Published at 22nd of October 2023 9:42 am

Book 2: Chapter 41

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I’ve been riding in carriages a lot recently. Maybe I should get one of my own. I’ll have Obe look into that.

“Garrett, is it?”

Turning his head to look at the other occupant of the carriage across from him, the thin faced exorcist, Garrett bowed his head.

“Yes, sir. Garrett Klein. Thank you for your help back there.”

“My name is Gerald Larner, and I should be thanking you. And apologizing.”

“For what, sir?”

“Just call me Gerald. For using you as a pawn in our conflict with the city guard. I feel bad getting a rank and file member involved in such a sticky fight, but one has to take advantage of opportunities as they come. I was planning on coming and meeting you soon anyway, since I like to take a look at every new member, but I have to say, you’ve more than exceeded my expectations.”

Garrett could feel the subtle mental energy that Gerald was projecting toward him and he did his best not to react. Ever since they had gotten into the carriage, the exorcist had been probing Garrett, as if he was trying to understand just what level of power the crippled young man possessed. Thanks to the thick dream energy that shrouded Garrett, he was able to use Dream Cloak, which seemed to be doing a good job of keeping that information hidden, but Garrett knew that the fact that Gerald couldn’t see through him was in and of itself a confirmation of sorts.

“That is kind of you, but I don’t think I’m that special.”

“If you actually believed that, I would be even more impressed,” Gerald said, faint amusement in his eyes. “I must admit, I was curious how you managed to survive the encounter with that guard last night, but now that I have had a chance to take a good look at you, it makes complete sense. Let me guess.”

Closing his eyes for a moment, Gerald began to speak quietly, reconstructing the scene almost as if he had been there.

“There likely wasn’t much light in the cell, so I’d guess that you hid along the wall inside the door. On his left. You used some sort of chain as an improvised weapon to tangle his feet, knocking him down and likely breaking one of his legs in the process. His neck was snapped by hand, so you must have done that while he was in shock, before arranging the scene. You cut off his leg to hide the method you used to kill him, which is a curious choice. Still, considering your situation, an impressive display all around.”

Opening his eyes and smiling at Garrett’s shocked expression, Gerald tapped the side of his glasses.

“My spark is related to seeing the truth, and I have a knack for detective work. Which makes it even stranger that I cannot see through you. Either you are a higher level than me, which is unlikely, or you possess an exceptionally powerful mysterious artifact that covers your soul spark. Which is it?”

A wry expression crossed Garrett’s face and he shook his head with a sigh.

“And here I thought I was doing a good job hiding it. I won’t confirm anything, but I will say that I have a particular affinity for items related to the dream.”

“That’s what I thought,” Gerald said, looking out the window. “It explains why you always seem to show up at the location of incidents. Well, I’m glad to make your acquaintance, Garrett. And once more, let me extend my apologies for what you had to endure. I know that you didn’t get anything out of it, but as the unofficial leader of the exorcist’s guild, I can say that we appreciate it.”

“Think nothing of it,” Garrett said, waving his hand. “Thank you for being willing to step forward on my behalf. I look forward to working with the guild in the future.”

“Likewise,” Gerald replied, his eyes sharp. “But now, let's turn our attention to something of more importance. You are currently leading a gang, is that correct?”

“We’re not a gang,” Garrett said, shaking his head. “We are a family. We operate as a syndicate, though there are currently only three members of the syndicate.”

“I see. Regardless, it's come to my attention that you are starting to have some tension with one of the gangs that operates in the graveyard. The Grave Walkers, I believe.”

“That is correct,” Garrett nodded.

“Well, I think it might be wise if I spoke to you about some history. You look young. Strangely young, in fact, but anyway, before you were born there was an unfortunate event that originated in the graveyard and spread across the city.”

“The undead uprising.”

“Exactly. What do you know about it?”

“Just that on a particular night, a group of necromancers raised a large group of undead that attacked the city,” Garrett said.

“That is the gist of it, but what is more important than the event itself is what preceded it. According to the records, there was a drastic increase in the number of undead sightings and attacks around this district before the Night the Dead Walked.”

“Which is similar to what is happening now,” Garrett said, drawing in a breath.

