Suran walked to the end of the tunnel and found another metal door. In the dark, he felt around it, unbolting the lock and pulling it open. A stream of murky water toppled down into the vast body of water in front of him. He stepped out and found himself on a ledge. Beneath him was a drop down to the water and above him was a drainage pipe.

The only way off the ledge was a rusty ladder to the side which he hastily climbed up. At the top, he looked down into the winding tunnel and began to walk. Soon, the only light that illuminated the tunnel was from the iron grates above. He could not reach them, so he continued walking, looking for an exit.

After sometime, he came across a narrow corridor that was built as if it were an afterthought. At its end was a ladder up. He climbed up the ladder, popped open the manhole lid, and lifted himself out into an alley.

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” said a haggard man leaning on the wall, “Who are you?”

Suran drew his sword and flicked his wrist. Maybe the man was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Suran did not care; there would be no loose ends, no liabilities, if he could help it. He dumped the body into the drain below and went on his way.

The alleyway he emerged from was by the docks. It was chilly and becoming increasingly colder. He wasn’t sure where he was exactly, but he immediately went into the city; he needed to get away from the docks – and to get out of the cold.

He walked for about ten minutes in the afternoon crowd before dipping in into a secluded alley. Digging into his pockets, he pulled out the container and pried its lid open. He unraveled the letter and read its contents:

H.v.A:

It has come to my attention that we may have a rat infestation in the kitchen. I have found some snooping in the pantry and took care of them, but there is no telling how many, if any, are left. I will continue to search for them on my end, but you must take precautions as well.

First, we must stop stocking the pantry. We can’t afford to drop any crumbs that would attract more rodents. I will do my part on this end to make sure everything is clear, but you have to check your side is clear as well. You know how these rats are, sneaky bastards can easily go from one place to another.

Remember, our business will struggle with a pest infestation in the back. And if word of the pests gets out and the business goes under as a result, I hope you remember that you stand the most to lose in our joint venture.

No effort must be wasted in solving this. Your immediate response is requested.

Clyde

He rolled up the letter and placed it back. Still not enough information to the only lead he had to Natalya, Hendrick. While he did not have an idea who H.v.A was, there was someone who might. He left the alleyway to pay a visit to Lord Shroon.

----

Harry Shroom took a sip of his red Da Gru Mara’Cru to wash down the tender pieces of Beaor steak down his throat. He enjoyed the lavish meal, it wasn’t something he could afford often. In fact, even thinking about the bill sent a shiver down his spine. There were clearly better things to spend his coin on like his estate, debt, and jewelry for Anna, but he made an exception just this once; it was a special time after all.

For as long as he knew Mr. Clyde Maxwell, their relationship has been strenuous, to say the least. Ever since he fell under the influence of Namnoc, it was Clyde who controlled his purse strings, and rarely did he ever open them. It was tiring work, having to juggle the demands of Namnoc and Clyde as well as his own needs, but Shroom was left with no other choice but obediently follow along to avoid the ire of those above him.

Today was special because for the first time in their relationship, Shroom had earned Clyde’s approval. In hindsight, it had been a blessing that foreigner rudely barged into his house. While he would have very much liked not being roughed up, he did at least learn of the man’s foolish plans to attack Namnoc to rescue Anna. He didn’t even have to think twice about immediately informing Clyde of the situation. The information might not have been that helpful – there was no doubt in Shroom’s mind that the foreigner’s plan would fail even without notice – but Clyde was very pleased with the information, causing him to, just this once, loosen the purse strings.

Shroom put down his empty wine glass and picked up the bottle to pour out more, but it was empty. He sighed and slunk in his chair. Another bottle would be nice. But three was already pushing his limit, so a fourth was out of the question. He roused himself from his chair; it was time he left.

As he worked his way out of the restaurant, Shrom mulled over how to spend his time today. Clyde had, for once, not left him anything to do. Now seemed like a perfect time to go shopping for Anna. In his routine visits, she mentioned needing some clothes, cloths, and sewing supplies He could pick those up and even entertain buying some more trinket and jewelry for her.

