Dungeons Are Bad Business

Angelino's – Sacre's restaurant – was bustling that evening, with a crowd of well-dressed people waiting in a snaking line outside the door. Pretty women wearing dresses wandered up and down the line, taking orders for drinks and appetizers to keep the would-be guests happy.

Their efforts seemed to be working; Vee only saw smiles and heard laughter until he reached the door and met the baleful glare of the man waiting there behind a polished lectern.

"I'll be honest with you, pal," the man said. "You're looking at an hour or more at a minimum. If you go ahead and get in line though, a girl should be by with a bar menu pretty quick."

Vee held up the letter. "Even if I have an invitation from Mister Sacre himself?"

He handed the piece of paper over, feeling no small surge of satisfaction when the fellow's eyes widened and took on the slightly panicked look of a man who might have just offended an associate of his boss.

Although…Vee tempered his feelings. Did he really want to be seen as one of Sacre's associates?

Not especially.

"Oh, my sincere apologies sir," the man stammered, opening the door and frantically beckoning to someone inside. "Someone will be right along to assist you."

Another suited man appeared a few seconds later, his black hair slicked back and a strangely manic gleam in his dark eyes. He looked over at Vee, and the [Dungeon Master] felt his [Stiffen Spine] skill activate.

"Indeed, this is Mister Vales, an expected guest," the newcomer said. "Please follow me, sir. The boss has been waiting for you."

Thanking the fellow at the lectern – who, honestly, looked relieved that Vee's story had been verified by the other employee – Vee and his friends walked inside the restaurant. It was even busier inside than it was outside, with every table packed. The bar was filled with patrons too, and the sound of ice being poured into glasses rose above the roar of conversation and laughter.

Walking past the back dining room where he'd met Sacre in the past, Vee followed the man down a long hallway that led to a small, unadorned door.

"I believe this is a private dinner between you and Mister Sacre," the man said with a little bow. "Your companions are welcome to wait here."

Vee looked at Alforde, who shrugged, and tapped Reginald's brim questioningly.

"Should be fine," the hat whispered in Vee's ear. "I don't sense any Thirst for Violence coming from this guy or anyone else nearby. I'm guessing the slug just wants to talk to you alone."

Vee cleared his throat and nodded. "I suppose that's alright."

The employee coughed politely, then knocked twice and cracked the door open. "Excuse me, Mister Sacre, sir. Mister Vales is here to see you."

"Excellent. Send him in," a familiar voice boomed from within, and Vee walked into the room.

The door shut closed behind him – without any sort of ominous clicking or locking, thankfully – and Vee barely suppressed a cough for all the cigar smoke.

He could barely see the two silhouettes sitting at the table in the back, though which one was Sacre was obvious: his prodigious...form dwarfed his companion.

"Mister Vales, Mister Vales, what a pleasure it is to see you," Sacre said, gesturing to the open chair across the table from where he sat. "Please, sit down and join me."

Vee did so, and turning to the woman beside him, Sacre grinned. "Darling, would you be so kind as to fetch Mister Vales a menu? I'm sure he's hungry, and it's impossible to talk business on an empty stomach."

"Of course, Mister Sacre," the woman said, getting up with perhaps slightly more flourishing than necessary and striding across the room. She returned a moment later with a thick menu and handed it to Vee, who took it with a polite nod.

"Have anything you'd like," the [Honest Businessman] said, affecting a great tone of joviality. "My [Head Chef] recently reached level Forty-Seven, so there's a bunch of celebratory dishes on there. Personally, I'd recommend the steak and pasta, though I'm going to have the lasagna myself."

Unsure if that was a mere recommendation or something more, Vee agreed to try the dish – which also came with roasted peppers and two slices of bread – and the woman went to tell the kitchen.

"While we wait for your meal, can I get you a drink?" Sacre asked, leaning forward and giving Vee a better look at his eyes when he gestured to the bottles on the bar behind him. "Anything here catch your fancy?"