“You catch on quick. That’s helpful. Yes, we’re seeing a similar pattern building. From the reports I’ve seen, you were the target of one of these attacks yourself. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Garrett nodded, his expression pensive as he looked out the window at the houses and buildings going by. “I went to investigate a claim of possession caused by a mysterious artifact, and in that process I not only encountered a necromancer, but was attacked by a large number of zombies and a strange stitched together monster.”

“A flesh golem. I heard about that. It does not bode well for us that we are at that stage,” Gerald said, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the cushion on the back of the seat.

“Is there a way we can find the necromancers first?” Garrett asked.

“I don’t mind telling you that we’ve been trying for years and have had no luck. The depths of the crypt are a labyrinth that seems to shift and change, making it impossible to map. Besides, there are creatures in the deepest areas of the crypt that could corrupt us just by looking at us, so there is only so far we can go without being in danger of going mad. No, they have proven incredibly elusive.”

“What if they’ve infiltrated the Grave Walkers?” Garrett asked, earning himself a sharp look. “I’m not just saying that because we don’t see eye to eye. The necromancers are part of the group called the Skeletal Hand, right? Well, when I encountered the necromancer in that ambush, she had a strange sacrificial symbol on her hand and she used a mirror to exert her influence on the situation.”

“What does that have to do with the Grave Walkers?” Gerald asked.

“First off, her method was similar to the method of the Ghost’s Mirror, which we encountered in the count’s mansion, and subsequently lost, which means that she is probably working with the Ghost’s Mirror to do her dirty work. But why would she be using it to kill random people? Well, probably not from enmity, but because she is getting some benefit. It allows her to collect souls, but chances are, she is probably being hired as well. That flesh golem was made up of a whole collection of corpses, right? Well, where in the city could you find a reliable source of corpses? The graveyard. And who controls the graveyard? The Grave Walkers.”

Amused, Gerald shook his head.

“I’ve heard this necromancer assassin theory before, and I’m not convinced. It sounds entirely implausible to me.”

“There is a way to check,” Garrett said, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward. “Can you see curses?”

Nodding, Gerald waited for Garrett to continue.

“Simply check the members of the Grave Walker gang for curses. They work in a graveyard, so I imagine they’ll have picked up a few things, but the woman who led us into the trap looked no different from a regular woman. Until she turned into a zombie. According to one of my men, who was nearly bitten, she was a perfectly normal looking woman at first, and then in an instant, transformed into a raging monster that tried to bite him. If the necromancer is using the Grave Walkers, it's likely that she has cast the curse on other people as well and it's just sitting dormant.”

Feeling their ride slow, Gerald nodded.

“Fine. We’ll take a look. I think it's likely a waste of time, but better safe than sorry.”

The carriage stopped with a clatter, and the door opened up, revealing the Dreamer’s Inn and Obe. Ryn was standing nearby with Garrett’s wheelchair, and with Obe’s help, Garrett got into it. Waving goodbye to Gerald, Garrett headed inside to get a bath and treat his wounds, emerging over an hour later feeling like a new man. Meeting with Obe and Ryn in his office, Garrett couldn’t help but smile when he saw the pile of documents that Ryn had stacked up neatly on the edge of his desk.

“Is this everything?”

“Yup. All of the records and deeds that were in Carraway’s office. Want me to return them now that he’s out?”

“No. I’ll talk to him first,” Garrett said, opening up the first book and scanning through a few pages. “Ugh, this is a mess. I’ll go through this and organize it properly. I really need to teach more people proper bookkeeping. Actually, that brings up an important topic. I’ve noticed that there is a distinct lack of children running around in the streets. How are they typically dealt with?”

Scratching his nose, Obe looked at Ryn, but she was just as confused about the change of subject as he was.

“Uh. Mostly, we just kick them when they try to steal something?”

Sighing, Garrett covered his eyes with his hand.

“No, I mean, are there homes? Orphanages?”

“Why would anyone waste money on something like that?” Ryn asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. “Kids are either sold as slaves or dumped in the slums. Some of them get press-ganged and end up stealing or acting as informants for the gangs, and others, the lucky ones, find an apprenticeship with someone in the city.”

