"Levi, for the love of the System, shut the door. You're letting all the cool air out."

The voice was clipped, impatient. Seated behind a cluttered desk, Mr. Rosner was intensely focused on his work. He didn't look up immediately, as the relentless scratching of his pen scrawled methodically across the page, each stroke punctuated by the weight of his concentration. Ink flowed smoothly from the nib onto the paper, producing a neat array of figures and notes, which seemed to absorb all of his attention. The rhythmic sound punctuated the otherwise quiet room, all while the world beyond his heavy oak door buzzed and hummed with life. He only raised his eyes when he realized Levi wasn't alone.

The man had the same dark eyes as his son, though sharper, set beneath a furrowed brow. His hair was thinning, combed carefully to hide it, and his shirtsleeves were rolled to the elbow despite the warmth in the room. Ledgers and invoices crowded the desk, stacked in precarious towers, and a brass abacus gleamed half-buried among the paper.

Rosner's gaze flicked past Levi to the others dripping onto his polished floorboards, then settled on Ebenezer. The pen paused midair.

"Thale," he said. "What are you doing here? Are the tests complete? And who are these children? Why are they here?"

Levi shifted uncomfortably, still hovering by the door. "Uh—Father, these are, um… my friends. Well, classmates. Sort of. We… train together. Sometimes. That's Otter—he's, you know, the clever one. And Milo, he's… well, he's holding up surprisingly well, all things considered. Sage—you'll like her, she's very… direct. Erin's, um, very reliable. And Jasper—well, he has a sword. Obviously. Which is… useful."

He trailed off, ears burning red as the group stared at him. "Anyway, they're… here."

"Levi." Ebenezer's voice cut across the room, smooth and commanding. "That will do." He stepped forward, folio tucked under one arm, and fixed Rosner with a level gaze. "Your questions are best answered by me, not your son. The tests are indeed complete—but the results are… not what either of us expected."

Rosner's pen clicked sharply against the desk as he set it down. "Not what you expected?" His dark eyes flicked to the folio under Ebenezer's arm. "I hired you to confirm whether my investment was sound. You were to test the wards, refine them if necessary, and report success. That was the agreement."

"The wards were tested," Ebenezer said evenly. "And they failed."

Rosner's brows drew together. "Failed? How badly?"

"Spectacularly. They caused Kaosborn to manifest in the heart of the city before noon." Ebenezer's tone was calm, but it carried the weight of finality. He opened the folio and set it on the desk, sliding it toward Rosner.

Rosner's jaw dropped, then his face turned red. "That's impossible," he huffed. "Unless you made a mistake during inscription. Those plans were flawless."

Ebenezer didn't rise to the bait. His voice remained calm as he spoke. "I assure you, there was no mistake in my transcription. Furthermore, I would have caught any glaring mistakes during my studies. No, I believe you were sold a ward that was intentionally sabotaged. Intentionally and painstakingly designed to escape scrutiny until they were activated."

Rosner jumped to his feet. "I wasn't sold…no…that isn't possible."

"It is not only possible, it is the only explanation."

Otter wasn't sure it was the only potential explanation, but he wasn't going to voice his doubts here. Especially not when there was a chance his Luck may have been involved.

Rosner put his palms on the desk and narrowed his eyes. "No, it's not. I can think of another one. Maybe you realized just how valuable this set of wards is and thought if you told me they don't work, you could keep them for yourself."

Ebenezer's voice took on an icy tone. "You might be used to working with unsavory characters in your line of work, but I will not have my reputation tarnished by desperate suspicion." He gestured to Otter and the rest. "I have witnesses. They will attest to what happened."

Rosner turned a predatory gaze on them, studying them, before replying. "You brought children into our arrangement?"

"No. I did not. I caught them trespassing."

Otter cringed. He was hoping that wouldn't come up.

Ebenezer then told Mr. Rosner the whole story, beginning to end. Rosner slowly sank back into his chair, face going ashen by the time it was over. He was silent for a long moment before letting his gaze linger on Sage.

"You are a Conduit, are you not?"

"I am," Sage replied.

"Then swear on your faith that what Master Thale has told me is the truth."

Without hesitation, Sage held out her holy symbol of Elarion and said, "On my honor and faith in Elarion, the Shifting Flame, I swear the events as recounted by Master Thale are accurate and complete."

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Rosner let out a deep sigh and ran both hands across his face. "Damn it."

Rosner let out a deep sigh and ran both hands across his face. "Damn it."

The fight seemed to drain out of him all at once. He slumped back in his chair, staring past Ebenezer at nothing, lips pressed tight. For a long moment the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the mantel.

Then, almost under his breath, he muttered, "How could they have known…?" His fingers drummed on the desk, faster now, uneven. "It shouldn't have been possible. Unless—" He cut himself off, jaw tightening as his eyes flicked toward the folio again.

Levi opened his mouth to speak, but Rosner silenced him with a sharp glance. He turned back to Ebenezer, his voice harsher now, desperation creeping into it. "Can you fix it? Make it work? There must be a way."

Ebenezer considered him for a long moment, then inclined his head slightly. "Perhaps. Given enough time and study, I may be able to rework the lattice. But I cannot guarantee the result. If the original design was never meant to function as you assumed, if its sole purpose was sabotage, then no amount of tinkering will make it safe."

