3.19 – Reveal

3.19 – Reveal

While the smaller after-class delves had acquainted them to delving, they were, ultimately, shallow representations of what delving truly was. The mechanics were the same, but the depth—and true challenges—were found in longer runs.

This trip, they would almost certainly be tracking down a boss. Maybe even they would find a stairway into the second floor. They weren’t so reckless they’d go far into it, if so, but maybe they’d try their hand at an encounter or two. Though difficult, a single second-floor fight shouldn’t be out of their reach.

Before they set off into the city proper and began their adventure, though, Natalie had things she needed to discuss with her team. It was a talk she wasn’t looking forward to, but, to quiet her nagging morality, she had to see it through.

She pulled them aside, away from the busy Tenet pathways, so they had some privacy. Jordan gave her a sympathetic look. She knew what Natalie intended to broach. They’d talked it through together. At least Natalie would have her support.

“So,” Natalie said. “Before we head out, there’s something I need to tell all of you.”

She addressed Ana and Liz more than Sofia. Sofia already knew, in broad strokes, about her class, and that was one of the things Natalie needed to clear the air about. Though, Sofia wasn’t aware of the theft—one of the other big topics.

Natalie took a deep breath, then said, “First, let me say that I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to keep it a secret forever, and after I explain, I hope you’ll agree that I had some justifications. But that doesn’t make it right, either.”

Liz and Sofia watched her curiously, eyebrows raising at the introduction. Ana, on the other hand, kept her typical blank face. Which was unfortunate. Natalie suspected she wouldn’t get many hints on what the stoic woman thought of this whole scenario. Liz, at least, wore her emotions on her sleeve, and Sofia, Natalie had experience reading.

“Remember our first delve?” Natalie asked. “How it ended? The trap.”Nnêw n0vel chapters are published on n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m

“You did steal a monster core,” Ana said.

Natalie winced. Ana was as sharp as always—and in being so, was ruining the build-up which could possibly have made her look less like a terrible teammate.

“I’m getting there,” Natalie said.

Liz’s eyes widened at the confession, and Sofia’s eyebrows raised further. Thankfully, neither looked immediately upset. They were willing to give her a chance to explain.

“I have a weird class,” Natalie said. “Let’s start with that. Like, really weird. For a few reasons. You know how paladins have aspects?”

Some of the surprise morphed to interest.

“Mine’s lust.” She winced at just stating it like that, but there wasn’t much more lead-up she could do. “And that ‘trap’ wasn’t really a trap. It was more of an encounter.”

Which was going to be even more awkward to explain.

“I’d rather not spell out the exact details,” Natalie said, face heating up, “but yeah. I felt I needed to tell you, since the dungeon reacts to everyone’s classes, and that’s the kind of info you might want. In case it pulls you into something similar. An encounter that ... I don’t know, resonates with my aspect. Like it did for me.”

Liz and Sofia’s expressions turned into incredulity of what Natalie was implying. Even Ana seemed perplexed.

“Truthfully,” Ana said, “It sounds lucrative. I don’t mind you keeping that,” she nodded at the orb, “but if we receive a steady flow of such items? They’ll pay well. Do you expect to keep all of it?”

A part of Natalie did want to say she’d been the one to work for it, and that it was her class that produced the encounter and reward in the first place, but that wasn’t how delving splits were handled. The same reason resource gathering was split—partially—to the whole team.

Or it could work like that, but such matters were decided through a team discussion. Hence this.

And, really, for the trouble Natalie’s class presented, the team deserved a cut of the potential rewards for having to deal with it. Especially if it started roping them in, instead of involving Natalie alone.

“I’m hardly wanting to break up the team because of it,” Liz said. “But sheesh. Wow. I’m not sure what to say, really.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Natalie said.

“To all of us.” Sofia shook her head. “The idea doesn’t thrill me, but there’s benefits, too. As Ana said, there’s money to be made with ... specialty items ... like that.”

“One way to put it,” Natalie mumbled.

“And if it’s truly optional, or otherwise acts as a trap would, and can be avoided, then ...” Sofia shrugged. “We’ll handle it as it comes.”

“And I’m intrigued by the details to your class,” Ana said. “What kinds of skills does an aspect of ‘lust’ come with? Why illusions?”

“Well,” Natalie said. “Those are my issues to deal with.”

“So there are issues?”

Natalie shrugged. Ana accepted the rejection, though her curiosity was plain.

“We should get going,” Sofia said. “Enlightening as that was, we still have a dungeon to clear.” She shook her head, still incredulous. “And some time to think would be nice, too, during the walk. It’s a lot to digest, Nat.”

Liz nodded in agreement, hair bouncing with the rapidness of the movement. She was the most visibly uncomfortable at the reveal. “Yep. Let’s get going. Thanks, uh, for telling us, Nat. I’m sure it was hard to. And you definitely could’ve gotten away with it.”

“Wouldn’t have been right,” Natalie said. Though she wished she could’ve spared herself from this conversation, regardless of the ethics of the situation.

Liz nodded, then, blush matching Natalie’s own, firmly set off toward the dungeon.

The rest of the team followed after her, and as they trailed down the path, headed for Aradon and the dungeon, Jordan leaned close and murmured, “That went well, don’t you think?”

All things considered, she guessed it did. And she was glad everything—the parts relevant to her team, at least—was out in the open. Those secrets weren’t the kind of thing she could have kept to herself and felt comfortable doing so with, especially since it might directly involve them in the future.

But seriously. So awkward.