Laurence Haynes wasn’t good at lying. He would consider himself very good at deceiving - by omission, by selective truths, by insinuation and implication - but straight out stating a falsehood made him twitchy and anxious. He worked hard to conceal his tells, but when directly confronted he couldn’t maintain the deception with any degree of poise.

So when it came to flagrantly misleading the man who’d done more for him in a few short weeks than basically anyone else he’d ever met over his whole lifetime, it required a bit of preparation - both mental and physical.

He knew it wasn’t necessary to lie. He’d overheard Levi promising to do everything for anyone, unrelenting in his willingness to put others before himself. But this was something Laurence didn’t want Levi to do for him. This was something he wanted to do for himself. He’d already demanded enough from the others, they shouldn’t be forced to tag along and deal with his personal problems.

First, he needed a location. To that end, he dove deeply into the internet, searching every possible keyword directly related to the list of ingredients Levi had given him. Phrase searches and exotic ingredients were a lifesaver; things like ‘spineberry extract’ didn’t show up that many places unrelated to the dungeon game. Sure, there were pages of info on exotic drinks and such, but they could be easily discarded in favor of the smaller, less professionally branded ones.

He found a surprising number of communities built around dungeon delving this way, moving through one forum or website’s list of available items, using any unfamiliar names as keywords to search for more. There were dozens, all across the country, little pockets popping up around their own little dungeon circuits.

It was on one of these that he found what he was looking for. He copied the information down in the list with everything else, then mentally moved on to the second stage of his plan even as he continued to mechanically search and copy and repeat.

Next, he needed an excuse to leave on his own for a long period of time. It was with this in mind that he began to proactively place offers on larger collections of dungeon memorabilia, on more valuable items, on things that were listed as ‘local pickup only, no shipping offered’.

And he continued to copy and organize and search.

By the time he’d located enough items to justify an extended trip, he’d firmly settled on his plan in his mind.

There was no need to lie. He could simply… omit. He selected one single block of text - the item, the address, the asking price, the seller’s name - and deleted it from the document before he hit print.

The following conversation went smoothly - more than smoothly, it went practically perfectly. Levi was entirely satisfied with Laurence’s work, suggesting the same actions Laurence had already taken. He casually asked for minions as an escort as he traversed the country collecting items, and the request was granted.

Step three, taken care of.

He returned to his computer, printing out his own copy of the document and a map. He’d be running on foot, practicing the stamina-drag techniques Levi had taught them that first day, so the whole trip would take around three weeks to complete.

Long enough for no one to question a difference of a day or two.

“You done with the printer?” Cassandra’s voice startled him from his reverie.

He snatched the pages, willing his face not to betray him now. “I’m fine, thanks.”

Cassandra gave him a funny look, and he belatedly realized he’d answered the wrong question.

“Oh, yes, you can print now.”

“Thanks.” She didn’t move, still looking at him through uncertain eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay with skipping out on the cons? I know Irene wants to save money, but I can afford it if you want to come.”

“No,” Laurence said, perhaps a bit too hastily. His heart was thudding against the papers clutched to his chest, and he couldn’t help wondering how much she’d seen. Levi was fairly oblivious to anything not related to fighting, but Cassandra was much more observant. “I can join you partway through the loop,” he added, consciously forcing his voice to stay level, not rushing through the words, keeping it casual. “I don’t mind. And we’ve got a great opportunity here with these trades.”

“As long as you’re sure. You seemed really psyched to show off your wizard getup.”

“I still am. But I know this is more important.” That wasn’t a lie, and it came out confident. “You go ahead and have fun.”

“I’d like for you to have fun too,” she said, with one of those smiles that Laurence had a hard time interpreting. He couldn’t tell if she was flirting, or just friendly. The fact that she was both Levi’s wife’s sister, and Gordon’s ex-girlfriend made things all the weirder. He couldn’t imagine how that particular relationship tangle could possibly have ended up so peacefully resolved with everyone still friends.

“I’ll do some recruiting of my own while I’m out.” Laurence smiled. “Plenty of chance to show off my mighty wizard powers. But, while we’re on the topic, could I get a few of those pamphlets to give out? I’m sure they’ll be helpful regardless of how we distribute them.”

Cassandra grinned. “Of course! I bought enough for everyone. I’ll put a box in your car.”

“I don’t think I’ll need a whole box…”

“You’ll be meeting up with us later on anyway, right? So just bring whatever you don’t use then. But don’t be shy about giving them out. If you find anyone who seems likely to continue distributing, go ahead and give them a whole stack.”

“Thank you.” Laurence didn’t mention that he’d be ditching the car only a couple days into the trip in favor of running, but he could always put the pamphlets in a bag. Cen could carry them.

“Let me know if you need help with anything else. Or if you need the printer again.”

Laurence smiled and shook his head. “I’m good. All yours.”

He glanced down at the pages he held. There was one item on this list that no one else knew about. One item listed for sale, innocently enough, in a different forum from a different seller, no one Laurence would know if he hadn’t delved so deep. Nowhere he’d have reason to be expected to search.

But the item itself was unmistakable.

(LEGENDARY!) Unbound Framework, ultra rare Item! Only one on the market, bid now!

Levi may have forgotten Charles and his betrayal, but Laurence wasn’t going to forgive so easily. He owed more to Levi than he could ever repay; the least he could do was see to it that their original trade agreement was followed through on.

Laurence smiled, running a hand down his wizard staff, feeling the warm hum of the power waiting within it.

This trip was about more than simply buying rare ingredients. He was going to find his treacherous guild leader and even the score. The first quest of Laurence Skystrider, his first chance to prove his worth. Reclaim what was stolen.

No need to bother the others with it. He had the minions to watch his back, and magic of his own now. Charles was his guild leader, his responsibility.

He wasn’t weak any longer, wouldn’t buckle and bend and grudgingly assent. He wouldn’t stand by silently furious at the way his guild leader overran everyone else, gradually splitting their guild into splinter groups with his constant mind games and loyalty tests and playing favourites. He wouldn’t be relegated to second-class because he wasn’t good at swinging a pointy stick. He was a wizard now, and he'd relish the chance to show his jerk of an ex-leader what he thought of his betrayal.

This was personal.