Having finished our meal, we made our way back to the room we had been using for the meeting. It didn’t take but a few minutes to navigate the now familiar tunnels.

There was still about twenty minutes before the meeting resumed, but some of the applicants had already returned and were waiting for us. Hartwin, Dan, and Johan were engaged in conversation, though I couldn’t make out what they were saying from this distance. Dan and Johan seemed to be enjoying whatever it was they were discussing, while Hartwin wore a somewhat dour expression. Poor kid. From the looks of it, he had tried joining the conversation, only to be ignored, but when he tried to keep to himself, the other two pulled him back in. Dan and Johan probably thought they were being nice to Hartwin, but it was actually the opposite. For a socially inept, meek guy like Hartwin, this was practically torture.

“Yo! I see you guys got done early,” I commented. “Since we don’t need the others for this, do you want to go ahead and finish up the interviews while we wait for everyone else to get back?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Dan assented.

“Sounds good to me!” Johan smiled.

“Y-yes,” stammered Hartwin.

I clapped my hands together. “Alright then, Dan, let’s start with you.”

“Got it, boss,” he said.

“I’m not your boss,” I promptly denied.

“Got it, chief.” I could see him smirking in my peripheral vision.

I heard a sound that could only be Lloyd slapping his palm against his forehead in exasperation. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly to myself. It would be a shame if we just let Dan go. If I wasn’t so dead set on Johan…

Suddenly, I had a revelation. Of course, can’t we just hire both of them? It was a brilliant solution precisely because it was so simple. I turned to Lloyd, who shook his head. Shot down already!? “I didn’t even ask anything yet,” I whined.

Lloyd leaned over to whisper in my ear. “You wanted to hire both Johan and Dan, right? Not happening. It might be a good idea for now, but we need to keep the team as small as possible, and having overlapping roles will lead to issues down the line. Plus, we’re a group of thieves, we’re trying to avoid direct confrontations, remember?” He had a point, as much as didn’t want to admit it. I just responded with a few mumbled words of agreement. So cruel…

Dan’s interview went fairly smoothly. He was exactly what we had been looking for in a front-line fighter who focused on raw physical strength. He had experience out in the field, communicated with his teammates, and understood what his role in our team would be. He had the social skills to get along with pretty much anyone to boot. The only reason he wasn’t my topic pick was that Johan’s potential was just too absurd to waste. That’s what my gut was screaming at me, anyways.

As for his motivations, it was mix of several factors; he was curious about the new guys Cadius had trusted so much, he wanted money, and he figured that whatever we did, it would be exciting.

With the interview wrapped up, we sent him off after telling him to send over Johan. A few moments later, a reddish-brown haired kid approached us with a beaming smile.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I asked Johan, bumping fists with him. I’d yet to see the kid in a bad mood. Was he naïve, or was his personality just that upbeat? It probably wasn’t the former, seeing as how his record had said he wasn’t a native of the Rizu, the midpoint between the physical realm and the afterlife.

Lloyd had explained to me that, according to the research he had done, the reason some souls choose to reside in the Rizu rather than the afterlife has a lot to do with the emotions present at the time of one’s death. A person who dies while feeling a strong sense regret or frustration will refuse to move on to the afterlife, and instead live in the Rizu. Where they revived also had something to do with their character.

Johan had died at a young age, filled with regret, frustration, or some other emotion that denied or rebelled against the circumstances or situation surrounding his death. I had rejected the notion that he was naïve for this reason. It was hard to believe that he could remain a fool even after experiencing such a potent sense indignation.

Johan was just a kid, barely sixteen, but he acted more like a young adult than a teen. Perhaps it was the trauma of dying and having to live in a strange land with no one to help him. If so, he’d have to grow up fast to survive. Whatever the reason, he seemed to be doing pretty well for himself now.

“I’m doing just fine, thanks for asking,” Johan smiled. “So, what’d you wanna ask me? Fire away.”

“Got it. Lloyd and I just want to know a bit more about what kind of person you are. We’d prefer teammates we could get along with, as opposed to just coworkers.” Johan nodded in understanding. “With that said, I was wondering why you were looking to join with us. What is it that you wanted to get out of all this?” I asked.

Johan folded his arms and shut his eyes, considering how we was going to convey his thoughts. “Hmmm… If I had to say, it was because of a hunch,” he supposed.

“Oh?” I mumbled in approval. Once again, I didn’t even have to direct any of my senses towards Lloyd to know what his reaction would be.

