Devourer Class

Galahad walked into the office, expecting a massive room, filled with trinkets and expensive items one might see in a rich man's home office to show off with guests.

What he saw was nothing like he pictured it. Only one wall had a window, pointing out into the street. His desk was no bigger than the size of Galahad's bed, and a lot of shelves with paper files were lined up against every bit of the walls. The only other furniture in the office was a small rounded table and two stools that sat near the window.

The Count seemed to read Galahad's mind. "Everyone always expects lavishing workspace with expensive books and furnishing everywhere, nobody expects my job to be nothing but a busy desk job like everyone else's."

Galahad scan the room once over before responding. "I'm just surprised you have so many paper files. I figured you'd had everything converted to mana tablets by now."

"Ahh, you'd be right, except managing so many files and contracts across the kingdom might cause an overload of excess mana in the air. The last thing we'd need is a mana interference cloud around the office. The progression of work is already at a near standstill, I can't risk making it any worse."

The count sat at one of the stools by the window instead of his large desk. He looked back at Galahad and motioned him over to the table.

"But enough of my rambling on work problems, please sit." He gestured to the other chair. On the table was a plate with small cookies and a pitcher of water with glass cups.

Galahad sat and turned to face Count Gafordum, it only took a moment for his Karmic Identity to pop up above his head.

[ Swittar Gafordum ] lvl. 38

Creation Class: Scholar

Count Gafordum seemed almost slump back in his chair. A pair of wire frame glasses sat on the edge of his nose, showing how tired his eyes looked. Galahad was starting to see that time was clearly not being friendly to someone who runs an entire city.

Before he could ask any questions about why he was called to the Count's office, the man pushed the plate of cookies towards him and looked out the window.

"Magnificent, aren't they?"

"Uh yes, the cookies are quite delicious."

turned his head back and started chuckling. "I'm sorry, I meant the crystal resonance towers, but thank you for the compliment. My wife will appreciate that."

'Huh, I would have thought he'd have some private chef or something.' Galahad thought while munching on a second cookie.

"I'm sure you're aware that I didn't bring you here to discuss the dwarven tech or baked goods. I wanted to talk to you about the dungeon incident."

Galahad froze while bringing a third cookie up to his mouth. His sudden bluntness caught him off guard.

He continued despite Galahad's actions. "Venora didn't speak about what happened before she left and I didn't intend on pressing her about that."

"So you intend to press me on the incident to not offend her feelings?"

"No, what I intend to do is thank you for what you did to help save Venora, forcing information out of my daughter's savior would be disrespectful on many occasions. Besides, I do not plan on forcing you to tell me anything when I know enough."

He gestured at a pile of papers nearly half-a-foot tall on his desk.

"Your team's facilitator wrote the incident report and I have access to all local files in the guild. Your team found her and you were the one to step up and assessed the situation with seemingly very little issues."

Galahad watched him toy with a cookie between his finger and thumb.

"A man with that kind of stoic and hardened feelings in the dungeon will happily be rewarded in my book. Unless you feel you need to tell me otherwise."

Then the tone almost seemed to change with the subject. His formal tone seemed to drop just a little and some else grew in the Count's eyes.

"I found myself curious about your actions, and dug further into the guild reports listed under 'Mystroff.' I believe I found the reason why you managed to perform in such a way shortly after looking."

Galahad didn't like where this was going. He wasn't a fan of people who snooped about his personal life. He tried his best not to grimace at the next thing coming out of the count's mouth

"You think she's still down there, don't you? Missing for over a decade, but you still go down and-"

"With all due respect count," Galahad felt a very large burst of red fire wanting to be unleashed. "I don't know if bringing up my personal matters is truly relevant to the incident. There is very little I share with friends or even just acquaintances about what happened back then." Galahad's tone became very short for the intrusion on why he kept going in the dungeon.

Gafordum seemed unfazed by that statement, he simply nodded and changed the subject. "I understand, I dare say I was only commenting on your commitment and actions. Which brings up my next point."

He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a small maroon envelope, the same color as the invitation Galahad received. On the fold of the envelope was a wax seal with a rune imprinted to the wax.