Suspecting that the [Honest Businessman] hadn't meant the manic and slightly unhinged glimmer in his gaze – the same one as the man outside – Vee looked at the offerings, recognizing several of the names from his father's liquor cabinet, though Sacre's bottles were a good bit smaller. Gabriel's Almondetto, Trambooee, Olo Noir.

Decently expensive spirits, all of them.

"I'll take a glass of the almondetto," he said, gesturing to the half-empty bottle. "What are we celebrating?"

Sacre laughed, and poured two glasses of the bright orange liqueur. He pushed one over to Vee and raised his own. Vee did the same. True to its name, the drink smelled of freshly toasted almonds, and the [Dungeon Master] took a short sip at the same time Sacre did.

The alcohol buzzed against his tongue, warm and tasty, and Vee chased it with a longer sip to savor the flavor.

He sighed. The almondetto was balanced perfectly.

"What else would we be celebrating?" Sacre asked, his smile wide and friendly after taking another couple long sips of his own. "The success of your little dungeon circuit, of course! Some of my boys were in the neighborhood, and they said that they'd never seen your place so full. I guess I won't have to worry about getting my money for the next few weeks, eh?"

He laughed, and drained his glass before pouring himself some more. He waggled his finger. "But we'll discuss that more after you eat. Go ahead, drink up."

Vee finished his glass and allowed Sacre to pour him another, and the two talked of nothing substantial until the woman returned with their food.

The plate was covered in a mountain of pasta, with a thick red-brown gravy and a seared steak resting on top. After confirming Vee's preference, the woman grated cheese onto the plate until it looked like snow, and then added a few shakes of red pepper flakes.

Vee thanked her and took a bite. It was a little spicy, but quite tasty.

"Do you want me to wait here for you?" the woman asked, putting the lasagna on the table and wrapping her arms around Sacre's shoulders. "Or are you going to be working for a while."

She whispered something in the [Honest Businessman]'s ears, and he giggled. "Go ahead and leave without me. I've got some other things to take care of after this."

They muttered to each other for a few seconds after that, and Vee politely focused on his meal. Similarly, he pretended not to hear the gentle thwack of the playful swat Sacre gave the woman as she walked away.

The two men ate, with Vee heaping praises on Sacre's [Chef] and listening to stories about how hard it was to run a successful restaurant. It was light, meaningless conversation, and Vee understood perfectly that the real talk would begin after dinner.

When Sacre finally wiped the last drops of sauce off his plate and pushed it away, Vee folded his hands in his lap and sat up straight.

"Would you like another drink?"

"Sure," Vee said. "I'll have whatever you're having."

Sacre poured them both a finger of whiskey and Vee took a sip. It was bold and strong, with vanilla and caramel notes that burned his throat as he swallowed.

"Yes indeed, that was a nice bit of business there, Mister Vales," Sacre said. "I tip my hat to you, make no mistake. However, I do have one minor complaint to make. Miniscule, really. You know, friend to friend."

"And what might that be?" Vee asked, grateful that [Stiffen Spine] was keeping his voice so even.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"You didn't let me know about it," the [Honest Businessman] said, his voice still playful but with an edge it hadn't had before. "All those people coming to town…all those easy...fleurs for the taking…and no notice?"

He shook his head. "After everything I've done for you…you didn't feel like giving my boys any notice. I think that's a shame. Business is all about respect, Mister Vales, and I'm worried that maybe you don't have enough of it. That can be a real problem."

Ignoring the veiled threat in Sacre's words, Vee considered his next ones carefully. "I meant no disrespect, Mister Sacre, and I apologize if it came across that way. I was just so fixated on making sure that everything was ready that I wasn't thinking about anything else."

That was the truth of the matter, and Vee was grateful for it when Sacre spent the next several seconds looking at him. Surely he, like Vee, had skills to help detect a lie or falsehood.

"I see," Sacre finally said, leaning back. "Well, that's understandable. I suppose some things can't be helped."