I was about to move on to the next question when Lloyd interrupted. “Can you elaborate? What kind of hunch was it?” Shush, Lloyd! A man’s hunch is his sacred property, he shouldn’t be forced to explain it.

I tried to elbow Lloyd, but he casually blocked my strike with the shadow he had wrapped around his wrist. He didn’t even have to lift a finger to do it either, the bastard.

“Well…” Johan began. “I just get the feeling that… that it’s just the right thing to do. Not like, morally, but just a really good decision. I’m sorry, I know that doesn’t explain very much.” He rubbed at the back of his head in apology.

Lloyd began to say something, but I cut him off before he could ask another rude question. “Ah, no, I understand exactly what you’re saying. I’m pretty much the same way,” I nodded sagely.

We moved on to the other questions. To summarize our exchange, he was both humble and realistic. The jovial air about him put his allies at ease and made enemies lower their guard. When I asked him if he was interested in staying with the team for the foreseeable future, he replied with enthusiastic agreement.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

When we had finished with our questions and sent Johan back, I saw that everyone had returned. I watched as Johan approached Hartwin and slapped the Ratatoskr on the back, laugh, and saying something to him. Hartwin’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he coughed a few times. After recovering from the assault, he stood up and made his way over to us.

Hartwin was a male Ratatoskr in his early twenties. He had dark grey-blue fur and wore a pair of black, tattered, patchwork pants and rust-red half-plate armor including bracers, a section of armor hanging from his belt to protect the area just below his waist, greaves, and a sort of leather skirt protecting the upper half of his legs. He had been the only one to show up wearing his equipment. Everyone else had dressed in casual wear, or the equivalent. His bright crimson eyes avoided meeting mine; he was probably too nervous to do so. I spotted his fuzzed tail twitching infrequently.

“Thanks for coming, Hartwin,” I offered my hand. He hesitated a moment before he took it. Is he so nervous that he hadn’t immediately recognized I was offering to shake hands? Oh boy.

Even though he acted like he’d flee at the first sign of danger, the fact that he had a set of well-maintained armor meant that he had a source of reliable income. His records showed that when he did get hired for a job, he always performed adequately. No substantive complaints had been filed against him. Though, there were a few brief notes from teammates or clients admonishing him for his meek demeanor.

To put it bluntly, he had low self-confidence and scared easily. But when it came down to it, he didn’t run or falter.

After exchanging a few comments to lighten the mood, I began the interview proper. Hartwin awkwardly stumbled his way through the basic questions meant to ease him into the tougher ones. I was starting to feel bad for him, Hartwin was the ideal target for bullies.

Then came the first big question. Why did he want to join?

“Well, sir, I-uh… you were looking for someone to help protect the team during a fight, c-correct?” stammered Hartwin. I nodded. He continued. “Well, I usually can only get jobs that need tough fighters. I’m not that strong, so it’s difficult to find clients who don’t mind that. When I saw y-you were looking for a… a ‘sentinel’ you called it? I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was as if it was a position just for me. I know that I won’t get hired just because I’m the only one that showed up for the position, but I hope I can prove my worth somehow!” he shouted that last sentence.

“It’s al-” I had started before being cut off by Lloyd.

“Hartwin,” Lloyd said flatly. Hartwin stopped his fidgeting to stare at Lloyd. “Don’t worry, soon you’ll have the opportunity to prove yourself.”

“Oi, Lloyd,” I admonished.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Lloyd waved dismissively. “Hartwin, we’ve already resolved to hire you, but we need to see everyone in action before we can announce our decisions.” Hartwin’s eyes started sparkling, his mouth curving into a wide smile. He was clearly over the moon with relief and joy. Lloyd continued. “Are you aware of the Day of Thieves festival? To be more specific, do you know of the Heist Game played every year during the festival?”

“Of course! … sir!” Hartwin exclaimed. Lloyd let the words hang in the air. “Oh!” There we go. “I’m not sure how much I’ll get to do there. I’m basically useless in the third round…” he trailed off.

I inserted myself back into the conversation, giving Hartwin a few much needed words of encouragement. “We aren’t judging you on how far you get, we just want to see how you handle different kinds of situations. There’s no pressure to overachieve, just do your best.”

He stared at me for a moment before clenching his jaw and nodding fiercely, a determined look in his eyes. He stood; his whole demeanor changed. Suddenly, he radiated an aura of confidence. Is this a peek at what a future-Hartwin could be like? “I won’t disappoint you, sirs!” Hartwin declared.