"I have known many men and women with your kind of commitment. I have learned to acknowledge that kind of character in people. The result is everyone will certainly benefit if I can give a little help to their cause. Especially after what you did for my family, regardless of nobility, I still owe you everything for saving Venora."

Galahad's attention was more directed at the envelope once he took it. He was not sure what to make of the possible contents inside. 'Why give me the letter if he could just tell me what it said inside?'

"The letter is not for you." Clarified the Count. "The letter is addressed to an old friend of mine in Diagon, he is known for his ability to tinker. Last I spoke with him, he said he stopped working on a project that would be of great interest to you."

"And what exactly was project?" Galahad asked, trying to cut off the unnecessary theatrics.

"I think it would be best for you to travel to Diagon to see for yourself."

Galahad swallowed another cookie before squinting at the Count's response. The Count sighed at the obvious sign of little trust.

"He told me needed help on the project, he didn't go into details back exactly. But his goal had something to do with pulling lost adventurers out of the Dungeon."

Galahad was visibly shocked at the Count's words and immediately grew paranoid about the offer.

'First he mentions the crystal tower I was just at and now he talks about a project relating to my main goal. What is he actually assuming and what does he truly know?' Galahad was concerned that maybe the man in front of him really did know about everything that occurred in the dungeon.

"I see, I'll check with your friend in Diagon as soon as I can, thank you." Galahad stood up and started walking towards the door. He wanted to get out of the office before the Count might reveal it was all a trap set to capture and contain him for being a some sort of monster hybrid.

But before he opened the door to run, he turned to the count. The man was staring out the window again, lost in thought.

"If I may ask, sir." He added the sir after feeling awkward for trying to take the letters and then leaving. Yet his curiousity always brought the worst decisions out of him.

"You said Venora had left, did she leave the city?"

"Yes, I had a healer take care of her in the village of Shillamet. They'll check on her mental status while she recuperates. They believe she be able to start standing after few months of treatment there, then hopefully she'll make a more stable recovery by the time winter rolls around next year."

"Well I am glad to hear that, thank you for the opportunity and I wish you a nice evening."

Galahad stepped out of the office and made his way to the lobby of the building. He began walking home to tell his parents about what he had just received from the Count. At the same time, he was thinking about the count's last words to him about Venora.

She was fully capable of standing up the night he talked with her.

"Apparently I am not the only one holding secrets. I'll have to ask Ven if I ever see her again about the walking problem.' He let himself grin to himself when no one was looking, and he stepped out of the lower floor of the building, onto the sidewalk. It was time for him to head back home.

*****

Count Gafordum watched Galahad down the street with a fake little hobble in his step. He opened the window and sat down at the main desk in the room. A breeze entered the room, followed by a small brown hawk flying inside the window, perching itself on the edge of the Count's desk as soon as it landed.

"He didn't say anything about the black orb or his belief about his friends being alive. What do you think about that?" Asked the Count to the hawk.

Solteer ruffled his feathers up for a moment and before speaking. "I told you, he believes everyone else to be his enemy since he nearly died. Whatever that thing inside is doing within him, it either making him act like this or he is just someone who tends to be secretive."

"Somehow I believe it to be the latter of your theories." The Count replied. He looked at the files he had found earlier on the Mystroff name. Galahad's file was listed there, and another laid beneath it; it was labelled 'Missing' across the top in bright red letters.

'Sometimes we can't always talk about the things that hurt us in life. I hope he finds a way to cope away from here.' The Count thought while leaning back in his chair.

"I appreciate your discretion during this mild situation. Do didn't have to tell me about the risks he might bring to my city."

"The boy is a risk to himself and others if he goes . I only did this for the safety of my people and yours." Solteer clicked in a more grave tone.

"Well regardless of your reasoning, I need him out of this city for a number of reasons. I only hope that crazy bastard will let Galahad work with him in Diagon." The Count scowled at the thought of his 'old friend.'

"I must be going, so farewell. Do not forget our earlier chat, and don't let more humans roam the forest. Otherwise some of my younger ones will gain a taste for all the humans that like to find themselves inside our forest." Solteer said before flying out the window. Leaving the Count to his own thoughts in the emptiness of his now quiet office.

'For a rather thin child, he truly put those cookies away.' He thought while glancing at the near empty plate on the table.