“So I don’t know how long we can go on like this. I told the boss we needed to accept the Ten Thousand Eyes’ offer, but he seemed reluctant. I think he might still be hoping for the executives to get out of jail, but from what I heard, there is little chance of that happening.”
James and Lauren shared a look before resuming with their snooping. They were sitting quite close to each other, looking no different than any other amorous couple in the establishment. Since their faces weren’t visible, they could overhear the Radiant members talking with impunity.
They really are dumb. Who even talks about this kind of stuff out in the open. Well, I guess things have been going their way for so long that they got sloppy.
“Bah, we all know that the government was salivating at the thought of finally getting their hands on one of the major guilds.”One of the others scoffed, taking a long sip of his beer. “They are not going to let go of the very first win they got in years.”
A round of mumbled agreement followed and James found himself nodding as well. Even without the Golden Sun having been found with its proverbial pants down, they still wouldn’t have an easy time getting out of the mess they were in.
When the first raid occurred, after the falsified crocodile dungeon, they must have thought they were untouchable since nothing happened to them. That was why they had fallen into the AA’s trap.
“The boss is probably still in contact with some of them. He can’t just give up.” The thug he had recognized said.
“Yeah, but this way, we’ll just be swallowed up. Our guild has been legally set free, but we don’t have the resources by ourselves to hold our territory, and the sharks are circling.” The first one answered.
Not being able to turn around and see what the speaker looked like made it difficult to picture, but from his voice alone, the man sounded older and more experienced than the twenty-ish year olds that had made up Callum’s group.
“If nothing big happens within the next few weeks, we’ll have to make a choice.” The same man continued, sounding like he very much didn’t want to.
To be part of the Radiant Guild, one had to be a decently Talented Awakener, which meant he shouldn’t be underestimated, but his age also implied things. He might just have recently received the System, but the way he causally spoke of “telling the boss” things made it sound like he was more experienced.
A third member of the group, previously silent, spoke with a calm, calculating tone “Look, we either ally with Ten Thousand Eyes and salvage what we can, or we go down in flames. It’s survival versus principle here. I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to give up all we achieved because I’m too proud.”
A moment of tense silence lingered among them before the thug he recognized mumbled “I didn’t sign up to be a martyr. If allying with Ten Thousand Eyes gives us some breathing room so that we can reorganize, I’ll take it.”
The older man agreed. “As distasteful as it is, I'm with him. We can’t just hold on by ourselves, and I doubt Golden Sun is going to send anyone to help us. You’ve seen what the Eclipse is doing anyway.”
“Pah! Those bastards are selling themselves to the highest bidder just because they have better territory. It won’t be long before they have all been divided and conquered by the larger guilds, stripped of all the dignity they once had.” The third member spat, bitterness seeping through every word.
It seemed to James that not everything was as easy as it appeared between the guilds. They usually presented a united front when speaking with the AA or the public, but everyone knew they must have had a cutthroat game of give and take behind the curtain. Now he had the confirmation of it.
The older man's voice rose slightly “I’d rather not throw in with the Eyes. We all know what they are capable of after Buffalo, but if it’s between that and losing everything, then what choice do we really have?”
The sounds of glasses clinking and muffled chatter from other patrons continued to fill the room, creating a semblance of normalcy in stark contrast to the gravity of the conversation being held.
The clandestine information-gathering was soon interrupted as a tall, enigmatic figure approached the Radiant members. To James, it felt like a storm in the distance, all contained might ready to be unleashed.
This person is dangerous.
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He gripped Lauren’s hand beneath the table, his eyes silently communicating that someone new had arrived. She didn’t miss a beat, lifting her hand to caress his cheek and bringing her head next to his.
“What’s going on?” She murmured against his skin, giving the impression of a young couple incapable of keeping their hands to themselves.
“Tall guy who just entered. He’s strong.” James replied, barely audible even at the distance they were at. He couldn’t afford to risk being overheard by the man, who must have a very high SENSE attribute, being at least D-rank from the feeling of it.
“You’re discussing sensitive matters in an open space.” The man admonished, voice as cold as ice.
Panic, palpable and raw, wafted from the Radiant members as they scrambled to their feet, hastily vacating the premises under the stern gaze of their superior.
Silence had fallen in the bar, as everyone understood they had a powerful Awakener in their midsts. The man grunted, taking out ten crisp hundred dollar bills and placing them on the table his subordinates had just left.
“For the commotion.” He said, nodding to the trembling waitress, who let out an “eep!”
That done, he turned around and left, probably to follow his men.
Lauren’s eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and caution. “Do you think that’s…?”
