Chapter 227: A Confidential Conversation

Captain Armstrong’s office remained silent, save for the occasional sound of someone turning pages on the other side of the desk.

James sat across from him, holding a tablet in his hands with several folders spread open on the desk. He had arrived nearly twenty minutes ago, but he still hadn’t mentioned the reason for his visit.

Armstrong knew him well enough to realize that this wasn’t a coincidence.

"You’re going to wear that tablet out if you keep staring at the same thing," the captain remarked, setting his coffee cup aside.

James looked up.

"I’m reviewing the latest reports."

"I know that. What I want to know is why you’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes without saying a word."

The researcher sighed and placed the tablet on the desk.

"Because I wanted to make sure the information was accurate before talking to you."

Armstrong’s smile faded.

"Has something happened?"

James nodded slowly.

"We’ve received new communications from foreign guilds. Things are moving faster than we expected."

The captain settled into his chair, giving him his full attention.

"How much faster?"

"I can’t give you an exact answer yet. There are too many variables, and each organization is handling its own reports. But the world’s major guilds are exchanging information, and some have already begun mobilizing resources."

Armstrong rested his arm on the desk.

That was unusual.

The major guilds maintained constant contact to share information about threats that could affect multiple countries.

However, mobilizing resources before a clear explanation was available suggested that something had caught the attention of people who normally preferred to wait until they had sufficient evidence.

"What have they found?" he asked.

James took a few seconds to respond.

"Something that doesn’t fit the usual patterns of dungeons."

Armstrong frowned.

"I need something more concrete than that."

"I know. But even we don’t have the full picture yet. Some reports point to irregularities in energy measurements. Others mention changes in the behavior of certain structures near the area under investigation."

"And are all these reports connected?"

"We can’t say that with absolute certainty yet, but there are too many similarities to ignore."

James opened one of the folders and slid several documents across the desk.

Armstrong began reading them.

The reports didn’t provide a clear description of what was happening.

They contained incomplete records, measurements that were difficult to interpret, and observations made by specialists from different countries.

It wasn’t enough to determine what they were dealing with.

But it was enough to understand that the matter warranted a much more serious investigation.

"Who else knows about this?" Armstrong asked when he finished reading.

"The major international guilds. There are also independent researchers who’ve received fragments of the information."

"And the governments?"

"Some are aware that there’s a situation requiring attention. Not all of them know the details, and I’d prefer to keep it that way until we have a better understanding of what’s happening."

Armstrong slowly leaned back in his chair.

"The more people who know about it, the harder it’ll be to keep the situation under control."

"Exactly."

James gathered the documents and put them back in the folder.

He didn’t like keeping important information secret, but disclosing incomplete data could cause more problems than it solved.

If rumors began spreading before the specialists understood what was happening, it would only be a matter of time before someone tried to take advantage of the situation.

And there were organizations that didn’t need much of a reason to do so.

"What are the other captains saying?" Armstrong asked.

"Most agree that we need to gather more information before making any major decisions. Some want to send reconnaissance teams as soon as possible."

"I assume there are also those who want to get ahead of everyone else."

James looked at him seriously.

"Of course."

Armstrong let out a brief laugh, though there was no humor in it.

"There’s always someone convinced they’ll get there first and take all the glory."

◇◆◇

James stood up and walked over to the window.

From there, he could see part of the guild’s facilities. Some hunters were crossing the training yard, while others were returning from their missions alongside their teammates.

Everyday life continued as usual.

That normality felt strangely reassuring.

"There’s something else you should know," he said.

Armstrong waited.

"Ace of Spades isn’t the only guild in our country that’s received information about this matter."

The captain didn’t seem surprised.

"Ouroboros?"

James nodded.

"Their representatives have been asking questions. From what I’ve been able to find out, they’ve also established contact with some foreign organizations."

"That means they’re trying to figure out how much we know."

"Probably. And if I know them, they won’t be satisfied with simply gathering information."

Armstrong rested an elbow on the desk.

Ouroboros was one of the most influential guilds in the country.

Its resources were considerable, but its reputation was far from spotless. On more than one occasion, its members had tried to exploit delicate situations to gain an advantage over other organizations.

They didn’t always act irresponsibly, but they had a habit of confusing taking initiative with the need to be first.

"Do you think they’ll try to act before we have an answer?" he asked.

"I think they will if they believe there’s something to gain."

"And what have you told them?"

"The same thing I’ve told everyone else. That we’re still investigating and that any decision must take the available information into account."

Armstrong let out a sigh.

"I hope that’s enough to keep them in check."

"I wouldn’t count on it."

The captain remained silent for a few moments.

He remembered too many situations in which a hasty decision had ended up costing lives.

Some had resulted from honest mistakes. Others had been caused by the ambition of people who believed the risk was always worth taking as long as the reward was great enough.

He didn’t want that to happen again.

"James, listen carefully. We can’t allow pressure from other guilds to force us into acting too soon."

"I agree."

"And we can’t let curiosity make us forget what’s at stake, either. If we send hunters out, we need to know what we’re expecting to find and what we’ll do if things go wrong."

James nodded.

"That’s why I’m trying to gather as much information as possible."

"Good. But I want you to keep whichever captains you deem necessary informed. If the situation changes, I don’t want to find out when it’s already too late."

"I will."

Armstrong looked at the documents again.

There was something that worried him more than the strange measurements or the contradictions between reports.

It was the possibility that whatever was happening would end up attracting too much attention.

"There’s one more thing," he added.

James turned toward him.

"What is it?"

"The best possible outcome would be for ordinary people to never find out about this."

The researcher fell silent.

They both knew that dungeons had been part of everyday human life for years.

Citizens knew about the dangers, the ranks, and the news of hunters losing their lives during missions.

However, there was a difference between knowing that dangers existed in the world and discovering that something was happening that even the leading specialists couldn’t explain.

If the situation became public too soon, rumors could spread faster than reliable information.

And fear was difficult to control once it began spreading.

"If we manage to resolve this without triggering a crisis, no one will need to know the details," James replied.

"I hope so."

"But we can’t guarantee that."

Armstrong lowered his gaze to his left hand.

The place where his arm had once been continued to remind him that even decisions made with the best intentions could have irreversible consequences.

He had learned to live with that loss, but he didn’t want to see other hunters pay the price for a mission they weren’t prepared for.

"Then we’ll have to do everything we can to prevent that," he said.

James nodded.

◇◆◇

The conversation continued for several more minutes.

They reviewed their international contacts, security measures, and the protocols they could activate if new information came in.

They didn’t reach any definitive decisions, but they agreed to stay in contact and prevent other guilds from pressuring them into acting rashly.

When James finally gathered his belongings, Armstrong called out to him before he reached the door.

"One last question."

The researcher stopped.

"Do you think we’ll be able to handle this?"

James took a moment to respond.

"I don’t know."

The honesty of those words seemed to carry more weight than any explanation could have.

"But if we wait until we have all the answers before preparing ourselves, it might be too late. We need to move forward carefully, without confusing caution with inaction."

Armstrong nodded.

"I suppose that’s all we can do for now."

James left the office and closed the door behind him.

The captain remained seated for a while, contemplating the documents left on his desk.

Outside, the guild continued operating as usual.

Nothing seemed to indicate that anything was changing.

Yet somewhere in the world, a situation that remained incomprehensible was beginning to attract the attention of the most powerful organizations.