Rhen stood, arms crossed as he watched the post deliverer take their sweet time filling up the bins. Matilda was right beside him, arms similarly crossed and foot tapping impatiently. She wanted to know just as badly as Rhen did, it seemed.

The Resplendite man in the black button-down uniform bobbed his head to a song only he could hear as he sorted through his massive enon bag, summoning letters with a flick of his wrist. He moved onto Rhen’s mail slot, and Rhen leaned forward, holding his breath. The postman leaned down and scooped up a thick stack of letters. Some of it was most certainly advertisement spam, but Rhen could see the neatly printed letters of D.O.G. on the top of one.

He waited out the other bins filling with manic impatience. Finally, the postman gave a goofy smile with a salute and headed off. Matilda ran for the bins and pulled out Rhen’s mail. She shuffled through and pulled out the D.O.G. letter, then handed it to Rhen with wide-eyes.

“It feels thin…”

“What does that mean?” Rhen asked, worry swirling in his gut.

The orbeye circled around the front and leaned in, getting so close to the envelope in Rhen’s hand he could barely see it. He pushed the orbeye back a measure, and then broke the wax seal on the back. He yanked free the three-fold paper and opened it.

Rhen mumbled as he scanned the document. “Mr. Zephitz, after full review of the specifications… inn and transport… the dungeon meets the base requirements for realm evaluation. We met the requirements!” Rhen turned, holding the page up for the gathered crowd of delvers behind him. The group cheered, hugging each other with tearful smiles.

Jakira jumped into his arms. “I knew we could do it!”

Rhen lifted her off the ground and spun her, squeezing her tightly against him.

“Let’s go buy out Perry’s brew!” someone yelled from the group.

The group moved toward the Bustling Brood in search of drinks, despite the early-ish hour of the day. No matter the sun’s position, the news was worthy of celebrating. Rhen held the letter up and kept reading.

“You will need to complete the remaining civilian travel requirements within the next six months, but with your tenacity, that’s well within your reach. You will need to remit naming paperwork within the next five days so the Guild can finalize your claim. Watch your map for additional quests and commands from the Guild. Congratulations again, Mr. Zephitz, and way to stick it to them.”

It was signed with a flourished Artimus Prenistock, and beside her name was the official, shimmering seal of the Dungeon Owner’s Guild.

“There’s a few more things here,” Matilda said, offering Jakira the rest of the stack. “But I doubt they’re as interesting.”

Jakira flipped through the letters and stopped at a blue envelope with a handwritten address. “It’s from Tansi.”

Rhen set the first letter aside and picked up Tansi’s. The nerves he’d felt before returned, and he swallowed hard. His finger ran under the seal and popped the wax free. There was a full-length letter inside that he read to himself, away from the prying gaze of the orbeye.

Rhen,

It still feels strange to write his name.

I’m glad you’ve kept his name. In you, his name and kindness lives on. I appreciate your gracious offer, but my father’s dungeon cluster is still doing quite well. He needs someone to stay and manage that for him. Alas, I can’t be in Shin’Bara and Resplendare at the same time.

I can however send recommendations for several young managers I have tutored here that are eager to find their own dungeon on which to leave their mark. I’ve included their names on a separate sheet.

He saw enormous potential in you, and I do too. I’m sure you’ve exceeded his expectations in every way. Don’t forget to stop and celebrate your success (I’m assuming based on Artimus’ evaluation. What a thrilling watch that was!). I look forward to a beach vacation soon.

Best wishes,

~Tansi

Rhen flipped the page over but there was nothing on the back side. In the envelope was another sheet with three names stack ranked: Ingrid Hamal, Cedric Lengo, and Vashnu Er’Mali.

Rhen passed the slip to Arannet. “Could I ask you to send interview requests to these three for the position of Dungeon Manager?”

“You could,” she mused, “if I worked for you.”

Rhen blanched. He’d forgotten to ask Arannet to stay! With all the anxiety waiting for the Guild’s assessment, Rhen had forgotten to do just about everything he was supposed to, opting to spend his time exploring the alpine chamber.

He cleared his throat. “Arannet, I’d like to extend an official invitation to join the Zephitz dungeon as the head legal advisor.”

“Are you prepared to pay my fees?” She asked playfully, arms crossed.

Rhen hummed. “Are they exorbitant?”

Jakira punched Rhen in the arm. “Don’t be stingy!”