“I see. Well, I need some children.”

“Don’t look at me,” Ryn said, holding her hands across her chest and backing up.

“That wasn’t even a consideration,” Garrett replied coldly. “I’m talking about children between the ages of five and fifteen. Maybe one hundred.”

“Then you’ll want the slave market,” Obe said, his expression conflicted. “But slaves are a gray area, and I think it's best not to get involved.”

“Let's look in our own community first,” Garrett said. “Put the word out that I’ll be hiring apprentices to learn my trade.”

“You’re going to train them to be gang leaders?” Ryn asked, completely confused.

“No, I’m going to teach them reading, writing, and accounting. An accountant is a better money counter. Food, board, and a stipend.”

“You’ll have adults lining up to join you if you offer that,” Obe said, a crooked smile on his face. “I might even consider lining up. It’d be easier than all the work I have to do now.”

Chuckling, Garrett got out the piece of paper he had used to draw out the Family’s new organizational chart and placed it on the desk.

“Sounds like it’s a good time for me to show you our new structure, before I lose you to a basic accounting class.”

Obe and Ryn came closer, looking at the paper that Garrett slid over. Ryn, who had learned to read, helped Obe identify what each line said and after they had read over it twice, she looked at Garrett, tapping on the paper.

“What is this?”

“This is our Family’s new organizational chart. I’ve broken down all of the various things that we do into specific domains, and assigned a leader to that area. You’ll notice that Obe is responsible for public security.”

Taking another paper out of his desk, Garrett gave it to Obe.

“This is a clear breakdown of what that entails. Patrolling, enforcing the law, training new members of the security team, all of those things and more are written down here. Each of the new roles has one of these sheets and we’ll go through them so everyone is clear on the expectations. Ryn, here is yours.”

“Director of Acquisition? What is that?”

“That means you are responsible for acquiring things.”

“Obviously. What does director mean? I have to plan the jobs? I thought I told you that I don’t want to be a thief?”

“You might have to plan the jobs, but being a director means you are in charge of the people who do the actual acquiring. That doesn’t mean that you need to do the work yourself, just that you have to train, equip, organize, and oversee the people who are going to do the acquiring. For example, if we say that we want to borrow something from the adventurer’s guild, you’ll be responsible for coming up with the plan, making sure we have the people we need, and overseeing the mission. Does that make sense?”

“It makes sense but I don’t think I like it,” Ryn said, frowning. “I don’t mind helping here and there, but I want to do more merchant type stuff like soap and candles.”

“Sure,” Garrett said, nodding and getting out another paper. “Which is why you will also be responsible for Carraway. See how, at the top of the organization, there are only four people?”

“There is only one person,” Ryn said, pointing at Garrett’s name.

“Yes, well, I mean, under that.”

“Sure.”

“And see how each of you have multiple people under you? These are what is called direct reports. That means that those people are responsible for reporting on the things they handle directly to you, and you are responsible for helping them make decisions about those things. Likewise, you’ll report on the areas you are responsible for to me, and I’ll help you work through the decisions you need to make.”

“This seems like a lot of trouble to just say that these people will be my subordinates,” Ryn grumbled, causing Garrett to sigh.

“This is interesting,” Obe said, looking at all the papers that Garrett had gotten out. “I guess it’s time I learn how to read, because I don’t understand any of this.”

“What’s so interesting about it?” Ryn asked, giving Obe a scornful glance, as if she hadn’t been just as ignorant six months earlier.

“This is a military structure,” he replied, pointing to the organizational chart. “We have the general, the commissioned officers, the group leaders, all the way down to the squad leaders. It becomes easy to add new people into a structure like this.”

“That’s right,” Garrett said, looking at Obe curiously. “Are you familiar with the military?”

“I served for a bit,” the big man said. “But to answer your question, Ryn, this ensures that decisions can be made quickly at all levels, or passed up to the next level if needed. More than that, it helps create a unified idea of the direction that we’re going.”

“You hit the nail on the head,” Garrett said, something in his voice causing the other two to look at him. “The Klein Family is going to grow, and grow big. Right now we’re a flower in the garden, but there will come a day when we are the garden. A streamlined, efficient, gigantic garden.”

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