The conference room exuded authority and refinement, designed for the top brass and esteemed guests rather than ordinary soldiers. The polished wooden floors stretched across the room, their rich grain and smooth finish reflecting the natural light from the windows. Tall windows lined one side, allowing natural light to pour in. A large, meticulously detailed map of Aterra stretched across one side of the room, covered in pins and annotations marking past and ongoing campaigns.

  Oddly enough, the only thing that felt out of place was the table. Kaiden had expected a striking wooden centerpiece, something grand to match the room’s prestige. Instead, it was plain and low quality, a stark contrast to its surroundings. Despite its size, it lacked the craftsmanship and presence he assumed a room of this importance would have.

  Kaiden sat in the middle of the room behind the large table, feeling entirely out of place. Opposite him, seated to the sides, were a major and a lieutenant, both with serious expressions and an air of quiet scrutiny. They weren’t speaking, simply watching, and their silence made Kaiden feel like he was sitting in a job interview.

  Directly across from him, an empty chair remained unoccupied.

  He shifted slightly in his chair, resisting the urge to fidget. His gaze drifted over the room again, taking in the details, but nothing made him feel more at ease. The weight of where he was and why he was here settled heavily on his chest.

  He’d known this was coming eventually.

  But he had been caught completely off guard when Corporal Greaves found him in the library and told him he was being summoned.

  The creak of a door opening cut through the silence.

  “Attention on deck!” the major barked as he and the lieutenant shot to their feet.

  Kaiden instinctively followed, his body reacting before he could think about it. His stomach twisted as General Eryndor Thorne strode into the room, his tall, imposing frame commanding immediate attention. His black, shoulder-length hair was tied back tightly, not a strand out of place.

  Thorne crossed the room and took the empty seat opposite Kaiden. His piercing gray eyes unsettled Kaiden—cold and unreadable.

  “At ease,” Thorne said.

  Everyone took their seats, but Kaiden’s heart continued pounding in his chest.

  He knew many soldiers would kill for a chance to have General Thorne’s full attention. But not Kaiden. And especially not for the reason he had it now.

  Now, he had to explain exactly what had happened in the dungeon. And pray to Oros that Thorne wouldn’t see through him—or worse, punish him for it.

  Thorne studied him, his scrutinizing gaze assessing Kaiden like a specimen under examination. Then the lieutenant stepped forward, placing a familiar black orb on the table next to Kaiden.

  “I presume you know what this is,” Thorne said.

  Kaiden swallowed. “Y-yes, sir,” he said, his eyes flicking down at the lie detector.

  Of course they would use this. It was standard protocol for dungeon reports, but knowing he had to answer under its influence made the situation feel even heavier.

  The lieutenant took a seat next to Kaiden. “Place your hand on it.”

  Kaiden complied without hesitation, his fingers resting lightly against the orb’s surface.

  The major leaned forward. “State your name and rank.”

  Kaiden kept his voice steady. “Private Kaiden Hayward, sir.”

  "Do you know why you're here?" Thorne asked.

  "Yes, sir," Kaiden answered.

  "Good," Thorne said. "Let's get to it then."

  Kaiden gulped.

  Thorne's gaze remained fixed on him as he continued, "Who did you enter the D-O-D with outside of Camp Thorne?"

  "Zinnia Petal, a swordsman named Ashkar, and a mercenary named Boork," Kaiden said.

  Thorne's face remained impassive as the major began scribbling on a parchment, the soft scratching of his quill the only sound in the room.

  "Did you know any of these people prior to entering the dungeon?"

  "No, sir."

  There was a brief pause as Thorne's eyes flicked to the lie detector orb, then back to Kaiden. The silence stretched, filled only by the steady movements of the major’s quill.

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  Thorne continued. "How did you come to enter a dungeon with that group then?"

  Kaiden swallowed and answered, "I was jogging for my morning exercise when I happened upon the group, and they forced me to go because they needed a fourth member."

  Again, Thorne's gaze shifted to the orb. His brow raised slightly, his eye twitching just once before settling back on Kaiden.

  "Did Ashkar get an artifact at the end of the dungeon?"

  "Yes," Kaiden said.

  Suddenly, Thorne's fist crashed down on the table, shattering it to pieces.

  It happened faster than Kaiden could react. His jaw dropped, stunned into silence as a pulse of fear shot through him.

  Thorne stood up, his face darkened, his expression unreadable but heavy with tension.

  The major calmly collected his papers as they scattered, sliding his chair back from the wreckage of the table, but he didn’t look the least bit alarmed.

  The lieutenant moved quietly, grabbing the fallen lie detector orb and motioned for Kaiden to slide back, away from the splintered remains.

  Thorne said nothing.

  He simply turned away, walking toward the tall windows, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out over the city in deep contemplation.

  No one uttered a single word.

  The silence stretched for what felt like minutes until suddenly the door opened again. Six soldiers entered the room and moved toward the broken table without hesitation.