However, that was going to have to wait. He felt a little tipsy and wobbly, and his last outing while intoxicated ended rather poorly. Accidentally buying one boat was already causing him troubles, so he figured it would be best to go home and weather the storm.

The day was still young, Shroom thought as he walked down the street. There would be plenty of time to go back out later to take care of his responsibilities; Anna’s requests will be taken care of one way or another.

Shroom’s heart sank, thinking of Anna. Their relationship wasn’t what is used to be, and he lamented that. He has been doing everything in his power to reverse that trend, but the good old times seemed like a distant dream.

When they were in primary schooling, they had been such great friends. In the beginning, the only time people talked about Harry Shroom was to insult him for being fat when he just had big bones. The first person to actually talk to him like a person was her, and he owed her the world for that.

From that moment on, she was his best friend. From making sure she got her turn at the playground to defending her from all the boys and girls who dare attack her, Shroom decided he would be by her side.

As the years gone by, times got rough and their relationship was tested. Her ever expanding circle of friends slowly pushed out Shroom, but he was content as long as he could support her. When she started hanging out with some hooligans, he voiced his concern but got scolded for attacking her ‘friends’.

Eventually things got messy and one thing led to another. They got into a fight; he said he loved her and that she deserves a nice guy, got rejected and was told he was never her friend. However, he was not dismayed. While the rejection stung for a while, he doubled his efforts, thinking that she would come around one day and see him as the best person for her. Even if she did not eventually accept him – which he considered highly unlikely – he had pledged to be by her side for the kindness she showed to him, and he was going to do that whether she wanted him to or not.

His detour through memory lane came to an end as he found himself back home. He would stop at nothing to fix his relationship with Anna, but first, a nap and maybe a bath. He fumbled in his jacket and pulled out his key. But when he put it in his gate, the gate creaked open. His servants had various errands and chores, sometimes forcing them to go out into town. Maybe one of them left the door open? He would have to find out and chastise them for such an oversight.

Shroom lumbered into his home and put up his coat. He stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water before making his way to his quarters. While sipping on his water, he felt something was off; none of his servants had greeted him yet nor had he seen them. It is true they all had various work to do so it was possible this could happen, but the empty and quiet house was bothering.

Wobbling up the stairs, he made his way to his chambers to the sound of his shuffling two feet. As he approached to his chamber door, still not one person did he see. This was unacceptable, he thought, pulling open his bedroom door and entering. He would have to discipline his servants for this, but that could come later because he first wished to nap.

His hand went limp and the glass of water crashed down. Panic flooded his mind as sitting silently in front of him was a familiar face. What was he doing here? Shroom attempted to speak, but his mind outran his mouth, leaving him stuttering, stammering, and speechless.

Shroom slowed down and took some deep breaths as the foreigner stared him down. He calmed himself down, collected his thoughts, and mustered the willpower to speak. “W-what are you doing here?” He nervously said, finding it impossible to remain calm.

“I have a problem, and you will help me,” Suran said.

Shroom nervously chuckled. Numerous questions swirled in his mind: how was he alive, how did he get here, and why was he really here? “A problem?” He repeated, racking his brain for a way out. Shroom decided to try and weasel his way out, “I-I’m afraid im very busy so I won’t be able to assist –”

“You don’t have a choice.”

He shook his head, taken aback, “W-wh-what do you mean I don’t have a choice?”

“If you refuse, I will kill you.”

“K-k-k-k-k-kill me?” Shroom began breathing heavily as sweat beaded on his hea. The room went silent except for the chattering of his teeth.

“It’s cold,” Suran remarked.

“Yes it is.” But it really wasn’t. Neither outside nor inside was cold at all. While dining at the restaurant, Shroom had even thought on how nice of a day it way and had only agreed to please the man. He noticed the man’s hand resting on his sword and decided he had no choice but comply. “I-if you are going to have me help you, at least let me know what I’m getting into.”

“I intend to bring Namnoc to its knees,” Suran said, shifting his legs.

