Date: May 11, 2020 - 8:15 pm

Location: West Byzantine

Inside of the meeting room were two couches opposite each other, with a glass table in between. On the glass table was a bottle of wine and four wine glasses, mostly filled. On one couch, there were two men wearing suits, and on the other, there was a single, much younger-looking man, also wearing a suit. There were also four other men standing by the couch of the two men, also dressed in suits, but of inferior quality. They had their hands together, and their sunglasses hid their stares. By the side of the lone, sitting man was a young woman, also wearing a suit, talking on her cell phone. The lone man sipped the glass of wine that was offered to him as the woman concluded the call.

“Are you finished now?” asked one of the older men on the couches. Despite the words used, his tone did not convey any anger or sarcasm.

“It was an important call,” she responded, as she took a seat next to the young man.

“Much more important than this meeting?” the second older man asked.

“Yes,” she replied, without hesitation.

“And also not important enough for all of you to show up?” the second older man's anger was obvious in his voice.

“Yes,” she replied again immediately. The second man looked just about ready to get out of his seat, but the first one held him back.

“Settle down, Niccolo.” The words seemed to have no effect as he continued to resist. “Just wait…okay?” These words seemed to do the trick and Niccolo settled back down.

“So, can we start now?” the woman asked. The first man preemptively put his hand down on Niccolo again.

“Yes, of course.” The first man took out a folder and passed it across the table. “You are probably already aware, Valentina, but our boss is quite pleased with your results thus far. In there, you will find the exact terms that he would like to offer you for a closer, long-term relationship. And, of course, similar terms are being extended to your siblings.” Valentina opened up the folder and looked through the papers, but didn’t seem to be reading them.

“Did Antonio really write this?” she asked, as she put the papers back down.

“How dare you refer to the boss so casually!” Niccolo shouted at her, standing up before the first man could stop him. “You should be thanking God to be so lucky to be in the position you are in right now!”

“Niccolo!” Niccolo ignored the first man.

“Your old man was pathetic and you four kids would be the lowest of the low if we didn’t take you all in! Show some goddamn, fucking respect!” Niccolo took in a couple, angry breaths, his face beet red. Valentina wore a perfect poker face and just looked at the first man.

“Is he finished?” You could hear Niccolo grinding his teeth as he prepared to continue ranting, but the first man smacked him in the side.

“Niccolo, sit down.” Niccolo huffed and puffed a coupe more times before returning to his seat. The four men around them said nothing, but one could guess that they were all staring even more intently at Valentina now. The young man next to her took another nervous sip of wine.

“So, finished now?” Valentina asked. The first man pressed down hard on Niccolo’s shoulder.

“Valentina, would I be correct in saying that you do not agree to the terms that we wish to offer you?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask if you have a counter offer?”

“Let’s see.” Valentina pretended to think for a moment. “Well, I think if you offer ten times as much, we can think about it.” The first man could barely hold Niccolo down. “Oh, and I would like it if the contract would be for one week at a time, with a voluntary option for our renewal of the same terms.” Niccolo broke free from the first man and pulled a pistol out, pointing it at Valentina’s head. The young man next to her looked to be shrinking into the couch, wine glass held in his two hands.

“You bitch! You think this is funny? You think you can just come in here, disrespect us and laugh everything off?” Valentina maintained her unreadable expression and looked Niccolo in the eyes.

“I’m not laughing. Do you need to get your ears or eyes checked out?” Niccolo pulled the trigger, but the bullet missed as the first man got up and knocked his arm to the side. However, after he fired, the other four men also drew their guns and pointed them at Valentina and the man next to her. “I had a feeling this is how you wanted to do things,” she commented.

“Valantina,” the first man spoke, and this time, the first hint of seething anger could be heard from him, “we…I think all of us would prefer it if we could come to a peaceful agreement.” He motioned for the four standing men to put away their guns and they complied. “Because you participated in the Dungeon raids on our behalf, we forgave the debts of you and your siblings in exchange for those cores you obtained. This is a genuine offer for you to work for the family.”

