Heathcliff, Richard, Esteban, and Julia converge in front of the door leading outside. The quartet sees that Tim and Emily are approached by Jay.

Heathcliff expresses concern for the dungeon avatara and his squire, but Esteban has an idea to turn it to their advantage.

“Richard,” Esteban says, “Can you have your sister help distract Jay?”

“Huh?”

“A dungeon may be omniscient to all within their halls, but that omniscience wanes while using an avatara, cher,” Heathcliff says. “And we all know Jay loves to use one during his parties. If we can keep him distracted, it would make our job easier.”

Richard begins to understand and rushes to the buffet. There he sees Sarah still voraciously consuming food and the look of horror on the nearby partygoers’ faces.

“By Astra,” one Elegeo says. “Was she born with a bottomless pit for a stomach?”

“Jay will have to revise the all-you-can-eat policy after this,” an empyrean sardonically notes.

“With such a gluttonous appetite, one man sneers, “You’d be almost forgiven for thinking she hadn’t eaten in decades, almost.”

Richard comes to Sarah and gestures to her to come here. The dwarf, having had her fill of food cleans up after herself and walks to her brother.

“At least she possesses some manners,” the man sneers behind her back. Sarah ignores the elite man’s barb.

“Yes, brother?” Sarah whispers.

Richard gestures to Emily and Tim talking to Jay. “Can you help them with Jay over there?”. The dark-skinned dwarf understands and nods. She walks over to them while Richard heads back to Heathcliff’s group.

“Okay,” Richard says. “Sarah will help distract him.”

The four exist the party discreetly and begin their small quest for Esteban’s objective.

✦✦✦

Esteban’s group sneaks over the tower avoiding the patrolling Cells and security guardmen under his and Heathcliff’s guidance. They make their way towards a gallery, lined with exquisite paintings and artifacts.

Richard is surprised at the lack of security there. “What the why are there no guards here?” he whispered.

“It’s a decoy,” Julia says.

“A decoy?” Richard says.

“You know how some crypts have rooms that are either empty or filled with fake treasures,” Heathcliff whispers

Richard nods.

“Same principle,” Heathcliff says. He considers taking some inspiration from this for Emily’s layout.

The group sneaks around the false gallery, passing counterfeit replicas of famous artworks and jewelry. “Why would he go to such lengths?” Richard says.

“Ol’ Jay may be rich, but that doesn't mean he owns everything in this tower,” Heathcliff says.

“Quite,” Esteban says. “Part of his claim to fame is his security, few adventurers can plunder anything from the tower. As such many people trust him to safeguard their items, especially those who have gotten them from illicit means.”

“The Empyreans don’t like that part of his reputation,” Heathcliff says. “Some even tried to go after his core to control or eliminate him. Either to reclaim their stolen works or to steal everything else.”

“Then why are we here?” Richard says with a sense of fear.

“While the artwork is valuable,” Esteban says. “The objective is information on some of their sources. The Vorhees Gang specifically.”

“The Vorhees Gang?” Richard says. “Those are the dream eaters right?”

“Indeed,” Julia says. “My old acceptances often made contact with them. Though in most cases the rumors of them stealing dreams is less literal than it appears.”

Richard looks at Esteban and sees something in his eyes, a look of determination, hurt, and sadness. As if Esteban had lost something or someone to the Vorhees Gang.

They exit the fake gallery and find another hallway.

✦✦✦

A while later, they find the room they are looking for, a seemingly unguarded office. They check the room for any patroller. While Heathcliff tries to recall any potential hiding spots.

They see that there are no guards present.

“Typical,” Heathcliff says. “Jay tends to underestimate the information he receives from his clients.”

They enter the office and surveil the file cabinets. While Esteban looks over the files. Julia looks at Heathcliff. “You know I have been thinking of something.”

“Oui?” Heathcliff says.

“How did you come across that knave of yours?” Julia says.

“Tim?” Heathcliff says with a laugh. “I went for a drive one day and found a stowaway from Fairborough. He seems too well-dressed to be one of the smallfolk and he claims he sought me out to find a way to get stronger.”

“Stronger?” Julia says. “For what purpose?”

“He says he wants to prove himself to his brother, a prince,” Heathcliff says. “Claims to be having nightmares about the small duchy’s clash with the neighboring Sigurtein. I tried to push him away at first, but the would-be princeling insisted I took him with him.”

“He does seem like the persistent fellow,” Richard says. “But why would he be having dreams like that?”