Rosner's hands curled into fists against the wood of his desk. "Damn them." He shut his eyes, breathing hard through his nose, as though wrestling down both fury and fear.

Otter shifted his weight, then spoke up, his voice cautious but steady. "Begging your pardon, Mr. Rosner, but if someone is sabotaging these wards on purpose… maybe even planning to sell them… that's not just your problem. That's a threat to the whole city. Shouldn't we try to figure out who's behind it—and report it to the authorities?"

Rosner's head snapped up, eyes narrowing. "Boy, do you have any idea what you're suggesting? Reporting this to the watch or the city council is out of the question. After what happened, I'd be held responsible for… well, let's just say it wouldn't turn out well."

Otter held his gaze, refusing to shrink back. "Maybe. But if more of these wards are out there, waiting to be set off, then people could die. Hiding it doesn't make the danger go away."

For a moment, Rosner's mouth worked soundlessly, his face flushed with indignation. But before he could retort, Levi stepped forward.

"Father," he said quietly. "He's right. You can't pretend this didn't happen. At least… at least consider it. Please."

Rosner stared at his son, his expression hard, but something unreadable flickered in his eyes. "I—I need to think. Levi, take your friends to the kitchen. Get them something to eat. Thale, I want to pick your brain for a moment."

***

The kitchen was warm, the air heavy with the scents of roasted chicken and fresh bread lingering from the midday meal. A pot still steamed faintly on the stove, and the servant busied herself clearing dishes from the table, muttering under her breath about interruptions. She set out what remained—a plate of sliced meat, half a loaf of bread, and a crock of butter—before retreating to fetch more.

Levi lingered near the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about my father," he said at last, his voice low. "He's… a lot."

Jasper tore a chunk from the bread and shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. I'd be pretty upset if I received bad news like that."

Levi gave a faint, grateful smile, though his shoulders stayed tense. He slid into a chair opposite Otter, who was already piling food onto a plate with little ceremony.

"So," Otter said between bites, "this was the new asset you mentioned before? The one you were supposed to help him prepare?"

Levi hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. It was. At least, I thought it was." He glanced toward the doorway, as if to be sure his father wasn't looming there. "I've been helping him line up meetings with prominent merchants in the city so he could negotiate sales. He wanted me to practice speaking, to learn how deals are struck. I thought it was just business."

Otter set his bread down, chewing on his thoughts instead of the food. "That… makes sense," he said slowly. "Only… your father seemed awfully careful about how much he said back there. Like he didn't want to get into details." He tried for a light smile. "You know him better than anyone. Is that just how he is, or…?"

Levi blinked, then glanced toward the doorway as if his father might be listening at the wood. He folded his hands on the table, fingers worrying at the napkin. "He's… discreet," he said finally, voice small. "Deliberate. He likes to keep things tidy—on the surface. He arranges meetings, makes introductions, and—" He stopped, searching for a neutral phrase. "—he prefers not to talk about the how of it, if you follow. My father calls it being practical."

Otter said nothing. He could tell Levi had more to say.

"I don't know the exact source for everything; I help where he asks me to—scheduling, talking to merchants. But he's got ways of doing business that… well. He calls it shrewdness. Other people might call it cutting corners. I'm not saying anything illegal outright," he added quickly, eyes flicking to each of them, "that I know of." He sighed heavily. "Look, there's a reason I became a Dungeoneer. You know, in some circles, they call us rogues—even thieves."

Otter nodded. It made sense. If Mr. Rosner had acquired this ward design through dubious means, it would be difficult to make a report to the authorities without implicating himself.

Levi rubbed at the back of his neck, then blew out a breath. "Anyway," he said, forcing brightness into his voice, "enough about my father's business. How's your summer going? Please tell me you've been doing something more exciting than listening to merchants haggle over grain prices."

Milo perked up immediately. "Oh, you know—monsters trying to eat us, bandits trying to kill us, investigating ancient ruins. The usual."

"Investigating ancient ruins?" asked Levi, perking up.

Milo's head bobbed up and down like a puppet on a string. "Yup. Traps, puzzles, creepy shadows on the walls—the whole deal. You'd have loved it."

Levi leaned forward across the table, his earlier embarrassment momentarily forgotten. "Seriously? You found an actual ruin?"

Otter gave a small shrug. "We didn't exactly go looking for it. More like… stumbled into it. But yes. It was real enough."

"Real enough to almost kill us," Jasper muttered, tearing into another slice of bread.

Levi's eyes shone, half with fascination, half with disbelief. "You guys are so lucky. Here I am fetching ledgers and making polite conversation while you're out dodging death and discovering forgotten history."

"Dodging death isn't as glamorous as it sounds," Sage said dryly. "And forgotten history usually wants to crush you under falling stone or stab you with poisoned darts."

Levi grinned despite himself. "Still sounds better than listening to Master Holberg drone on about profit margins."

Otter chuckled, and then they began to catch up in earnest. They had stories to tell, and Levi devoured them like a half-starved dog. He was most interested in hearing about the elemental temple, of course, and salivated over the artifacts they produced.

After ten minutes or so, they were interrupted by Mr. Rosner's voice barking at them from the doorway. "Levi! We have work to do! And we're going to need your friends' help."

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