  They worked quickly, two of them gathering the larger splintered pieces while the others focused on removing the smaller fragments. Two soldiers with large brooms began sweeping the remaining debris into dustpans. The entire process was executed with an eerie quiet, as if they had done this exact thing before—or as if their lives depended on it.

  Thorne hadn’t turned around, hadn’t even acknowledged the disruption. He remained at the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring out over the city as if nothing had happened.

  The cleaning team continued, a group of specialists and one corporal, each of them working with silent urgency. The major and lieutenant remained in their seats, unfazed by the entire situation, while Kaiden sat stiffly, unsure whether to move or stay still.

  The tension in the room hadn’t lifted. If anything, it had only deepened.

  Soon, the cleaning crew had finished their job and exited the room, leaving the door open as two soldiers entered carrying another table. They placed it directly in the middle of the room, identical to the one that had been broken earlier. The reason for the low-quality furniture became quite clear.

  The soldiers promptly took their leave, closing the door behind them.

  Without a word, the major and lieutenant moved their chairs back to the table as if it were a natural occurrence. Kaiden hesitated for a moment but followed suit. The room fell into silence again, the tension still lingering.

  Moments later, Thorne turned back around and walked to his seat. When he saw that Kaiden's hand was already resting on the lie detector, he resumed his questioning as if the destruction of the previous table had never occurred.

  “Did you see what the artifact was?” Thorne asked.

  “No, sir,” Kaiden answered.

  “Did he say what it was called or even tell you what it can do?”

  “No, sir,” Kaiden said again.

  He noticed a subtle shift in Thorne’s expression, a flicker of irritation. The general’s gaze flicked to the lie detector and back to Kaiden.

  “Did Ashkar say anything about his plans or where he was heading next?”

  “No, sir.”

  Kaiden immediately tensed when he saw Thorne’s hand clench into a fist.

  For a long moment, Thorne didn’t speak. Then he exhaled slowly and eased his fist, his demeanor returning to one of control.

  “What happened to Boork?”

  Kaiden gulped, really hoping that Thorne wouldn’t ask this. He knew he had to tread carefully.

  Instead of giving a short answer, he offered more detail in order to avoid saying he was the one who actually killed the man. That could really end him in hot water.

  “He was killed after the dungeon was completed, sir,” Kaiden said, keeping his voice steady. “He tried to betray the party and steal the final dungeon loot from Ashkar.”

  Kaiden knew that his words could be interpreted to mean that Ashkar killed the man which was fine by him even though he hadn’t explicitly stated that. By phrasing it this way—which was completely true—he hoped the lie detector would accept his answer.

  A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he waited.

  The orb remained dim.

  Kaiden almost sighed in relief, but internally he was celebrating not giving himself away.

  Thorne folded his hands together, placing his elbows on the table, his fingertips pressed against his forehead. He sat like that for several seconds, his expression unreadable.

  Then, finally, he spoke.

  “Everyone dismissed.”

  The major and lieutenant immediately shot to their feet. Kaiden followed a beat later, and once they were all standing, they saluted together. Without another word, they turned and made their way toward the door.

  The lieutenant made sure Kaiden followed as they exited, leaving Thorne alone with his thoughts.

  Break

  Eryndor Thorne had taken two major blows today. This was not the day he had expected.

  First, Dedrim weakened his Corps, cutting off his additional funding and recruitment efforts. And now, confirmation that Ashkar had indeed obtained the artifact—a fact that would complicate everything.

  To make matters worse, the swordsman had left no clues.

  “Damn samurai is smarter than he looks,” Thorne muttered.

  This would make things difficult, but not impossible. He pushed back his frustration and stood once more, walking toward the window. His sharp gray eyes scanned the city below as thoughts whirled through his mind.

  All hope wasn’t lost yet.

  He now knew Ashkar had the artifact. That meant he only needed to find him. That much could be done. He would need to put out some feelers, send the right people looking.

  Boork barely crossed his mind.

  That weakling had never mattered. The Black Wyvern Riders would simply find someone else to take his place. Replacements were easy enough to come by.

  His mind drifted briefly to Kaiden Hayward. It had taken a monumental effort to restrain himself, to not wring the life out of the man where he stood. But here at headquarters, he had to play the part. Officially, Hayward was on a special mission for the Petal. Hales had set that up. And technically, the boy was a victim.

  However that wouldn’t have mattered if they met outside the dungeon, Hayward wouldn’t have left alive.

  How’d he live anyway? An E-rank Dungeoneer—a lowly private—had survived a Diamond-grade dungeon. That was no small feat.

  Did the boy have potential?

  For a moment, he considered it. Then, he pushed it aside as his thoughts drifted back to Ashkar.

  His fingers curled into a loose fist as he stared out over the horizon.

  “Now… where are you hiding, Samurai?” he muttered.