“Who knows?” Heathcliff says. “It’s commonly said that recurring dreams are messages from the administrators, but the thing is that they tend to be for Messengers and Tim didn’t strike me as one.”

“Even though he uses Far Eastern arts?” Richard says.

“You can be rather presumptuous, you know,” Esteban says.

“I did some digging into that,” Heathcliff says. “Turns out his mother came from Jiang-Hu and had known several martial artists from the nation.”

“Do you have any idea what the rogues had gone through to obtain that knowledge?” Esteban says.

“I can only fathom what you had to give up, mon ami,” Heathcliff says. “I hope helping you bust the Vorhees can help make up for that.”

Esteban sees a peculiar founder, with a photograph of a man taped to it. The black-and-white image depicts a deathly pale man with dark hair, a refined outfit, and a rapier. A village that Esteban remembers vividly. He recalls a fire breaking out in his childhood home and seeing that man in the center of it all. “This is the one,” he thinks. He takes the folder out and places it on a nearby desk. He then takes out his notebook while Julia uses her assassin skills to ambush a patrolling Cell and kill it before it notices the intruders.

Esteban writes down various details including that the man had a wife who also carries a high ranking in the gang, as well as his very name; Vladimir Draconis. He also writes down information pertaining to the Vorhees network in both the surface and the Underground as well as supply chains of stolen loot and recent murders of adventurers and abductions of Witches in the Underground. He places the folder back in the cabinet. And the group begins to leave.

As they do, Richard stumbles and bumps into a potted vase, causing it to fall from its podium and break. The sound causes an alarm to trip and causes the golden hallways to be bathed in crimson light.

✦✦✦

Esteban’s group realizes that the dungeon will notice their presence if something is not done soon. Heathcliff has an idea. “Did Jay change the location of the ‘shrine’?”

“Fifty-second floor,” Esteban says. “Two doors to the right, three to the left, and then at the far end.” He then hands the knight a spray bottle of mist.

“Try to get out of here,” Heathcliff says. “I gots an idea.” He rushes towards the new destination while Esteban, Julia, and Richard escape. Esteban uses his powers to make the three invisible.

Heathcliff sneaks past several cells and guards, knocking out a few with his shield until he makes his way to the fifty-second floor. “Two doors to the right, then three to the left,” he thinks. He follows the directions until he sees a long corridor.

Heathcliff takes out Esteban’s bottle and sprays it around the hall revealing lines of red light all over the corridor. He moves towards the edge, avoiding the light then breaks open the door. There he sees the portrait of a woman, as well as several items, the centermost one being a necklace contained in a glass case. The knight takes his shield and breaks the glass, stealing the necklace. “This will get the heat off them,” he says.

✦✦✦

Esteban, Julia, and Richard sneak their way past the now-alert patrollers. Julia and Richard use their skills to take out and distract cells with distractions while they are looking for the intruders. They so see a familiar golden knight patrolling the halls.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

They eventually find and exit, an open window. Esteban had came prepared. He takes out a rope and hooks to attach to it.

While they set up the escape, Richard notices the patrollers ignoring the corridor that the three are in.

“Heathcliff’s ruse worked, vamonos!” Esteban says.

After the rope is secured, Richard and Julia scale down the tower. They land on the lower rooftops of the tower. Esteban takes the rope and jumps off the tower. He uses magic to cushion his fifty-story descent and land without injury.

After a safe landing, Esteban take the room and hook and attaches it to the side of the building, leading down towards the back.

“What now!” Esteban says, knowing that most of their fiends are still inside the tower.

“Heathcliff will evacuate them!” Esteban says while they rush towards a nearby entrance to the underground. Esteban knocks on the door. “They have watered the street,” he says. “It shines in the glare of lamps.”

The fawn at the gate immediately opens the secret passes and closes it as soon as the three enter. Richard’s disgust is subsumed by his concerned for his sister and their friends. They work they way towards the underground and through it, until they find another passageway leading back towards the surface.

✦✦✦

Heathcliff, with his stolen necklace in hand, rushes towards the nearest false gallery. There he finds the men he expected to find. Jay, surrounded by several Cells.

Jay expresses a look of disapproval as he witnesses the necklace in Heathcliff’s hands. “That was a real low blow,” the avatara says.

Heathcliff smirks. “Sorry, cher.” He tosses the necklace back to Jay who puts it in his pocket.

Jay looks at the knight. He knows something isn’t right. He knows Heathcliff wouldn't stoop as low as to steal the necklace unless something else was at play. “Tell, Crimson Hound. What was your real objective.”

