Chapter 80

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.”

“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.

Natalie took a breath in, then rummaged out and held up proof for what she was saying: the monster core with the [Spirit of Infertility] stored inside it.

“I didn’t sneak it out because I was greedy,” Natalie said. “I just didn’t know how to explain it. And I didn’t want to talk about my class when we weren’t even officially teammates. But I get all of that’s just excuses.”

She winced.

“And I would still like to keep it. It’s, um, useful for my class. Which is why it was hand-delivered to me, I think.”

“So the mural from the puzzle room,” Ana said. “That was targeted toward you as much as me.”

Natalie found it odd, if relieving, that that was what Ana chose to focus on, instead of everything else. Sofia and Liz, she wasn’t so lucky. By their expressions, they were still digesting the implications of what an ‘encounter influenced by Natalie’s aspect’ meant.

“Maybe?” Natalie said. “At least partially, yeah. Probably.”

Sofia turned to Jordan. “You knew.”

“After the fact,” Jordan said. “But yes. She told me.”

Nobody seemed surprised at that.

Sofia rubbed her forehead. She looked back to Natalie, seeming bewildered. “Well,” she said. “I understand the why behind the subterfuge, at least, even if I’m not pleased about it.”

“I’d, um, not want to go shouting about it, either,” Liz laughed, bemused. A dusting of pink had settled onto her cheeks. She was clearly embarrassed by the reveal. “Sheesh. An encounter. You’re really not going to tell us what that means?”