It wasn't like Arc wasn't interested in his own origin, it's just that he didn't have any leads. It was highly likely that he was summoned by magic alongside the other minions, anyways. But for Kat, he did have a lead... Kat's figurine.

The figurine had a loop and a string on the back, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a medallion. The string looked like it'd be a tight fit around the neck of one of the giants that lived on the surface, though.

Incidentally, Arc had asked about the woman in the figurine. {Mother.} "Your mother?" {No...} "Hmm... That would have been too easy, huh?"

Like Arc, Kat had no clear memories from before the Awakening. She had even once tried to use Power to recover them, but had only come up with vague feelings. {Long time: lonely, restless, longing. Brief fear, determination, severance. Falling, drifting, settling... Awakening. Arc knows the rest.}

Arc was concerned about pushing Kat too far into something that might be uncomfortable for her, so he left the issue at that. It seemed that in order to take the next step, he'd have to take an expedition to the surface himself.

But Arc hadn't been to the surface since that one time with Kat; he knew he needed some help. Scrooge always brought the best loot back on raids, but he was closely associated with the dreaded Pantimus. So Arc hatched a plan to make sure his minion's submission instincts wouldn't get in the way.

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Scrooge ran silently along the tunnel. His skin was blackened by charcoal-and-spore-based paint, the sounds of his movements dulled by black rat fur. His minion-flint dagger, pounded from a whole large crystal, was naturally a blackish color. But although this seemed cunning, it was instinctual at best. In truth, he just liked black.

Not as much as he liked blingies, though. And he'd heard that a runt had filched some yellowblingies, yet not turned it over to him as according to the rules. Nobody could take his blingies except for the Chief, those were the rules, and everyone knew them.

But minions were forgetful creatures, and sometimes, they needed to be reminded what happens to those who don't follow the rules. Like the runt currently hiding out in Master's shrine room. No doubt that weakling would take the runt's side, he'd need a lesson himself next time he left Master's sight...

Master probably wouldn't care about the runt, but just to be safe he'd offer to bring two new blingies for each one the runt had. Well, maybe he'd bring a bit less than that... Master can't count, right? After all, Master doesn't have any fingers to count with. Maybe that's why Master kept the weakling around? The weakling looked like he'd be good at counting.

Scrooge arrived at the shrine, and stepped inside cautiously. He wasn't one of those rattykin's fanatics, but he knew the Chief wouldn't stand for any disrespect towards Master.

Now, where was that runt hiding? Scrooge couldn't see him, but he knew the weakling had a really good hiding spot in here somewhere... *clunk* A sound startled him, but it was just one of the weakling's contraptions. What was their point, anyways? There didn't seem to be any place to put someone in them...

"What are you doing here, Scrooge?" He turned around, and saw the weakling was suddenly behind him, as if he'd stepped out of a rock. "Weakling runt hidewhere?" Scrooge grinned and brandished his dagger; the weakling must be as dumb as he looks.

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But the weakling wore an arrogant expression as he cleared his throat. "The only runt here is you," "Oioi, wea-" "you've been embezzling the loot from the surface, haven't you?" ...This weakling had done it now. Not even Master was going to save him this time. Scrooge leapt -

*BANG*

- and was immediately thrown backwards by a flash of light. {Master is very disappointed in Scrooge.} This was bad. Masters generally only used names when showing favor or delivering punishment. It was clear which one it was this time.

"I know where all your hidden stashes are. Even the one in the third tunnel past the spawning pit, behind the loose brick on the right-hand side." Scrooge was stunned. Of all his many hiding places, that was the one he'd considered the safest. He quickly turned and prostrated towards Master's resting place.

"Please Master, Spare Me! Scrooge Be Good Minion, Give All To Master!" His brain was in overdrive, coming up with the fanciest words it could think of, in the hopes of saving his hide. {Mmm, Hmm... What does Arc think? Should Kat punish naughty minion?} Scrooge couldn't help but whimper at the thought. "Well, I think we could let it slide once..."

Scrooge immediately crawled over to Arc and started kissing his feet. "Boss! Boss max thanken!" Scrooge got kicked in the face for his efforts. But that was fitting behavior for a boss, just like boss' look of utter disdain for him.

"Um... Why- Why don't you go gather an offering for Ka- err, Master, or something?" Scrooge jumped to it. "Yes Boss! Quickright getten!" And then he ran off.

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{...Bwahahahahaha! Arc's face, so funny!} Arc took deep breaths. He was prepared to be threatened this time, but not worshipped! And to think, Kat actually enjoys that? He was just glad that Scrooge hadn't noticed the sheer horror plastered across Arc's visage. Or the fear before that, for that matter.

That bit about him finding Scrooge's stashes had been a lie, by the way. Kat knew where everything important in her dungeon was at all times; she just didn't care where the minions left her treasure. After all, she could order Arc to go retrieve it at any time.

That particular cache was chosen for two reasons: First, it held the highest ratio of gold to silver. Second, it was one of the few which were actually well-hidden. The most popular hiding spot was actually inside large mud-and-mucus pots that a few minions made obsessively.

The efforts of the "Crackpots" had managed to put two or three ugly, misshapen vessels in nearly every tunnel, and the minions used them to store practically anything. Sometimes even roasted rat meat preserved in a mucus-mud mixture that looked almost like gravy.

Arc walked over to the burnt spot on the floor. Originally, Kat was going to instill fear directly with her power, but Arc thought that was wasteful and made it 'Plan B'. After all, saltpeter was easy to find in a sewer, and the minions frequently stole charcoal from the surface... The hard part was getting sulfur; Arc had to make do with pyrite from the mining section.

Kat still used power to make a spark, but the sight of the startled minion jumping backwards like a cat was enough to make Arc feel like he'd accomplished something.

In the end, Scrooge had turned out to be no more than a cowardly snitch, hadn't he? Arc had no worries about instinctively fearing him again in the future.