Daniel started to speak but Madi quickly stepped on his foot.

“We would of course listen to a request for the head of the Guild,” Madi said slyly. “But whether the [Hero] deems it worth his time is another thing. While we are members of the Guild, precedent dictates the [Hero] and his party are free from the restraints of politics and required memberships.”

Pritus nodded and gestured for them to sit. She glided around the table and sat in the same seat she’d been in when they arrived. “Of course, the [Hero] is not to be tethered by any power. He is to be free to receive any and all invitations and requests, is he not?”

Orrin squirmed in his seat. He knew Silas had been gate-keeping all the fan mail sent to Daniel. Now he wondered how many real requests for help had been sent to the [Hero]. It wasn’t like Daniel could actually do anything about them all, but it still galled Orrin to think of keeping Silas in charge of that.

Daniel slumped in his seat. “Ok. This back and forth you two have going is getting annoying. Can you just tell me what it is you want?”

Madi closed her eyes in frustration, while Pritus smiled.

“Over dinner,” the Guildmaster said with a glint in her eye and picked up a bell. With a flick of her wrist and a tinkle in the air, two servers, or more likely Guild members, entered the room and poured wine.

Another woman entered and stood at the side of the table. She began to recite a list of possible options to eat.

“Can I just see a menu?” Daniel asked.

The woman stopped speaking and raised an eyebrow. “Would you like me to write it all down for you?”

Orrin leaned forward. “That won’t be necessary. He’ll have the chicken and roast potatoes. I’ll have the same. Madi?”

Madi hid her mouth behind her hand as she turned. Orrin didn’t see what was so funny until Pritus spoke.

“Does your party dictate all of your decisions?”

Daniel leaned his chair back and assumed his normal air of being too cool for the room. “Orrin usually knows what I like to eat. I trust his judgment.”

Madi and Pritus gave their orders too and the servers left. Daniel picked up his wine and swirled it around the glass. He sniffed it and promptly choked.

“Are you okay?” Madi quickly clapped him on the back, while Orrin took a small sniff of his own wine. The dark red liquid had a pungent smell of wood and smoke. It burned his nose.

“That’s not wine, is it?” Daniel got out between gasps. “It smells like my dad’s whiskey.”

“It’s a dwarven drofka. They drink it like wine, but it does have more resemblance to a whiskey.” Pritus picked up her glass and took a sip. “I apologize if it is too much for you.”

Orrin groaned internally, hoping Daniel wouldn’t take the bait.

He did. While they chatted about inconsequential things like how Pritus had gotten this particular vintage from a trader for next to nothing or the rebuilding of the parts of the city destroyed by the monster that Wendeln had let loose, the food was delivered.

Orrin had to spend the next thirty minutes quietly casting [Remetabolize] on Daniel after he finished glass after glass of the dwarven “wine.” His friend drank three glasses before Madi pushed the glass pointedly away from him.

Orrin tried a sip but didn’t like the taste. The chicken was delicious, though.

Daniel put his fork down. “This has been nice, but why not just ask your question in a letter?”

Pritus shook her head amused. “Is he always so…”

“Blunt?” Orrin volunteered.

“Focused,” Madi said at the same time.

The Guildmaster looked between the three of them carefully. “Daniel, if I paid gold, could I place a member in your party?”

“How much gold are we talking about?” Daniel winked at her. “For just a day? Do you need some monster killed?”

Pritus shook her head. “No, for good. Someone I trust, placed near you so you always know my thoughts on an issue. You’ll be free to make any choice on matters, but this way you would know the best path forward for the Guild. Any amount you name.”

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Madi made a noise as she started to say something but Daniel gave her a look and shook his head.

“If you pay, my party and I will take on quests for you,” Daniel started. “We would also take along someone for those missions. But to what you are actually asking, no. I can’t trust anyone who would pay to be near me. I’m not for sale.”

Pritus stared at him like a bug beneath a magnifying glass for a moment. Then she laughed and clapped her hands. Her entire demeanor of aloof and calculating disappeared and in its place was excitement and fierce intelligence. “Good. Good. You are an actual party and not some mechanism crafted by the lords.” She stood up and walked to her desk, moving books in a very precise manner. “I am sorry to test you all like that. Madeline, I’m trusting you as a member of the [Hero]’s party to not betray anything I’m about to tell you. Or that I can be more than a ‘cold, emotionless statue of a woman.’ I have a reputation to protect.”

Madi choked on a piece of her vegetables and looked startled. Orrin guessed Silas must have described Pritus as such.

The Guildmaster lifted books and placed them on stacks, clearing her desk. Orrin and Daniel came near, while Madi lingered behind them.

