"How will we deal with the Guild?" Finn asked, his voice low as they walked through the corridors of Floor Twenty-Five. "No matter how you look at it, you did kill their representative."
Damien shrugged. "They should have picked a better representative."
"I know that. But with Fels gone ahead, the Guild will know of the events before everyone else." Finn's expression was grim. "So we may be heading into an ambush."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "I do not think it will come to that. But if it does..." His hand rested on his dagger. "I will handle it."
They moved in silence after that, climbing higher, getting closer to the surface.
...
Fels had already left on his own. Being the Guild's asset, he knew shortcuts that most did not. Well, most did not know before. Damien had placed a shadow on his person since the moment he had met him. Now he knew all the secret pathways the Guild kept to themselves.
While the expedition moved, Damien constantly monitored Fels.
When Fels reached the surface, he took no time to rest. He moved directly toward the Guild, descending into the lowest hidden chamber beneath the building where his lord awaited.
Fels knelt before Ouranos.
He reported everything. Every detail. The battle. The Corrupted Spirit. The collapse of Floor Sixty. And the events with Damien—Hedin's assassination attempt, Hogni's confession, the execution.
Ouranos listened in silence. When Fels finished, the god spoke.
"Concerning. Quite concerning." His voice echoed off the ancient stone walls. "That boy seems to be quite rash."
"Yes, my lord. I tried to explain that the Guild would handle the matter of Hedin, but he did not listen." Fels kept his head bowed. "We cannot even prove if Hedin did it or not. Merely relying on Hogni's words was... completely foolish."
"But... did Hedin do it or not?"
Fels was silent for a moment. Then he looked at the ground.
"I have reasons to believe so. Hedin is a prideful man. He and most of Freya's higher elite members were trying to solo Balor. I have reasons to think that Freya herself must have made it a competition between them." He paused. "So when he saw Damien achieve that accomplishment, it must have led him to believe Damien is a threat."
He added, "Freya is known to want Damien, since day one. Only Loki stood in her way. It must have been jealousy."
Ouranos nodded slowly. "Freya... and her children. A problem she created."
"What will we do, my lord?"
Ouranos was quiet. He sat on his throne, his ancient eyes staring at nothing.
Then he spoke.
"What do you think, Damien Ardent?" His voice was calm. "What should I do?"
Fels's head snapped up. Confusion crossed his masked face.
Damien emerged from the shadows behind Fels. His hand rested on the immortal's shoulder.
"Nothing," Damien said.
Fels's eyes went wide. Hundreds of years of experience, and he had not even realized what Damien had hidden in his shadow.
Ouranos showed no surprise. "Is that so. You have broken the rules of the Guild. Killed its representative. It puts the Guild in a weak position to punish you for such actions."
Damien met the god's gaze. "I understand that. But am I not a very valuable asset? I am not someone who is willing to cross the Guild if not forced to. And in this case, I was forced. You allowed an unhinged man to lead our expedition. Almost to death." His voice hardened. "And not only that, he tried to assassinate me. Would you have me lower my head and accept such aggression?"
"I would not." Ouranos's voice was measured. "But would you have me allow a man with your power to do whatever he thinks is right because of his power? As the ruler of this land, I must show that there are rules that cannot be broken, regardless of what happens. If I allowed you to kill anyone who wronged you, the Freya Familia would do the same. The Loki Familia would do the same. Everyone would do the same. Orario would become a city of war, not a city of adventurers." His eyes bore into Damien's. "I do not wish to cultivate a land where people believe only strength matters."
"And I agree." Damien did not look away. "But there are exceptions. I hate to repeat myself, but I am a valuable asset. One that was almost killed by a far less valuable one. I could have chosen to start a wargame with Freya. End her. Result in the weakness of Orario overall. But I chose not to."
He stepped forward.
"I cannot not lose face...Nor can she! So i did what was best for both of us.... And I came to the conclusion of killing Hedin." He paused. "I could have gone further. Killed Hogni too. Ottar and all the members she sent. But I am no fool. I know they have value. This battle with the dungeon cannot be won without strong people like them."
Ouranos narrowed his eyes.
Then he smiled.
"Boy. You have a good head on your shoulders, do you not?" His smile faded. "But have you considered me? In this scenario, it is I and the Guild that lose face."
Damien grinned. "Indeed. But you do not have to."
He opened his storage. Weapons clattered to the floor...dozens of them, ancient and powerful, glowing with old magic. Treasures from Thalia's Ice Garden, taken during the chaos of the Corrupted Spirit's attack.
He dropped half of them at Ouranos's feet.
"This is all the weapons I acquired from Thalia's Ice Garden. Treasures of the old. Weapons I could use to empower my Familia." He bowed his head. "But I hereby gift them to Lord Ouranos as an apology for not considering him when the actions inside the dungeon took place. An offering of peace."
Ouranos looked at the weapons.
Then he laughed.
Hard.
Fels stared. He had never heard Ouranos laugh. Not once in all his centuries of service. The only reports of such a thing came from ancient times back when Ouranos walked with the Hero Daedalus
The lord of Orario. The strongest, most powerful god. Laughing in amusement at a boy from a small Familia.
"Boy." Ouranos's voice was warm. "You are truly a special one. I see now why you chose Hestia. Only she could be fit as your goddess."
He raised his hand.
"Go, Damien Ardent. I hereby declare you innocent. The Guild thanks you for your services and your success on The Great Quest." His eyes gleamed. "And as a reward, you may keep the other half of the treasures you acquired in Thalia's Ice Garden."
Damien laughed as well. "Man... you truly are different."
He bowed slightly.
"Well then, I shall take my leave. Take care of yourself, Lord Ouranos."
He disappeared into the shadows. And as a final gesture of respect, he removed the soldier hidden in Fels's shadow before he left.
The chamber fell silent.
Fels turned to Ouranos. "My lord... was that wise?"
Ouranos looked at the pile of ancient weapons. Then he looked at the space where Damien had stood.
"Time will tell," he said. "But I suspect... that boy will be the key to everything."
Fels said nothing. He simply knelt and waited.
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