“Wish I could tell you, Jay,” Heathcliff says. “But we all know that your ‘friends’ makes it a mite too risky.”

Jay is well aware of Heathcliff’s tendencies to help a friend in need, a fact he had used to his advantage a few times. The white-suited man ponders who asked for his help.

“Boss,” a guard reported, we looked at the scene of the burglary, aside from a broken pot there is no signs of intruders.”

“Was anything stolen, Jay says.

“No sir,” the man says.

“Are you absolutely certain?” Jay says. His expression furrows into a rare scowl.

“Yes, sir.”

The man sighs and turns his attention back to Heathcliff.

“We both you you have friend sin high places, and also low places,” Heathcliff says. “Some of them bigwigs who did nasty things they want swept under the rug. Others the secretive heads of the Syndicate. Others still kind, decent folk. Yet they all have you at the center.”

Jay understands. “Let him go, tell the guest that it was a false alarm.”

The cells and guardsmen disperse.

Jay looks at Heathcliff.

“Look, cher,” Heathcliff says. “We both know you are one of the most important dungeons, and the most important people in the city. Noir needs a place where people can gather regardless of class or creed. My friends and I can’t jeopardize that.”

Jay sighs. “What is going on, Heathcliff?”

“Times are changing, cher.” Heathcliff looks at the avatara with a determined look. “The winds had been blowing ever since the war, and we have to find a way to ensure people survive the coming storm.”

“You’re not normally one for such high-minded ideals, old sport,” Jay says. “Not since you left Charlemagne.”

“The outcome of that is my cross to bear,” Heathcliff says. He waks past Jay. “Say hi to Daisy for me.” He leaves Jay alone.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, Esteban, Julia, and Richard arrive back at the Black Box, there they see Sarah, Tim, Elizabeth, Minerva, and the ten young girls.

“Where’s Heathcliff?” Emily’s voice echoes to Richard. “Where did he go?” Emily was aware that Esteban and Heathcliff were plotting something at the party.

“I don’t know,” Richard says.

Esteban explains Heathcliff’s plan to Emily. “He split from us to cover our escape, leaving alone to draw Jay’s attention way,”

“He did what?” Emily asks with shock.

“Hmm, sounds like that knight is a lot more reckless than it first seemed.”

Atsuko emerges from nearby and introduces herself to everyone. “Hello, I’m Atsuko. It’s nice to meet you. A shame I couldn’t meet that dungeon master of yours.”

Tim sighs. “He was always fond of stunts like that.”

“And you didn’t stop him?” Sarah asks her brother.

“There was— I— The alarms—” Richard tries to find the right words to quell his sister’s anger.

“Should I go out and find him?” Atsuko says. “I had Hoshikage check us all out of the hotel. So don’t worry about that.”

“He knows the way back,” Esteban says. “He’s been here far too many times to lose track of places.”

“You’re not staying?” Elizabeth says.

“I want to gather my instruments first. They are very vital to microdungeon experiments. Don’t worry I’ll see you all back in Rosenkreuz.” The Teal-haired Yanese woman leaves.

Minerva looks at everyone. “I guess this means our time at Noir is at an end.”

“For now,” Elizabeth says. “As long as this extension remains we should be able to return there if necessary.”

Rose perks up upon here that. “You here that fowl villains of Noir. The Coloraturas may no longer be living in Noir, but we shall return to smite your wickedness!”

Raine’s palm is now on her face as she shakes her head.

“I should take the time to practice for the return trip,” Azalea says. The blue-haired mermaid swims around to the tubes. “It will be a breath of fresh air to see the breeze at New Virginia’s towns.”

Strelitzia sighs, Clover and Lily giggle and Anemone and Hydrangea express their confusion.

Nina turns to her mother. “Can we introduce them to the other kids, mommy?” Her face has an excited expression.

“Of course, sweetie,” Minerva says, aware that she will have to talk with Lydia about caring for the orphans.

Charlotte meanwhile wonders what to tell her mother first regarding her first visit to the city.

Emily gets the group to calm down. “It’s getting late, we should tried to head back to Rosenkreuz.”

“Right.” Elizabeth leads the others to the tubes. “Everyone please enter the pods and leave transportation to Emily.”

“I’m gonna stay here,” Esteban says. “Wait for Heathcliff.”

“I’ll take the opportunity to say goodbye to the city too,” Julia says. Know that this is not the last time she will return to Noir.