Shroom was stunned. He had never heard anyone say that so calmly, let alone see them alive after the fact. If governments had challenged them and had been unable to dent them, what could a single man do? “I-impossible! There is nothing you can hope to do against them. All you would write is an assured death sentence for the both of us.” He sighed, “If I had to choose between dying here or dying to them, the former is the easy choice.”

“I do not ask of the impossible, and if it were, I would make it possible.” Suran rose from the chair, “Besides, fighting Namnoc is in your interests as well. To them, you are nothing more than a dog, and do not think they will toss you aside the moment you live out your usefulness,” Suran paced around the room, inching closer to Shroom. “By fighting Namnoc you stand to gain your freedom, and I will ask nothing of you that will comprise your position.”

He was right, Shroom thought. His current situation under Namnoc was terrible. He had no economic or political freedom. If he wasn’t implicated in any of this, it could very well be worth a shot. “Fine, I consent. I only ask you inform me of what led to this before asking anything of me.”

“Very well. After we rescued Annabella –”

“WAIT! You successfully rescued her?!”

“She was able to leave the compound safely.”

“Let me tell you, neither me nor Clyde –” Shroom stopped himself mid-sentence. He did not mean to say that.

Suran was unphased, “I know.”

Somehow that response seemed worse to Shroom. He suddenly felt very small in the large room.

“As I was saying,” Suran resumed his explanation, “During our escape, my companion was captured, and I will rescue her.”

“Ah, I see. A female companion. Is she your wife?”

“...No.”

“Best friend?”

“No.”

“Business partner?”

“No.”

“Then what the hell is she?!”

“She is a companion I met a few days ago.”

“What? Excuse me? You met her a few days ago?” Shroom was flabbergasted by this idea. “You are willing to risk everything for someone you just met? If this is this case, it is not too late to turn back and avoid this mess. She sounds like nothing to you, so just leave her be and save yourself.” And save himself the trouble, he hoped to himself.

“It is true, I just met her, but I am responsible for her. She put her wellbeing in my care and even risked her life to help me during our escape. I cannot and will not leave her behind. Her freedom will come at the cost of Namnoc’s security.”

“Well, you are the boss here. What do you want?”

“I need your help in identifying someone.” Suran reached into his coat and pulled out the letter. Taking out the writing, he handed it over.

Shroom took it and looked it over. “So… is it this H.v.A you want to know about?”

“Correct.”

“Well… There is not much to go off with just that. Anyone could have those initials.”

“What if the ‘H’ stood for Hendrick?”

“Let me see… Hendrick v. A… Now who could that be?” Shroom’s face paled, “C-care tell w-what type of person you are looking for?”

“Someone who deals with grain. Maybe deals in shipments. Possibly a noble or government official.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, I can’t believe it,” Shroom shook his head violently, almost breaking out in nervous laughter. “Before I say any more, how do you know so much?”

“Some people don’t know when to stop talking.”

“Oh. Clyde. Well… from what you told me, you are looking for Hendrick von Auer. A nobleman. Rich merchant dealing in grain. Lord Treasurer of the Holy Empire of Valeryia. One of the top officials in the entire Empire.” Shroom slunk past Suran and stumbled into a chair. “Out of all the people in the world, we have to deal with this man…”

“I need you to tell me where he lives.”

Shroom laughed like a madman, “You are insane, whatever your name is. Why would you want to go into the jaws of the beast?” He was already regretting his decision to help; a slight desire to simply curl up and die was born within him.

“One, I need to confirm that my companion is under his care. Two, to deliver this letter.” He held up the letter container.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“To control the information. Clyde does not expect the letter to be delivered, so we can use that to our advantage.”

Shroom sighed, looking as if he had aged 10 years since the conversation as started. He rose from his chair, “You seem to know better than me. I will fetch pen and paper and arrange the address for you.”

As Shroom was exiting the room Suran said, “Your servants are in the cellar. You can release them if they will not be a liability.

“O-of course.” Shroom had completely forgot about them. At least they were safe.

He made his way out the door before Suran called out to him one last time, “And my name is Suran.”

Shroom took note and committed it to memory. He could think of no worse of a time to meet such a man then when drunk as he is. Why did this always have to happen when he drank?