The Flying Emporium

Severin had hidden away in his small and still-even after all this time-only barely furnished apartment.

With the return of the System and all its capabilities-in particular the minimap feature and the ability to telepathically communicate with his [Employees]-he would be able to keep on top of things without running the risk of exposing himself to those demanding answers from him; no matter if those were a curious princess, an angry official of the Adventurer’s Society, or a whole bunch of impatient and overeager adventurers.

For the time being, Mylana would act as his mouthpiece - given her status, no one would dare be disrespectful and too pushy and impertinent with their inquiries; the great privilege of being her employer and the System’s host.

And though the woman would certainly not be able to make all his troubles magically disappear, it would be enough, Severin was certain, to buy himself some time.

But no matter what excuses he would ultimately come up with, there were some things that couldn’t be explained away.

Chiefly, of course, the appearance of the dungeon itself.

In that regard, he would just have to play dumb.

As for everything else, Severin was currently racking his brain.

Mylana’s timely warning, for example. How could she, who had never left her seat, suddenly know to rally the local forces when everyone else was still cheering along in excitement?

‘Well, that one’s still easy. I did make those [Transmitter Crystals] mandatory for all my employees, after all. The real question is how to explain how I knew what was going on before anyone else.’

Mulling over that matter, his headache only further intensified.

“I mean, I was gone during that time,” he said to himself.

“I could just claim I suddenly found that crypt and was just as surprised as everyone else. I looked inside, saw the portal, and just made a lucky-no, an educated-guess. It was, after all, a dungeon no one had recognized. Also, the dark interior did match what we had seen when the group first started their stream.”

Severin shook his head helplessly.

He knew such excuses were flimsy at best. Insulting at worst. But what else was he to do? Tell the truth?

He snorted at that thought.

Whether anyone actually believed his excuses would only be of secondary importance, anyway. It all came down to plausible deniability.

‘Besides, the truth would hardly sound any more credible.

That said, I don’t really want to offend them either. Jasmine and the Malconeans are one thing-in light of our cooperation they probably won’t be too bothersome. But Miriam and the people behind her…these people will make my dungeon their business. No doubt about that.’

Severin was deep in thought when suddenly a blue colored dot heading his way caught his attention.

A few moments later, a tired-looking person opened the door to his room and invited themselves inside.

“Bandur?!”

“Severin,” came the exhausted greeting, ”good to see you.”

“You look horrible,” was Severin’s immediate reaction. Followed by, ”where have you been? Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Despite his words, the anxiety in Bandur’s words was impossible to miss.

“Well, you don’t look like it. Like you haven’t slept. What’s going on?”

“Because I haven’t. Not much,” he explained with a tired smile. Then, realizing that wasn’t explaining much, he said, “My brother. He’s here.”

“Your brother?”

“The third,” Bandur clarified. “I think you even had the pleasure meeting him already? Look, even now he clings to Lady Jasmine, like a fly to dung.”

Severin spared himself the commentary that this idiom wasn’t any more flattering to the [Princess] than it was to Bandur’s brother. Instead, he indulged the dwarf by trying to track the [Princess] on his map.

Despite the sea of people, it didn’t take him long to find the dot representing her.

Next to her, one name in particular stood out.

“Bandir?!” Severin connected the dots; the face of a dwarven official he had only exchanged perfunctory pleasantries with appeared before his mind’s eye.

“A very unpleasant man,” Bandur confirmed. “Even if he doesn’t want you dead. Or so I’m told.”

Finally, it clicked for Severin as he remembered Bandur’s unique situation, which had been the sole reason the dwarf was currently in his employment, to begin with.

How his siblings vying for succession to the dwarven throne saw him, the youngest, as just one more obstacle that needed to be removed. That was despite Bandur himself having neither the ambition, nor the means to realistically be considered a contender.

“Amongst all my siblings, Bandir is particular ruthless”, Bandur went on to explain and revealed, that, at least in his opinion, many of his brother’s diplomatic missions to Hanvia, were only a pretext to gather information about him and his whereabouts.

“Are you certain?” Despite being reminded of his circumstances, Severin found all of this sounded a bit too fantastic. “Not that I paid him much attention, but he didn’t strike me as the type. Didn’t see him make any suspicious moves, either.”