A moment of awkward silence passed before he continued.

"With that said, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know next time you have something like that in the works. Surely there's enough…foot traffic to go around, eh?"

Vee nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"That's all I ask. I do appreciate your family's armorsoul taking care of that [Mud Golemancer] for me; he was a real piece of work. My boys are definitely less stressed out now that he's not making trouble for us. Alright, with that bit of…housekeeping out of the way, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"And what might that be?"

Sacre's eyes gleamed., and he seemed to grow in his chair. "What exactly are your ambitions in Westown?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Vee said hesitantly. The room was starting to shift back and forth – he was getting Tipsy, no doubt.

"Don't play coy with me, Vales. You've got that [Herbalist]'s shop, the [Goldsmith] workshop, and even that little cafe of yours in addition to your dungeon. Some of my boys say that it looks like you're clearing out some of the other buildings too, and that bonsai treant is setting flowers everywhere like it's a Gawain-blessed park."

He growled and seemed to grow again. The chair groaned.

"Are you trying to get Westown open full time?"

Vee blinked. That thought had occurred to him. Still not wanting to lie, he nodded. "That's the plan, though there are a lot of details I still have to work out."

"Excellent, excellent. Well, in that case, I have a proposition for you."

Vee clasped his hands together and rested them on the table. The gesture helped him stay sitting up straight. "Oh? And what might that be, Mister Sacre?"

The [Honest Businessman]'s smile grew wider, and decidedly more wolfish. Were his teeth actually getting sharper, or was that just the booze?

"Look, I'm a dealmaker at heart, Mister Vales, and I believe that for you...this one is screaming."

"Go on."

"By my count, you still owe me nearly four thousand golds. Is that right?"

"Three thousand eight hundred and eighteen," Vee said. Expecting that the subject of his debt would be brought up, he'd checked the figure with Cecil on the way over.

Sacre whistled. "Close enough. Listen, that's a lot of money, kiddo. Even with this little windfall of yours you're going to be struggling to keep up with payments soon enough if you're only relying on your dungeon to earn the money. I know you've got those other little ventures of yours too, like those toys you got in the cafe, but that's all small potatoes. No real money in any of it.

"However, if you're serious about opening up Westown and are willing to partner with me on the real estate side of things, we might be able to refinance your debt. Heck, I'm always looking for ways to expand, and for the right split – let's call it fifty-five forty-five on a lifetime basis in my favor – I might even be willing to forgive the rest of your loan entirely. What do you say?"

Vee leaned back in his chair, his foggy thoughts racing as he processed what Sacre was offering. "I say that's...certainly an offer."

Laughing, Sacre nodded. "That it is, Mister Vales. Real estate is lucrative; it's not like Gawain is making any more land."

Vee frowned, remembering a school lesson about one of the Northern seas that was perpetually expanding and added new islands every few years. However, that didn't seem like the type of thing that was worth mentioning right then so he kept his mouth shut.

"How would such a deal work? I mean logistically."

"Simple. You clear the fiends out of the buildings, and I help you manage them. My boys could do it, but it'd be slow and tedious, and between you and me more than a few of them are still wimps when it comes to handling spirits. We split the work and its a win-win. We both stand to benefit. I'm sure you'd appreciate not having to worry about Walnut's visits anymore, and I'd appreciate having a leg up on my local competitors."

That made Vee think about his conversation with Don Chub Curlytail, who'd implored him to help bring Sacre back in line. Well, trying to do that was about to get a lot more complicated.

After all, handing over more than half the revenue from the future development of Westown in exchange for short term debt relief certainly didn't sound like looking after his own best interests the way the kitrkein had implored him to.

Staring at Sacre, Vee had no illusions about the reality of the matter. For all that it was couched in niceties and talk of mutual benefit, this was not an earnest offer between equals.

It was a demand, pure and simple, and Vee found that the longer he thought about it the more he disliked the idea of sharing Westown with anybody else.