Minerva leads the Colorturas to several pods. “I must apologize,” the Arachne says. “But You might feel numb for the trip. Don’t worry it will fly by quickly!”

The magical girls bear confused expressions as the pods close and the petribeams activate, transforming them to stone, protected from the trip while Emily delivers them to their new homes.

Julia is a little surprised to see earth magic used this way. Minerva, Charlotte, Nina, Richard, and Sarah are next. They enter the pods and become petrified by the Geopshere’s magic. Their pods then embark on their course.

Last are Tim and Elizabeth. The fairy turns to Esteban and Julia. “I understand you’ll be also coming with us?”

Esteban nods. “The Rouges want me to help ensure the safety of this dungeon.”

Tim enters his pod, ignoring the conversation as his body transforms into a stone statue, and his pod is carried away.

“I look forward to working with you two. Goodbye for now,” Elizabeth says before boarding her pod.

As the last pod leaves the extension. Emily’s voice echoes Esteban with concern for Heathcliff. “You’ve known him a long time, yes?”

“Indeed,” Esteban says.

“Can you help me make sure he doesn't do something like this again?”

Esteban chuckles. “You really should have faith in the man. He’s been through hundreds of scrapes like this and came out no worse for wear.”

“I know, but still,” her voice carries a fear that things could be very different if he runs off on his own again.

“If anything happens, I’ll be there to bail him out. You have my word,” Esteban asyas.

“Thank you,” Emily says.

The three begin to wait for Heathcliff.

✦✦✦

The red-headed knight walks back to the party and sees that the rest of his group has already left. And that only a few of the guests had even noticed. Upon confirmation of that fact, he leaves Gatsby Tower.

Walking alone in the Noirian streets, he ponders upon his past. Once a paladin beloved by all, now a man who is hated by his former countrymen, accused of treachery based solely on rank. He fled Charlemagne during the tumultuous times.

He stops and gazes at several of the neon lights. Before turning his attention towards the skyline. The lit skyscrapers remind him of the capital city of Orlandopolis. The home of the paladins of the House of Roland. The peaceful calm of Noir at this hour, even with the noise of late-night shoppers and tortures surrounding him, is a far cry from the chaos of the other city.

He thinks back to the day he met the boy that would be called Timothy. He was prepared to escape via a ship, arranged by some former knights who anticipated the storm. It was there that he would shed to the identity of the Crimson Knight, Paladin of the house of Roland, and live as a humble adventurer. Yet he knows that was a reprieve. He knows that he has failed Charlemagne, and he knows that another storm will come to Liberté and all other realms of Titania.

A while later he arrives at the Black Box’s extension in Noir. There he finds Esteban and Julia.

“Took you sweet time,” Esteban says with a small smile. “Did Jay hold you up?”

“Nah,” Heathcliff says. “Just wanted to take a stroll is all. Is Emily here?”

“I’m here,” the voice of the Black Box echoes to Heathcliff. Her voice has a tinge of both anger and concern. “Whatever you had done was very dangerous!”

“Hah, Jay wouldn't hurt a fly,” Heathcliff says.

“Heathcliff!” Emily says.

“Right, sorry, cher.” Heathcliff looks around. “Are the others back?”

“Yes,” Esteban says. “The Yanese folk had helped them evacuate.”

“Good,” Heathcliff says.

Emily speaks to Esteban. “I hope that information was worth it.”

“Trust me, Emily, it is.” Esteban looks at the notes he jotted down. “I must apologize for involving you in this little war of mine.”

Esteban’s notes contained accurate recreations of the information he gleaned from the documents, including the name of the Vorhees Gang’s head, Vladimir Draconis, and several routes and details for their smuggling rings and black markets.

Julia turns to the tubes. “Perhaps we should talk about this away from Noir,” she says. “I’d love to explore the town of Rosenkreuz for a bit.”

Emily activates the tubes. Julia and Esteban board the pods and let Emily temporarily petrify them for the trip. Their pods begin the trip to the core area of the Black Box.

Heathcliff is left alone in the extension. “Things worked out in the end, right.” He gives a hearty laugh. Emily is unamused by the reckless action of the man she had made her dungeon master.

After some silence. Emily’s voice echoes to him again. “Please, don’t do anything like that again.” Her voice is akin to laughter pleading with a father who had risked his life.

“Of course, Emily,” Heathcliff says in a fatherly tone. “Bonne nuit, Emily.”

“Good night, Heathcliff,” Emily says.

Heathcliff boards his pod and prepares for the return trip to Rosenkreuz.