Two weeks later, Cal stood with his back to the door of his little apartment DUDE’s corporate housing. Surveying his living room, he saw that everything was in its place. He’d done a thorough cleaning, and while he hadn’t packed yet, he had gotten boxes, which were folded next to his bookcase by his door.

Since the Fiscalia had been cancelled because of the trouble at the main offices, the executive team had rescheduled it. This time, the end of the fiscal year party wasn’t going to be in Cogsville at the Black Ledger. No, it was going to be in one of the brand-new subbasements. They would go over the year’s numbers, but they would also reveal the new org chart. That included who would be taking over as the Manager of Auditing Services, David Sterling Copperblade’s old position. Cal still couldn’t believe that Weavelord was gone.

And Cal couldn’t believe that he’d been chosen to give Dave’s eulogy.

Gwen couldn’t do it. She spent most of the funeral crying. She’d had a long, complicated relationship with her father, but wasn’t that everyone?

It certainly was Cal’s story.

Gwen had been critical in helping Cal shape the eulogy, and both were proud of the results. Weavelord was a true guardian, a true public servant, and while he’d been rough around the edges, he’d done a good job. Come to find out, he’d been taking Anger Management classes. They hadn’t made him perfect, but Team Six had seen the results in the hours before his untimely death.

Cal gave his apartment one last look, then left. Out in the hallway, Gwen, Helga, and Kronke were there along with a completely healed Hurricane. Helga had braided his mane and tail and included blue ribbons here and there. He perfectly matched Helga’s blue dress and accessories.

Kronke was in a nice suit, no tie, with a satchel bulging with cookies.

Gwen, being Gwen, was dressed in her normal dungeoneering clothes. She wasn’t going to dress up for this party. Cal had been torn, but decided he’d go in the suit and tie he’d inherited from Dave. He’d come to adore the houndstooth jacket with the pockets of holding.

He thought the Ruby Staff completed the outfit and made him look a bit dashing.

Helga looked him up and down. “Calcannis, you do look managerial, I must say. Let me fix your hair a bit.”

She rode over to him and fussed with his hair, straightened the tie, that initially fought her decorative assault before relaxing. Helga was a friend, a best friend. They all were.

Cal felt a tinge of sadness. If he got the promotion, he’d be moving and wouldn’t be so close to his friends anymore. It would be rough, but things were changing, and he was going to embrace the change.

Gwen groused. “I don’t know why we’re not having the party in the courtyard, it’s so nice. Down the subbasements, you know Barb is going to go all out with her aroma art. It’s going to be stifling down there.”

Kronke munched on a cookie. “Kronke not think so. Harvey keeps Barb under control. And Ji-Soo is going to be there. Ji-Soo is Kronke’s friend.”

Gwen chuckled. “Probably a bit more than friends.”

Kronke giggled. “It’s complicated.”

Gwen shot Cal a look. “But it’s not just our resident saint who has a romantic interest. Both Ethel and Dirndil Müeller are going to be there, all dressed up and looking so fine.”

Cal cleared his throat and tried not to blush. “I’ll be too busy in my new position, I think, to, uh, you know, date or anything.” He then changed the subject. “Let’s talk while we walk. I’ve been meaning to ask you about the whole Divine Auditor thing. You and Helga didn’t seem too excited.”

Helga marched ahead on Hurricane. She turned in her saddle. “Now, Calcannis, both Gwen and I know that you are on the Path of the Divine Auditor. I think when you asked about us, this Mr. Brown was being cordial. We do nae have a chance.” She turned back around.

Cal hurried up to her. “But you do! We all do! I believed Bon Brown. What happened to us, with our Funk Soul upgrades, just might be the dawn of a new era. If dungeoneers can get power without destroying Celestial Nodes, it might change everything. No more scary dungeons. Just peaceful gardens, tended by former raiders, with hope and peace for all. This is a good thing.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Gwen caught up to him. “I’m not sure I’m saint enough to handle a ton of power. Kronke can, obviously, but have you met me?”

Cal gently grabbed her arm. “I have, Gwen. I know you. And while you aren’t the most positive and optimistic person, you are good. You’re our friend. And I would trust you with my life, no matter how much power you have.”

The rogue engineer’s eyes filled with tears, and she fought to keep them spilling. “Thanks, Cal. Just. Thanks.”

They made their way down the steps, through the lobby, and across the grounds of the Department. Inside the office building, they took a second to look around at the refurbished main floor. Everything was new, redecorated, modernized, and looking amazing. The cubicles were gone, and it was more of an open floor format, which would encourage more collaboration. The mysterious corner office wasn’t so mysterious anymore. It had been cleaned up and ready for the new manager. The executive team had come to a compromise, and no one was going to get their feelings hurt. After recent events, no one wanted any office politics to get in the way of their mission to effectively audit dungeon cores for optimal performance.