After all, it was his! He was the one who'd gone in and braved the fiends, cleaned the streets out, and was in the process of making it nice for anyone else who wanted to come. Why should Sacre get a cut of that?

The Expectation on his shoulder shifted, hissing its approval quietly in the ethereal.

Vee took a breath and held it for a moment, his thoughts crystalizing. Westown was a blank canvas, free of the mess that was the rest of Oar's Crest. In it, he had an opportunity to build something really special and he'd be a [Fool] beyond peer if he simply went and gave that away too easily.

Especially to someone who was at least partially responsible for the current status quo.

But how was he supposed to say no?

By deferring and promising to give it some proper thought, of course!

"That's tempting," Vee finally said, "but I'm sure you can appreciate that I can't make a decision right now. Give me some time to consider it."

[Bargaining +1!]

Sacre's smile shrank ever so slightly.

Vee put on his own best grin. "Good business can't be rushed, right?"

The [Honest Businessman]'s eyes narrowed. "That's very true, Mister Vales. However, good opportunities don't wait around forever. See that you do your thinking quick, or I might have to consider expanding on my own. My offer is good for the next month. You understand?"

Understanding that the conversation was over and that his life was about to get a good deal more complicated, Vee nodded. Thanking Sacre for the meal and drinks, he got up and left the room.

Reginald and Alforde were waiting outside, along with Sacre's associate. Vee nodded at them, and his friends fell into step beside him. His gait was slightly unsteady – a quick check of his Soul's Mirror confirmed that he was Good and Tipsy – but he made it back outside without issues.

If only figuring out the right thing to do next would be so easy.

Main Character Sheets:

Vee Vales

Good and Tipsy

Primary Class: Ghost Smith (Self), Level 9

Secondary Class: Dungeon Master (Oar's Crest), Level 25

Tertiary Class: Guy-Who-Takes-Things-WAY-Too-Far (Self), Level 8

Might: 16

Wit: 42

Faith: 25

Adventurousness: 7

Ambition: 16

Plotting: 21

Charisma: 18

Devious Mind: 30

Leadership: 22

Guts: 16

Intimidating Presence: 11

Citizenship: 24

Public Relations: 8

Determination: 7

Persuasiveness: 6

Bargaining: 5 (+1)

Patience: 3

Competitive Spirit: 1

Pragmatism: 1

<3<3 Infatuation <3<3

Alforde Armorsoul:

Primary Class: Hammer Specialist (Self), Level 6

Secondary Class: Right-hand man (Vee Vales), Level 19

Tertiary Class: Dungeon Champion (Oar's Crest), Level 18

Additional Class: Glaciernaut (Sacha Silverblade), Level 13

Might: 60

Wit: 16

Faith: 28

Adventurousness (Bound – Vee Vales): 9

Endurance: 34

Intimidating Presence: 16 (+ 1)

Heart of a Champion: 15

Citizenship (Bound – Vee Vales): 9

Vigilance: 11

Vanity: 2

Single-Mindedness: 1

Reginald:

Primary Class: Core Spirit (Unknown), Level ???

#$&Q#$)(@#$#@#$%!@#$##%#%()@#$**@@##

Secondary Class: Loudmouth (Self), Level 43

Tertiary Class: Majordomo (Vee Vales), Level 21

Additional Class: Announcer (Vee Vales), Level 14

Additional Class: Hyperthymesiac (Self), Level 5

Might: 2

Wit: 37

Faith: 17

Ambition: 29

Greed: 24

Deceptiveness: 27

Manipulativeness: 42

$#&*!@!!: !!!

Loyalty: 47

Patience: 11 (+1)

Irritability: 25

Remorsefulness: 17

Expository Prowess: 23

#%$Pragmatism*#$: @#61$5

Hop@#!! @#$@!@#

@#$@%%^

#4^5#*&_!+++#(@$#

Citizenship (Bound – Vee Vales): 9