Capítulo 29: Meetings. Doors. Opening (4)
The strange group sat together in front of the table. Now, the Regressor was taking the space of the head while everyone else sat in front of him.
We didn't exactly want to bother with joining tables again, no, it would be more apt to say that the regressor's nervousness was such so domineering that delay didn't seem correct.
So, the Blade of Darkness and I, the two enigmas in this group took on a double seat while the rest sat with the regressor at the adjacent table.
The regressor.
Didn't get to place an order. He was slammed with an espresso, black, no sugar.
"You say you knocked out the last floor, huh?" The colonel broke the silence in the air with a casual question.
The regressor was too nervous to speak. He picked up his espresso.
Everyone watched with widened eyes, the monster was about to gulp down an espresso with zero add-ons. Monster was too light a word for what they were likely feeling.
I? I had seen my fair share of such masochists. It became a habit in black companies.
The regressor took a sip.
"Ooh…"
"Damn…"
He almost stuck his tongue out in disgust.
With super human strength, he held in the bitter tears that threatened to pour out after being exposed to the even bitter yet coffee.
The gravitas of the man multiplied twofolds from this stunt. Even the Blade of Darkness was looking at the regressor with a renewed sense of admiration.
The regressor held in his breath and spoke the lines I had informed him to.
"The next floor. I can open it."
The ones inside leaned back.
"Of course you will. Otherwise the only way to make progress would be after your death," the Colonel spoke. "I am guessing you want something from us?"
"Before that," the wizard placed a hand on the table. "How, exactly, did you clear the fifth floor?"
The Dark Blade sitting across me nodded at those words.
"The boss room was empty…" his low, fleeting voice only spoke as much as necessary.
Of course, I had not prepared the regressor for all this.
I could only hope he didn't say something odd like 'No hablo ingles,' considering his position as a linguist.
The regressor parted his lips.
"No ha—"
I dropped the glass on my table and took everyone's attention. Stopping the regressor from goofing up even more. The man understood my intentions well and nodded in fear.
"Continue," I muttered.
I heard a click of a tongue, but ignored it.
"I heard it was a giant snake, right?" Mignon spoke this time. "I also heard of a spree shopper on the third floor."
"That was," The wizard spoke. "Someone more fitting our other guest here," she pointed at me.
The lord of the third floor knew of its proceedings. Ensuring the regressor took as little attention as possible was the right move, again.
Being cautious had never harmed anyone indeed. I could only see benefits to all my actions.
"Ahem. Cooperation." The regressor spoke two words.
All of them looked at him.
"Hey, are you skipping over my question?"
"Irrelevant. Later."
He was spooked out of his wits to even use multiple words in a sentence. It was my time to take the lead.
"You… demand cooperation? From us, toward you? What do you think yourself."
The regressor almost flinched at my gaze.
"Hey, Ativan von Carley," the wizard intervened. "Keep your glare to yourself."
All of them had similar reactions. They were looking at me as if staring at an enemy.
Strange.
"Each other," the regressor continued, his voice a full-step higher than before. "Not with me, but with each other."
Olivia smiled. A chuckle escaped her, and then the same escaped Mignon.
"You bastard," the pretty boy spoke. "The leader of a strong militia on the fourth floor, the enigma of the tower whose strength can't be gauged. A religious leader with grand influence and an adventurer, a wizard ruling over the third floor, and a criminal ruling over the lowest…"
Olivia continued Mignon's words.
"Is this what you think rules the tower? You gathered us all here for what? To put our differences aside?"
These were, except I.
The main characters of the novel.
All of them.
Back then, the words Lutein had spoken to them.
I had always found them irksome. He blabbed and blabbed on some dumb tirade about people and death in the tower. About the place needing change and dreams coming true.
What was the need of all of it?
The regressor slammed his hand ahead, just according to script, he placed a golden shining key on the table.
The key from the tower that allowed him to open the next floor.
"What you couldn't do in years, was done overnight."
He looked at everyone in the room, one after another, his gaze lingering on me just a second longer.
"Imagine what else you can do if I bring you together."
People's dreams? That mattered little.
We all seeked something. We all desired something.
And all of it was at the top.
Means and methods be damned.
The tower.
Was to be climbed.
"I'll take you to the top. You just have to come along."
There were no words. No answers.
After a long silence
A chuckle rang in the room.
Regalos
-- Regalo
recibido Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder