Back at the inn, we waited for Alain and Javier’s return, trying to smooth over Mia’s insecurities. It was taking a lot of preening and compliments, but we managed to get her out of her funk and back to a personable member of society, just in time for the rest of our team to return.

“Let’s go back up to the rooms,” Javier said, demanding no argument in his steely gaze.

“So, what have you learned?” he asked, closing the door behind us.

“I don’t like this thought, but Malagost feel’s like it’s what Titan City will become if things continue along this trajectory,” I said, pulling at my nails. I ripped away loose bits of keratin, scattering them on the ground, anxiety spilling out of my hands.

“Those with predator souls are paranoid and rightfully so,” Vera added. “We saw two get beat up in a pub. They would have killed them if we didn’t intervene.”

“I hope your intervention didn’t involve force,” Javier reprimanded. “We’re trying to keep a low profile, as you know.”

“Javier, have some faith in us. It was purely with words. I think we could be seen as people afraid to see violence rather than anything else, if I’m being honest about what happened.”

Javier sighed, shoulders drooping in response. “I know this sounds awful, but perhaps next time don’t intervene unless you see others do so first. We’re trying to blend in, not stand out. Nonetheless, concerns aside, I think you’ve managed to capture the spirit of Malagost. Can’t say that I’m not worried about this.”

“How did the movement even get started?” Mia asked. She pulled at a few loose strands of hair from her otherwise controlled bun. “Who could even have enough pull to manipulate a city to turn it on its head? Let alone galvanize prey beast souls to take up arms against predator beast souls. We all know that on average, someone with a predator beast soul will beat out their prey counterpart, training not included. These city folk certainly wouldn’t have the training we do.”

“I think I might know,” Alain said. He had been quietly nodding along all this time, seemingly already aware of all our research. We could only try to live up to his efficiency. “From what my contacts suggest, one of the local nobles has been pulling the strings both here and in Titan City.”

“You’re joking,” Mia said, staring at Alain with her brows slightly arched up. “There’s no way they could reach back to Titan City.”

“Money speaks, Mia. Don’t doubt the reach money has, especially when backed with political clout. You should know better.”

She refrained from addressing his comment, turning towards the window in the room. Anything to avoid the implication he had thrown at her.

“Well, how would we meet with this noble then? If we even know which one it is… do we know that? Or is this just all rumor?”

“It’s mostly rumor, Perry. It comes from good sources but of course we would need to verify this information. We can’t try and cause a war unprompted, let alone with a prompt. What I’m trying to say in such a roundabout way, is that the noble in question is Lord Montare, and that my sources indicate that he is open to reception with adventurers who bring back treasures from dungeons.”

“Excuse me?” I interrupted. “Dungeons? What’s a dungeon?”

Alain locked eyes with Javier, nodding towards our leader to speak. “I’m not certain how Alain even knows this,” Javier started, staring back at Alain with a raised eyebrow. “This is conventionally a secret only for those with the most wealth and political pull. So only the highest up in the city guards, the politicians and nobles tend to know of them. Select merchants too. Frankly, if more people knew, they would abandon defending the city in pursuit of treasure, and any who carelessly disclose get a stern… talking to about their transgression.”

I didn’t want to think of what a talking to would entail from Javier, given that pregnant pause. “So the wealthy and powerful stay wealthy and powerful? That’s nice…” I remarked.

“Perry, these dungeons are exceptionally dangerous. More lethal than one’s encounter with a village-rank spike feeder, given the extended nature of a dungeon dive just to find anything worth taking from the confines of their walls. You thought fighting spike feeders was difficult? These dungeons have creatures wholly unlike them. That unknown nature of the enemies raises the difficulty of these dungeons tenfold, not even speaking of the traps that litter their halls. That’s why knowledge of them is kept hidden. To minimize the amount of people who end up getting pointlessly killed in their dark depths, few that there are.”

“Well, you’ve convinced me,” I said. “It’s death trap. Which means that we’re going to have to go to one, aren’t we?”

The team looked at one another, seeking answers in each other’s faces, trying to avoid confirming the truth that sat in the open air. “Perry, can you think of another way for us to meet with the noble?” Alain prodded.

“We bump into him when he’s out dining? Or perhaps we apply for jobs at his manor. Nobles want personal bodyguards, right?” I offered, unsure of where this was going. I had the least city experience. Why did I have to come up with the answer?

“Those are entertaining ideas, Perry, but they don’t really allow for the time frame we need to get a proper audience with Lord Montare. We need his undivided attention freely given and we need it fast. We can’t afford to try and get employed and then fail, only to meet with him another way. Nor can we guarantee his spends any meaningful amount of time with those in his employ, let alone random people he bumps into for lunch.

We’re going to have to dive into a dungeon.” Alain winced upon completing his mild rebuke.

My eyes rolled at high speeds, liable to leave my face if they weren’t firmly tethered to my body. “Then what was all that about discouraging me towards the dungeon diving?”

“I wanted to make it clear how dangerous it was, Perry. If you haven’t written a will yet, now might be the time to put one together,” Javier said, resting his hand on my shoulder. “No guarantees anyone will die during this, but our job does have a high mortality rate. This might be the right time to confront it.”

“Oh,” was all I could manage to let out. That wasn’t a thought I wanted to confront.

My spur slashing upon that woman’s neck. The way she crumpled onto the ground, spasming under the duress of my venom, her anguished shriek from the suffering she had chosen. That I had chosen for her.

I felt clammy, a cold sweat overtaking me. “Oh,” I managed once more. “I guess I should.” The others averted their gaze from me, letting me wallow in the depths of my self-reflection, contemplating what I would need to summarize my life.

“So, onto the how of what we’re going to do,” Javier said, not missing a beat. I didn’t know if this was meant to galvanize me back towards our action or just the focused mind of a leader, but either way the message was clear. It was onto the mission. We were working, not working through our traumas.

“Does it differ from our normal preparations when going out on a mission?” asked Mia. She was every the stalwart one.

“In most ways, no. The most important part of dungeon diving is knowing of a dungeon, and getting permission to do so. There are only so many dungeons throughout the land, most having already been cataloged. In terms of ones that we can make use of, there’s only one that’s a reasonable distance away and that won’t cause any political drama. Which is to say, only one nearby requires no prior claims or requests to any of the governments to enter the dungeon.”

“So what, you normally have to fill out paperwork?” I asked, already back on track.

“That’s… the easiest way. The harder ones are making requests to the nobles and politicians in person, trading favors, selling services for a later time. A lot of cajoling and wheedling just to have the opportunity to try and arrange your own death. It’s also an exercise that takes far too much time, the expectation usually being that one is mounting a larger expedition. With our smaller fighting force, we should be able to move around with greater ease and slip by some of the threats. We’re not trying to conquer, after all. Just obtain a token.”

“Why is he even interested in getting something from the dungeon?” Vera asked. “What purpose does it serve? Do the dungeons contain things that help people?”

Alain sighed, patting Vera lightly on the shoulder. “Oh Vera, it’s most commonly a sign of wealth. Even the most gaudy and useless of items returned from a dungeon appreciate in value just by merit of their scarcity. The useful ones, why, those could perhaps buy a city, although they number too few in number to even consider.”

“So this is just a wealthy noble who sends others to his death to get him trinkets?” spat Mia. “Disgusting. Trash. Truly against the noble spirit.”

“Mind your tongue when we meet with him, Mia. We don’t have to like the man to investigate him. We just need to determine what’s going on so that we can save Titan City. We don’t need to like the man. We don’t need to care about the man. We don’t need to appreciate the man. You get it?” Javier’s words poked and prodded Mia, worming past her defenses. She gritted her teeth and nodded, looking down towards the floor of the room.

“Why do you know where the dungeons are?” Alain asked, head cocked with curiosity.

“Oh, that’s simple. Knowing where the dungeons are is on a need-to-know basis, and I need to know.”

“That… doesn’t quite explain it, but alright, keep your secrets,” Alain said, smirking back at our leader.

“Right you are! They wouldn’t be secret if I didn’t keep them. We’ll head out tonight after topping up our supplies, go on to the dungeon and return in record time with no deaths. It should be only a few hours away from here by my estimation, and we won’t have to worry about the spike feeders in the entrance chamber of the dungeon. For some reason, the beasts are reluctant to enter the halls, seemingly repelled by whatever is within those walls.”

That was a lot to chew on. I thought I had already learned so much, and yet another facet of the world was hidden secret to only those who had reason to know. I had entered those ranks, but was that the end of the world’s secrets? What else was hidden?

Something in me was stirring. A desire to know. A need to be the one that understands. The one that has the power to learn what’s been covered deep.

Before, I lived in ignorance in the village. I only existed within those walls. I was expected to live there until I died, essentially human livestock. Now, I might have finally found what I wanted all along. A reason to live and fight for. I will discover the secrets, not unlike those researchers we had partnered with before. I will hold that in my heart, a weight to keep me anchored forwards.

‘I just wish this never comes to pass,’ I thought, penning my will later that night by candlelight. I needed it ready before we departed shortly thereafter. Death was a real threat. I had to face it. It was a mystery, but that was the one last one for me to discover. It would be the end, and I could not reach a premature end. I would bequeath my wishes in my will, so that it was carried on, or so I would hope. And then the night could overtake me, drowning me in my slumber, the prelude to the death I would do everything to deny until the moment was right. Not until I learned everything that was missing.