James nodded subtly, his eyes still on the door where the tall man had exited. “Must be. I didn’t think we’d come face to face with the leader of the Radiant Guild tonight.”
They waited a few more minutes, ensuring the dangerous aura had indeed left the vicinity before they too left the safety of their hidden observation spot, appearing just like any other couple exiting the pub after a cozy evening.
The chilly air bit at them as they stepped into the darkness, but it was a welcome contrast to the tense atmosphere they had just left.
“They’re backed into a corner.” She murmured low enough that only James could hear. “People become either the most dangerous or the most cooperative when they are desperate.”
James's jaw clenched, mulling over the same thoughts. He had a personal grudge with the Radiant Guild, but even he could admit to a certain level of competency in the way they operated. Not in how they protected the people, no. But their illicit dealings were covered up well enough that even during the sweep of their mother organization, they weren’t touched beyond losing a few people.
That said, they couldn’t possibly operate in the same manner as they used to before. The Golden Sun was not directly involved with their day to day operations, but they offered an umbrella of protection from scrutiny. Their presence prevented any other major Guild from setting its sights on their territory.
“Should we have followed them?” Lauren asked, worriedly looking towards Coney Island Ave, where the guild members had disappeared.
James shook his head “We were lucky enough that they arrived after us and that our position made it difficult to see us. If we tried to follow them, they’d find us out immediately.”
She grimaced, bothered that they had to let go of such an interesting source of information “And the big guy had to be a high-ranker, right?”
He nodded “D-rank, at least. Most of their members are G-rank, but they also have a few E. Since he’s probably the boss, I’d say minimum D-rank.”
Silence hung between them for a moment as they contemplated their next move. I sincerely doubt the AA doesn’t already know much of this, but they must have decided to let go of the smaller fish to get the big guys.
Thinking back to his conversation with Miss Walker, James decided that even if he went to her with this information, there wasn’t much she could or would do by herself.
It wasn’t like guilds were forbidden from buying out smaller ones, and though the Awakeners had spoken of sensitive subjects, they had not outright admitted to anything illegal, thanks to the timely arrival of their superior.
Lauren brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "We need to do something. The Radiant Guild coming under the Ten Thousand Eyes would reshape the city's underground and if we allow them to go scot free, we’ll never get rid of them.”
James nodded, fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh. “In a way, this is the best option. If they refuse to submit and choose to hold their ground, the inevitable conflict that would ensue will tear apart the neighborhoods under their control, not to mention the number of civilians that might get caught in the crossfire.”
“A gang war.” Lauren murmured in realization.
James nodded grimly. While the individual power of the Radiant guild wasn’t enough to make too much of a mess before the AA fell on their heads like a brick, they could still make life difficult for regular people.
“So we cut off the head of the hydra, and there is already another ready to take its place.” Lauren commented bitterly.
“The Ten Thousand Eyes Guild is relatively stable, has taken part in many operations to reclaim territory from monsters, and has never had public scandals.” James read off from his phone. The wiki pages for the guilds were not to be taken literally, as they were subject to censure and influence, but they at least reflected the general public’s opinion.
“So if the Radiant goes under them, it’ll be even harder than it is now to get rid of them completely.” Lauren concluded.
He hummed, thinking of all the possibilities they had. “The real question here is exactly that. Can we afford to wait for them to go under a new patron?”
“You want to take them down now.” She stated, sounding halfway between surprised and amused. After all, he had not tried to hide his contempt for the Radiant guild.
“I would very much like that, but we need to find a way that doesn’t involve us facing the boss.” James answered. Already, Callum and his goons would be a stretch. Adding the powerful Awakener they had seen tonight… It just wouldn’t be possible.
But if we allow them to go scot free now, they’ll simply continue what they are doing. I don’t care if they were not directly involved with the Golden Sun’s illegal operations, I know they are crooks.
“We don’t have that much time. A month at most, before they crack under the pressure.” Lauren added, tapping a finger on her lips.
The fact that she hadn’t even tried to push him away from his harebrained idea made James smile. He had made some very good friends.
“A month… I think we can make it in a month. Getting to G-rank shouldn’t be too hard if we do double the dives every week and once we have the stats, I sincerely doubt any of them could match us.” He said, already thinking of how to convince the others and, more importantly, Miss Walker, to push so hard.
“Yes, we can get to G-rank. But what about your little E-rank friend? And the boss? An Awakening tier is a different thing entirely from a few levels.” Lauren interrupted, rightly bringing up the biggest obstacle.
James, however, smiled like the cat that had gotten the canary “I have no intention of fighting the boss directly. But we don’t need to do that, do we? We just have to push the last card, and the whole castle will come crashing down.”