Chapter 47 | Discovery

Chapter 47: Chapter 47 | Discovery

"I know," Kai said.

"A hero license would block that," Denko said. "A licensed hero has protective jurisdiction over registered dependents. The welfare board can’t override it without hero licensing board approval and that process takes eight months minimum."

"I know," Kai said.

Denko looked at him.

"You’re getting licensed," Denko said.

"Third assessment run in three days," Kai said.

Denko stared at him.

’He didn’t know that,’ Kai thought. ’He came here to tell me to get a license and I’m three days away from one.’

Mira’s board went up.

It said: Your face right now is very funny.

Denko looked at the board.

He looked at Kai.

"When did you—" he started.

"Two weeks ago," Kai said. "Combat performance pathway. Unclassified applicant. Three dungeon runs with a sponsor assessor."

Denko was quiet for a moment.

"The combat performance pathway," he said. "That’s a ninety-three percent rejection rate for unclassified applicants."

"I know," Kai said.

"You went into C-rank dungeons," Denko said. "With no Gift."

"The pathway requires it," Kai said.

Denko looked at the table.

He picked up his cup.

He put it down without drinking.

"The dungeon runs," he said. "How did you—" He stopped. He looked at Shira by the window.

Shira looked at the wall.

Denko looked back at Kai.

"The Gale Strike Echo," Denko said quietly. "The ability return from the investment system."

Kai said nothing.

"Word gets around," Denko said again. "The hero network. People notice things. An unclassified applicant clearing C-rank dungeons with a wind-type ability and no registered Gift. Someone made the connection."

"What connection," Kai said.

"That the ability is a return from a bond with a wife whose Gift is Gale Strike." Denko looked at Shira again. Then back at Kai. "That the stronger she gets the stronger you get."

The kitchen was very quiet.

Shira was looking at the wall.

Mira had the marker in her hand and was not using it.

"Who made that connection," Kai said.

"People," Denko said. "In the network. Quietly." He paused. "The kind of people who were paying attention to the original incident."

Kai looked at him.

"The original incident," Kai said.

Denko picked up his cup.

He drank.

He put it down.

"Denko," Kai said.

"I shouldn’t," Denko said.

"You came here," Kai said. "You checked the district records for eight months. You got on three trains. You knocked on the door. You’re here." He looked at his brother. "Say what you came to say."

Denko looked at the table for a long moment.

Then he said: "The dungeon classification report. The original one. Before the disaster. There was a second copy."

Kai said nothing. He waited.

"Standard procedure is one classification report," Denko said. "Filed by the lead assessor. One copy. Archived. The disaster investigation found the report and it matched the S-rank classification that was recorded." He paused. "But someone in the network found evidence of a second classification report. Filed two days before the first one. Same dungeon. Different classification."

Kai looked at him.

"SSS-rank," Kai said.

Denko said nothing.

"Someone filed an SSS-rank classification report two days before the disaster," Kai said. "And then filed a second one classifying it as S-rank. And sent the expedition in."

Denko put both hands flat on the table.

He did not confirm it.

He did not deny it.

He looked at the table and his hands on it and said nothing at all.

Which was confirmation enough.

Kai sat with that for a moment.

’Someone knew,’ he thought. ’Someone knew the dungeon was SSS-rank. They classified it as S-rank. They sent the expedition in anyway. Both of his wives were in that expedition. Both of them came out broken.’

He kept his face still.

"Who found the second report," Kai said.

"I don’t know," Denko said. "The information came to me secondhand. Three steps removed. I don’t know the original source."

"Who sent the expedition," Kai said.

"The Ashford family," Denko said. "Led it. Organized it. Sent the other families in under the Ashford classification authority."

He looked up at Kai.

There it was.

The Ashford family. The family that had organized the expedition that had destroyed both of Kai’s wives.

And then arranged to marry their crippled daughters off to the family’s own discarded son.

Not charity.

Not guilt.

Containment.

’Get rid of the problem,’ Kai thought. ’Marry the broken women to the broken son. Lock them all in an apartment and let them disappear.’

He sat at the table very still.

"Kai," Denko said.

"I’m fine," Kai said.

"You don’t look—"

"I’m fine," Kai said again.

He picked up his cup.

He drank.

He put it down.

He looked at his brother.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "Three days and I’ll have the license. The Foundation can’t move after that."

Denko looked at him.

"That’s all you’re going to say," Denko said.

"For now," Kai said. "Yes."

Denko looked at the table. Then at the room again. The organised counters. The physio sheet. The positioned cups.

He stood up.

He put his jacket straight.

He looked at Shira by the window.

"For what it’s worth," Denko said. Not at Kai. At Shira. "The canyon dungeon. The official record says forty-three minutes."

Shira looked at him.

"I know what the correct time was," Denko said. "I watched the assessment broadcast. Forty-one minutes. I was seventeen. It was the first time I thought maybe the hero ranking system was broken if the number one spot wasn’t yours."

The room was very quiet.

Shira looked at him for a long moment.

She said nothing.

Denko nodded once.

He moved toward the door.

He stopped at Mira’s side of the table.

Mira had her board ready.

She held it up.

It said: Come back. With information next time. Not just confirmation.

Denko read it.

He almost smiled.

"I’ll try," he said.

He left.

Kai closed the door.

=====

The apartment was quiet for a moment.

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