“Understood,” said Lloyd. “Now, can you rejoin the others? It’s time for our announcement. Ah, and please don’t yet share the fact that we are planning on having the candidates join this year’s Heist Game.”

----------------------------------------

Lloyd and I stood before the six candidates. Falur had claimed the entirety of a couch. Roska sat on the arm of the chair Dan occupied, running her hands through her fur. Johan was pestering Gino, poking him in the arm, attempting to elicit a response to no avail. Hartwin walked over and stood behind and off to the side of the group, his earlier confidence having abandoned him at some point in the short distance between here and where we had been interviewing him.

I had expected that I would have needed to get their attention, but as soon as we approached, everyone settled down and all eyes were on us. I felt a pang of anxiety at the thought, dispelling it with a deep breath in, and out.

“Alrighty, now, you must be wondering, ‘What next?’ Well, please take a look at this,” I said, taking out the Thieves Day poster. I observed the group. Roska looked to be the first to figure it out, taking only a few seconds to do so. She gave me a curious look, one eyebrow raised. A few moments later, Johan smiled with anticipation. I waited to see if anyone else would react. Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, I would have to explain it to them.

…Wait. Why do I have to be the one to it?

“Lloyd, if you would,” I beckoned. I turned my head, only to be met with a smile that belied his seething aura.

“Of course,” he hissed through a smile.

“I’m sure everyone is familiar with the Day of Thieves festival, correct?” The six nodded affirmation. “And you know of the Heist Game that is played annually?” Again, six heads nodded. “We ask that you participate in this year’s Heist Game. That way we can judge whether or not you are a good fit for the team. Additionally, the Heist Game is an excellent way to gain experience in working as a team, as it is a, relatively, safe and controlled environment.”

Lloyd paused, having noticed someone looking a bit confused. Johan spoke up. “What are we being judged on? Is it how much we contribute? Or are we expected to make it to a certain round?”

I shook my head. “No, we are doing this because we want to see for ourselves how you work in a team setting when faced with different situations and challenges.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense,” said Johan.

I heard Gino grumble to himself, dissatisfied with the arrangement. I ignored him, though. It would only serve to aggravate him if I called him out or tried to reassure him.

Falur was smirking. I got the impression that he was looking forward to participating.

“On that note,” I began, “I’ll go ahead and announce the team assignments for the first and second rounds. The first team, my team, will include Roska, Gino, and Hartwin.”

“And I’ll be in charge of Falur, Johan, and Dan,” followed Lloyd.

There were nods all around.

“Alright, so, I suggest we just meet up on the day of and-” I was interrupted by Lloyd smacking me in the back of the head. “Oi!” I barked.

“Just ignore him,” Lloyd stated flatly. “So, as I was about to say, we’ll meet here first thing in the morning on the day of the festival. Once we’re all here, we’ll go register for the Heist Game as two teams. Any questions?”

“Why did you steal my lines?” I growled. That earned me another fist to the back of my head.

“So, uh,” Johan spoke up. “Are we not going to practice beforehand?” he asked.

“No, we want to see how well you can adapt, so practicing would defeat the purpose,” Lloyd answered.

There was a pregnant pause, waiting for more questions. None came, so I gave my closing remarks.

“Well, everyone. Thank you for coming today. I know this might be a strange thing to say, but don’t forget, the Heist Game is just that, a game. If you’re not having fun, then it’s not a game.” I winked.

Not everyone left all at once, there was some idle chatter and parting words.

I turned to Lloyd. “I think that went well,” I said.

He raised an open and, and I tensed, covering my head. But much to my surprise and pain, he made a fist and punched me in the gut. Mind you, it wasn’t a serious punch, it didn’t have much force behind it, but a gut-punch still freaking hurts.

I doubled over, clutching my stomach. “Love you too,” I groaned, looking up and smiling at Lloyd.

Hm. Is it just me, or is he getting a bit more violent recently? Or have I just been that much more of a headache than usual?

…

It’s definitely the latter.

More responsibilities, more things to do, meant more chances to increase Lloyd’s workload. Now, that I’ve done plenty of. Twice now I’ve skipped study nights to go read in some remote corner of the city, both above and below ground. Both times I had my lunch taken as punishment.

I don’t regret it though. I need my me-time, even if I have to make sacrifices.