“I’m not sure I want to be part of a family that’ll shoot me in the head while we’re having wine.” She picked up a glass as she said this. “But, if you give me that ten times payment, I think I can just chalk that up to being eccentric.”

“Valentina, I am very sorry about that. Niccolo has been with us for a very long time and loves the boss very much. I am not asking you to outright forgive, but to please understand. As for compensation for this incident, I am willing to convey to the boss that you would prefer better terms. However, please also understand that this really is a generous offer and that ten times is asking for far too much.”

“Marco,” Valentina began, “you can go and tell Antonio whatever you want regard this,” she pointed at the papers, “but, those really are the minimum terms we are seriously willing to consider.”

“You bitch! How can you be so ungrateful” Niccolo roared at her, but with Marco holding onto him, he at least did not point his pistol at her again. For the first time, Valentina smiled at him.

“This is what I think about your generous offer.” She poured the wine onto the papers. Even Marco could not mask his expression this time. However, he motioned with his hands again, seeming to already know the four others were planning to pull out their guns again.

“Valentina, I can see you think you are worth a lot. I agree. However, I do not think you are making the appropriate moves here.” Marco’s tone was on the verge between cold and warm. “If you are concerned about the current offer in the long-term, there are various other options we might be able to consider. Perhaps, reducing the length of the contract or negotiating for the potential of greater bonuses. At the very least, don’t you think you should consider your siblings before so flatly refusing this business opportunity.” Marco then looked at the young man. “Why don’t we also ask your brother what he thinks about this?”

“W- what?” the young man gasped. He nervously looked to his sister.

“Of course I considered my siblings’ interests. Who else would care for them if not their eldest sister?” Valentina leaned over to her brother. “Cuore, do you think we should be accepting their unreasonable offer that provides a pittance in exchange for our hard work?”

“You…bitch!” Niccolo actively struggled against Marco’s hold on him.

“Uh…no, I don’t think we should,” Cuore answered to Valentina. Marco looked at the two them with a stone face as he tightened his grip on Niccolo.

“Well, I am going to have to make my report to the boss.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to say anything else?”

“Yes, I am sure.” Marco looked at Cuore again. He shook his head vigorously.

“I see.” Niccolo’s struggles gradually weakened. “Niccolo, go cool off with a glass of wine. Our guests will be leaving now.” Valentina put down her glass on top of the soiled papers and got up. Cuore also put down his glass, but near the center of the table.

“S- sorry,” he muttered, as his glass clinked against the table. The two siblings left. Niccolo sat down hard onto the couch and downed his glass in what gulp, spilling some of it onto his suit.

“Fucking brats,” he muttered, as he loosened his tie.

“Niccolo, you need to remember to control your temper in the future.” Niccolo looked at Marco incredulously.

“Are you serious? Did you not hear her saying the same shit I heard?!”

“I could hear you very well, despite your yelling. However, you know how few Dungeoneers there are in this nation, much less ones that have successfully cleared multiple Dungeons.”

“Three dungeons, Marco! Just three of them! There’s at least a dozen of those around.”

“Five. Just five in all of West Byzantine. And four of them are those two and their other two siblings.”

“So, it’s not like they cleared with just their bare hands. They were given tons of support.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“There also hasn’t been a Dungeon around her in more than a month.”

“That doesn’t matter, either. The boss knew what he was doing when he wanted us to bring them into the family.”

“He probably won’t after we report back to him about what they said.” Niccolo poured himself another glass. At the same time, Marco’s phone buzzed, notifying him that he received a message. He took a look while Niccolo drained the second glass.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Why’s that?” Niccolo asked as he wiped his mouth.

“Another portal was discovered. Just a hundred kilometres from here. It’s also not a red one.”

“Huh, aren’t they all red?”

“No, this one is orange.” Marco sat down and drank from his glass. “It’s C-rank.”