“Ouch,” Rhen chuckled, rubbing the spot. Jakira was stronger than she knew.

Arannet beamed. “Of course, I’d be happy to join you!”

Jakira hugged her tightly and they laughed.

“I’m sure you’ll need to return to Desedra to get some things and let the guild know they can terminate your contract, yes?” Rhen asked.

She nodded. “And I’ll need to get my paperwork for Zephitz.”

“I’ll help you pack!” Jakira offered, her face shimmering bright with gold.

“After the party,” Arannet said with a stern shake of her finger.

Rhen looked out the window to see the delvers parading down the street with casks of beer and mead, pouring servings to anyone who held out a cup.

Rhen pointed to the action. “We better get some food in these fools before they drink themselves into an early bedtime.”

Arannet clapped excitedly. “Oh, let’s have roasted terrocken leg with that spicy berry sauce you made.”

“And potatoes mashed with cream and hakir!” Jakira added. She pulled on Rhen’s hand toward the exit, but he resisted her and held up the remaining letters.

“I’ll be there soon.”

She kissed him with a smile, then ran off with her friend toward the dungeon.

Rhen flipped through the letters. A professional builders guild offering their services for expanding the topside inn, discount coupons on the new and improved anima drills by the Animatech company, and hello… a red envelope having no sender information, and just “Zephitz” printed on the front.

He flipped it over and inspected the wax seal. It was black with flecks of silver inside, and the crest was a crystal node on a thin pedestal, surrounded by eighteen little four-pointed stars. Inside the crystal were the letters N.G.G. There was a tiny flourish of anima as the seal ruptured. The envelope melted away, leaving a single, thick card in his hand that read Nexus Guardian’s Guild in opalescent gold text. Rhen flipped it over.

7pm 3rd day of Winter

Floor 35 of Desedra I Tower

Desedra City, Resplendare

Well, that was ominous.

Rhen flipped it back and forth, hoping some more information would appear. None did. He tucked the letter into his pocket and flipped through the rest of the mail. There was something from Suan’yu Kiril. It took Rhen a minute to remember the Sephine from the trials, the civil affairs judge. He broke the seal and read over the message.

Mr. Zephitz,

I’m privileged to know that your paperwork has passed muster early, and can therefore time this letter appropriately. Congratulations, and with this victory I would like to propose a partnership regarding the education and post-schooling plan for orphaned children of the Delver’s Schools. I had wanted to come and have this conversation in person, but unforeseen circumstances have kept me here in the city. If this idea interests you, please come visit me in Desedra to discuss the details.

--Suan’yu

He flicked his fingers over the paper. There was still so much to do with the dungeon in the coming months, and now the Nexus Guardian Guild, whatever that was. Rhen didn’t have time for more, did he? But this was important. Despite what he’d said to Arannet about not being a hero, he very much wanted to improve the lives of so many children like him.

The call of the celebration outside was strong. Delvers knocked on the windows, motioning for Rhen to follow them out to the dungeon. Rhen exhaled hard, grinning, and set all the mail aside. He needed to celebrate this win before moving on to any new ventures, especially strange invites to Desedra tower with zero details.

“I’ll be back later for everything,” Rhen told Matilda, then stopped. “Do you want to come celebrate with us?”

“Do I ever!” Matilda had her bag over her shoulder in a blink, and switched off all the anima lights around the library. “Goodbye sweeties, be back soon!” she called out to her cats, Rhen assumed, but maybe to the books, he didn’t know.

The older woman looped her arm in Rhen’s and followed him into the parade making its way down the main street of Yu. They sang and drank their way through the forest trail, and down into the dungeon depths. Everyone helped with some facet of the feast, and Rhen had the arduous task of tallying the votes for the new Realm’s name. He’d only just finished when Jakira declared the feast was ready. The tavern was well-over capacity, and people were spilling into the hall with their tankards of brew and plates of roasted meat.

Rhen stood up on a bench to raise himself over the crowd. “The results are in for the realm name!”

The delvers quieted, all eyes watching him with hopeful grins.

“Third runner up, Eden!”

The group clapped and a few people gave dejected sighs.

“Second was Paradise—which I still think is the best name!”

The crowd chuckled, some giving sorrowful moans, and clapped.

Rhen held the tally sheet up and cleared his throat. “Please, would everyone put their drinks up to cheers our newest realm…”