Chapter 389: A Good Woman
Kaiden sat between two prominent guild leaders, an honor that by rights should not have been his.
He wasn’t officially a leader, wasn’t even publicly acknowledged as part of Runewoven. His twenty percent stake remained hidden, a silent card in their alliance. And yet, despite no other shareholder being present besides the majority holder, Talia, both women had still pulled him into the round table.
Tessa looked the part of leadership, sporting a flawless dress and hair that was in place, looking every bit the woman who carried herself, knowing she was not only a strong awakened combatant but a guild leader as well, representing her entire organization with every move of hers.
Across from her, Talia wore nothing more than her blacksmith apron, soot smudges still staining her fingers. The woman only dressed up properly for official meetings; this one was for all intents and purposes a casual one; the two women were good friends, and well, Talia knew that she didn’t need to dress in suits for Kaiden.
Nevertheless, the contrast couldn’t be starker: one who sought power as her profession, embracing all her position entailed. The other, meanwhile, bore it only to honor her father’s legacy. The Runewoven guild had to be led by a Runewoven, and she was the only child he left behind.
Kaiden didn’t mind the stark difference; he understood and liked both women on a personal level, even if Tessa’s leadership had left him in a bind before. He, however, understood her situation, so he decided not to hold grudges against the woman.
Refocusing his attention on the topic at hand, he looked down where a stack of reports lay before him. Its pages were thick with the week’s grim tally. His fingers brushed over the parchment while his eyes skimmed lines that painted pure devastation in dry numbers.
Monster outbreaks. Casualties. Towns cut off. Resources lost.
It had been just over a week since the disaster began, namely, dungeon breaks erupting across the world all at once.
The President already declared the crisis averted here in the USA. The majority of dungeon breaks in the country had been subjugated. Monster waves pushed back. Cities stabilized.