“I received this report this morning. To be honest, I didn’t care one way or the other that a [Hero] was found. Most of you end up dead, captured, or disappear. But I do know that you always are stronger than the average adventurer.”

Pritus moved the last papers and Orrin saw the top of her desk. It had been carved and inlaid with a glistening metal design that took him a minute to make out. “It’s a map.”

“Yes. Of course, but here. This is where I want you to go,” Pritus moved her finger north of the city. By Orrin’s quick calculation, she was pointing nearly eighty miles north and a little over half the distance to the Elven forest.

“Why?” Daniel glanced at the map but mostly watched Pritus. “What’s there?”

Pritus smiled. “A new dungeon.”

“New dungeons are the domain of the Tarris family,” Madi said, stepping around the boys and looking closer at the map. “We can inform them and-“

“No.” Pritus cut Madi off. “Until I’ve completed my own audit of the other lords, the Guild will not trust dungeon subjugation to anyone else. The recent betrayal and ongoing hostilities to the north are too large a powder keg. Truly, I was about to dispatch my own team when I had another idea.”

She turned to Daniel. “Is it true that a [Hero] receives twice the power per stat?”

Daniel backed away from the intense stare. “Um. I’m not sure I want to answer your questions about my class.”

Pritus nodded. “So it’s true. Has your party informed you what happens when you defeat a dungeon?”

Orrin knew. They’d completed their research on dungeons before vising the Aqua Chambers. Extra stats.

“I know once the core of the dungeon is crushed, the party gets a set number of stat points to a random one. Is there more?” Daniel asked.

“That’s the gist.” Pritus waved her hand. “But since one point in anything would be worth more to you than anyone else, I thought I would give you the chance first. It’s a newly spawned dungeon. The outbreak was contained by members of the Guild out on patrol. Nothing more than level three appeared. Based on the statistics of dungeon growth, that means only one deca-set.” She paused. “Ten levels with one boss. Any party at level twenty could take it out in a week.”

“And you are going to give it to us out of the goodness of your heart?” Madi asked incredulously. She crossed her arms and glared.

“Of course not. In return, the [Hero] will agree to take on an agreed-upon number of quests for the Guild. I’d also like to fill out the other two members of your party for the subjugation.”

Madi narrowed her eyes. “So that they can report back all of Daniel’s skills to you.”

Pritus smiled. “Naturally. I mean no harm in wanting to know the pieces on the board and their power. I can be a great ally in the coming months. Surely, you don’t think Odrana is done. They made a move on Dey. Dey is the Guild. They’ve done everything but actually declare war on us.”

Orrin wanted to hit himself. He knew that Wendeln was working with Odrana. He knew Odrana was fighting with the elves. He just didn’t realize that by subverting a lord of Dey, they obviously would make a play for power here as well.

Madi lifted her chin. “All the ambassadors from Odrana have given great assurances that Wendeln acted in his own interest and the country has no desire to provoke war.”

Pritus frowned. “And here I was beginning to think you were more intelligent. It doesn’t matter what they say. Wendeln’s attack of the city was an act of war. The Guild will have to answer. At the least, we will be sending teams out to watch the borders and respond accordingly.”

Orrin realized Pritus hadn’t been filled in on who actually released the monster. “Uhm, excuse me.”

Pritus and Madi turned as one.

“I think you might be operating under some false data. Wendeln’s son did summon the monster, but I accidentally made him lose control of it. That’s why it attacked. I don’t know if Wendeln meant to attack the city in any way. He just talked about the elves and the power they have. He seemed to just be trying to kidnap Daniel.” Orrin explained, his thoughts tumbling out on top of each other.

Pritus held up a finger and grabbed a notebook off a stand. She turned pages and then began to write. After a minute of scribbles, she set the pages back down on the same spot. “That indeed is something I did not know. That makes my concerns of an imminent invasion less likely but there is still enough for me to know the new Sanerris pup is set for domination of all the lands of enlightened races.”

“Who’s that?” Daniel asked.

“The leader of Odrana,” Orrin answered before the others. “He’s the one who started the war with the elves after he took over power from his mom.”

Pritus quirked an eye. “Where did you say your village was?”

Orrin smiled. “I didn’t. But you still haven’t told us why we should trust you and defeat a dungeon for you.”

Pritus narrowed her eyes as she watched Orrin. He almost put up [Mind Bastion]. Finally, she answered his question. “With the Guild taking over subjugation for the foreseeable future, we’ll be able to help the [Hero] boost his stats. Something I assume he’ll need to stop the war.”

“And why would he want to stop the war?” Madi asked. Too quickly.

The Guildmaster smiled. “Why else would a [Hero] be here? The timing is too appropriate. The simplest answer is usually the correct one.” She turned to Daniel. “So, Daniel… what do you say? Should I arrange for you to get stronger?”