Outside the breakroom, Gwen grabbed Kronke. “Hey, Cal, you go on. Helga, Kronke, and I have to grab something. We’ll meet you down there.”

Cal knew they had made him something, a congratulations present, so he let them go.

He then bopped into the newly decorated breakroom. He wanted to say hello to Fullgeers, who had his coffee ready, and Daphne had been repaired and was gleaming, all proud and new. They didn’t talk anymore, though Fullgeers had his screen, which showed a happy face.

Daphne’s spigot let out several happy splashes of water, which turned into a happy, dancing woman surrounded by happy water sprites.

The doors of the refrigerator and freezer combo opened and closed. Mr. Brown had found Karl’s replacement, an Ice Banshee named Gina Lola Frigida. She squealed and the entire breakroom’s temperature fell a few degrees. Her core gem flashed as she spoke in an elderly woman’s kind voice. “Oh, Calcannis, you look so young and dashing.”

Connie, the Water Cooler, burbled in the corner. Her blue gem sat on top of the tank. It flashed while she talked. “You do look great, Cal! I’m back from Shadowcroft. I can’t believe I missed all the action.”

“Didn’t miss much,” Cal said, sipping his coffee.

Both Connie and Gina laughed.

The old lay fridge wished him well. “Have fun at the party! This is so great. And I thought I was going back to the Tree of Souls, but nope, the special consultant offered me this job. Tell him hi for me!”

Cal laughed. “I will, Gina. Stay cool.”

“You know it!”

Before he left, Cal patted Daphne’s faucet and gave Fullgeers a few friendly pats. Then he took his coffee out and down the main staircase, which would always have a special place in his heart now.

He made his way down to the fifth subbasement. The party committee had decorated the whole place. There were streamers and congratulations ribbons everywhere. On the walls hung the new org chart, blurred with magic, so no one could read it.

Once the executive team made the big announcement, the blurring magic would be removed.

Cal tapped his Ruby Staff in nervous excitement. While it had taken several apocalypses, he and Audit Team Six had earned their place at DUDE. They were liked and respected. He figured that Amorfo would join up with Team Six, rounding out the crew, and though there would be an adjustment period, they would be just fine.

Inke had three new recruits, fresh out of their dungeon academies, to create a new Audit Team One. That was exciting. The young dungeon cores would bring new life to the teams.

Cal walked into the fifth-floor’s former inner sanctum, and it was now a banquet hall, with round decorated tables below a central stage, where the executives were mingling. Buffet tables lined both walls. Behind a bar that looked suspiciously like the setup at the Unhappy Hour, stood everyone’s favorite receptionist turned bartender, Kelly Ryan.

She was as beautiful and snooty as she had been, but no one seemed to mind, and her tip jar overflowed. It was going to be a good night for Inke.

Speaking of which, the tattoo troll stood at table nearby with his Inkmages— Naravvo, Zollie, and Chrizz. They all drank bottles of Trolle Holle cider.

Two days in the rock polisher had made Inke’s guardian form’s skin glow. He looked like he’d been at a spa, and not the horrible kind.

Inke lifted a bottle to toast Cal.

Cal waved. He still couldn’t believe that Maya Daya had infiltrated the Department, and no one knew. The Mind’s Eye was a bit less mysterious though. Or had the whole silverware thing been a joke? It did kind of feel like a bit. At the same time, Maya Daya had seemed legitimately upset about the threeks.

The words—CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!—sparkled in the air above them. So far, the place smelled lightly of lavender, which Cal didn’t like, but it wasn’t stifling. It actually kind of smelled good. But it was also a dig. Barb had cursed Cal with a lavender stink after the incident with Otis.

Speaking of which, Otis was there! Along with Mimi!

When they saw Cal, they stood, and soon the entire room rose to their feet and cheered. Those dungeon cores weren’t the only people who’d come to celebrate. Johnny Applebottom was there, as was Mistress Night—a.k.a. Evelyn Bloodworth—a new vampire dungeon core. They both waved at Cal.

Cal waved back.

One person clapped softly, but that one person was more important than anyone. Bonaventure Brown had come, and he was up there with the executives, smiling at Cal.

Cal was a bit surprised that the Divine Auditor himself, at least the one in this reality, was in attendance. The elven accountant’s heart swelled with happiness.

These people were applauding him. He’d spent his whole life watching audience adore his siblings. Now he was getting a little adoration.

It felt good.