Now it was Bandur’s time to give his boss a strange look.

“Well, of course not. It’s not like someone like him would do his own dirty work. Especially not in the presence of the princess. He just has to keep his eyes and ears open and let his men take care of things. Or of people.

By now, he must at least suspect that I’m currently hiding here on this mountain. And that event of yours is just the perfect opportunity.

Not on Malconean grounds, easy to reach with hardly any inspections and travel restrictions, and more than enough people for his henchmen to blend in.”

Seeing that Severin was still doubtful even after his explanation, Bandur was annoyed; it wasn't for fun that he hadn't slept for the last two days and had hunkered down in the Emporium and its secret underground passages while everyone else had a fantastic time outside.

“Look for yourself if you don’t believe me. There, behind the kitchen. I knew someone was sneaking around all this time. Now, with the map available again, I have proof.”

Severin decided to once again indulge Bandur.

Seeing that there was indeed a white dot moving behind the kitchen, he became serious.

Without saying a word, he went to open his window and observed his cafe.

Not a minute later, the dot had already circled around the building and stepped into the space of his currently closed cafe. While not looking especially conspicuous, and more like a disappointed customer who was greeted by closed doors, it was indeed a dwarf.

Not that this was the proof Bandur claimed it to be, but all things considered, it was good enough.

“Outrageous!” Severin got agitated. More than that, he felt ashamed for not immediately believing his trusted [Employee]. And now that shame turned into unbridled anger.

“Just you wait. I hope you are prepared for the consequences.”

With a hateful snort, Severin willed open his System and navigated towards one specific menu.

“Don’t!” Bandur warned, seemingly knowing exactly what Severin was up to. Just in the nick of time.

“Why would you...?! We can’t let these people get away with it. If anything, blacklisting them is still too good for them; there is a chance they might survive.”

“We can’t risk a political eclat.”

“There’s nothing political about it. Didn’t you say it yourself? This is neutral grounds.”

“Yet Bandir is still a guest of Malcos. And so, by extension, are his men. All dwarfs.”

“But…!” It didn’t make much sense to him.

“It would only cause more trouble in the long run. Besides, it would confirm their suspicions that I’m here. Trust me on this.”

“…” Having reached this point, Severin was unwilling to concede.

“Please, Severin.”

“I think it is a mistake! But fine. It’s your call,” still, Severin agreed, if grudgingly. He owed him as much.

“But in the future, don’t hesitate to immediately blacklist them if you feel you’re really in danger. Don’t worry about the consequences, you hear? We’ll figure something out.” Despite his promise, Severin was annoyed by this feeling of helplessness; as long as people even thought about going after him or his people, on his own property at that, then, he felt, he wasn’t yet influential and powerful enough; both things he previously hadn’t really cared about.

“But we should at least inform Jasmine either way.”

“I believe she is already aware,” Bandur pointed out, but didn’t disagree. Instead, noticing Severin’s irritation and also to satisfy own curiosity, Bandur quickly attempted to direct his boss’ attention to a different, unrelated matter.

“Now you tell me what’s going on out there?! Locked in here, I didn’t catch much of what was going on outside. And what’s that notification about dungeon core integration all about? Did I read that right?”

Reluctantly Severin agreed to let the matter rest- for now-and roughly explained what had been happening.

“Our own dungeon?! Truly?” This time it was Bandur, who, despite all evidence, was in disbelief. “But I fear the Society will cause some trouble. Scouting. Mapping. Categorizing. Before those things are taken care of, they’ll never agree to giving access to the public,” Bandur immediately pointed out, reaffirming what Severin was fearing the most.

“Mylana said something similar,” he said unhappily. Then, trying to cheer himself up after all the bad news,

“At least it will be worth the wait. Once they are done, we’ll be set; money issues will be a thing of the past. I reckon at that point we might even keep the store closed entirely,” Severin even went to joke.

“How’s that?” Bandur asked in incomprehension.

“Here, look.” He opened a menu.

“The store’s inventory? Why-?”

“There,” Severin pointed towards one particular item.

“A… dagger?” The dwarf still didn’t understand.

“Our cut of the loot. We just have to sit back and wait,” Severin laughed. But knowing what the Society’s investigation would actually find, he anxiously added,

“That is, if people will actually dare venturing inside.”