Chapter 80: Coffee Among Colleagues [2]
Quite some time had passed since Liam and Lydia had begun telling James and Vice-Captain Amber everything they had done over the past month.
The low-rank raids.
The group they had formed with Lucas, Steve, Eve, and Harper.
The various dungeons they had completed to obtain materials.
The training.
And, of course, their preparations for the squad selection.
Liam did most of the talking while Lydia nodded from time to time, adding a few details.
They had been quite busy over the past few weeks.
Although, compared to what they had experienced inside that S-Rank Dungeon, everything seemed much more peaceful.
Lydia had even been about to mention something else.
Something involving a white-haired woman.
Margaret.
And the Ouroboros Guild.
However, just as she opened her mouth to speak, Liam used his [Call] ability.
There was no need for him to say a single word. Liam’s voice appeared directly inside Lydia’s mind.
’I don’t think it would be right to mention that.’
Lydia immediately understood.
She didn’t know what kind of relationship James had with the other guilds or how much Captain Armstrong knew about what had happened.
She also didn’t want to create any unnecessary problems.
So she simply smiled and left the subject alone.
Liam took advantage of the silence to change the subject.
"Amber, how did you become a Vice-Captain?"
Amber raised her eyebrows slightly before smiling.
"Technically, I was the first."
Liam and Lydia paid close attention.
"When the Great Awakening happened, Armstrong was putting together a group of hunters to enter those gigantic towers that had appeared practically out of nowhere all around the world."
Amber placed her cup on the table.
"I was one of the few people who managed to master my awakening relatively quickly. And when we finally created the Ace of Spades..."
She shrugged.
"I suppose Armstrong appointed me Vice-Captain because I was one of the people he trusted the most. I was also one of the people who had been working with him the longest."
James, who was sitting on the other side of the table, chimed in.
"They also gave her her own squad because she’s too bossy to work under someone else."
Amber slowly turned her head toward him, and a dangerous smile appeared on her face.
"James."
"Yes?"
"You know what I think about those comments."
Liam and Lydia burst out laughing.
James raised both hands.
"It was a joke. You’re not bossy."
Amber narrowed her eyes.
"Really?"
"Not at all."
"Good."
Liam laughed again.
’She definitely is bossy.’
Amber seemed to watch him for a few seconds.
Liam felt like he’d made a mistake.
But she simply smiled.
"I like the way you think, Liam."
Liam blinked.
"Huh?"
"Having your own squad is a huge responsibility. And being appointed Vice-Captain requires a great deal of trust."
Amber picked up her cup again.
"Not everyone is prepared to carry something like that."
Liam slowly nodded.
"It must be incredible."
"It is."
Amber smiled.
"But it’s also exhausting."
Lydia rested her elbow on the table.
"We actually met the other young man who’s also a Vice-Captain today."
Amber raised her gaze.
"Timothy?"
Liam nodded.
"Yeah. He really surprised me."
"Why?"
"I thought he was just another prospect who wanted to join a squad."
Liam let out a small laugh.
"Turns out he was a Vice-Captain."
Amber started laughing.
"It’s normal that you thought that. Timothy just turned nineteen."
Liam placed his cup on the table.
"...Nineteen?"
"Just recently."
Lydia’s eyes widened.
"And he already has his own squad?"
"For less than a year."
Liam stared at Amber.
’Nineteen?’
He remembered the shy boy at the gym.
The way he had stared at their muscles.
The questions he’d asked them.
And then those two women dragging him out of the gym while he practically looked like he was about to cry.
’That guy leads a squad?’
Liam still couldn’t process it.
"So..."
Lydia looked at Amber.
"Are there any other Vice-Captains we haven’t met yet?"
Amber and James looked at each other.
Both of them seemed to think for a few seconds.
"Amber."
James began counting them off on his fingers.
"Don Rouch."
"Wayne."
"Timothy."
Amber raised another finger.
"And..."
James smiled.
"Jane."
Liam tilted his head slightly.
"Jane?"
"Vice-Captain Jane."
Lydia looked at Amber curiously.
"We haven’t met her yet."
"No."
Amber shook her head.
"And we don’t even know if she’s going to come to the selection."
Liam frowned.
"Why?"
James answered this time.
"Because she had an argument with Armstrong recently."
Liam blinked.
"An argument?"
"A pretty serious one."
James took a sip of his coffee.
"Jane tends to disappear for a while whenever she gets angry with him. She goes somewhere far away, takes a few days off, and comes back once she’s calmed down."
Lydia opened her mouth.
"Wait."
She looked at Amber.
"Jane is...?"
"The Captain’s daughter."
Liam and Lydia went completely still.
"His daughter?"
Amber nodded.
"Yes."
Liam looked at James, confused.
’The Captain has a daughter.’
And not only that.
She was also a Vice-Captain of the Ace of Spades.
Liam leaned back slightly in his chair.
’First Amber.’
’Then Don Rouch.’
’Wayne.’
’Timothy.’
’And now Jane.’
Every Vice-Captain he’d met was completely different from the one before.
Amber was direct and authoritative.
Don Rouch had an eccentric personality.
Wayne seemed incapable of relaxing.
Timothy was practically the opposite of what Liam expected from a Vice-Captain.
And now there was a fifth person he still knew nothing about.
James added with a smile on his face.
"They’re known as the Big Five."
Liam smiled, feeling a shiver run through his body when he heard that.
Amber seemed to have read his expression.
"That’s what the media usually calls us."
"Sounds pretty cool."
Amber smiled.
"That’s what they say."
Liam thought about Jane again.
’I wonder what she’s like.’
Until now, every Vice-Captain he’d met had managed to surprise him in some way.
And he had a feeling Jane would be no different.
◇◆◇
Liam’s coffee was already gone.
Lydia had also emptied her cup.
They both stood up and placed the cups on James’s worktable.
"Thanks for the coffee and the chat."
"Yeah, it was really good."
James smiled.
"I’m glad you enjoyed it."
Liam looked toward Amber.
"And thanks for telling us all of this."
Amber stood up as well.
"You’re welcome."
The Vice-Captain crossed her arms.
"I hope to see you at the selection."
Lydia smiled.
"We hope so too."
"And good luck."
James raised a hand.
"Take it easy. There’s no point in showing up nervous."
Liam let out a small laugh.
"We’ll try."
"I hope so."
Liam and Lydia walked toward the door.
Before leaving, Liam turned around.
"See you, James."
"See you."
"And Amber."
"See you at the selection."
Liam and Lydia left the office.
◇◆◇
Amber and James picked up their cups again.
Finally, the Vice-Captain let out a sigh.
"Alright."
James smiled.
"Now we can talk."
Amber nodded.
"There are a few things I want to change about the squad selection."
James settled into his chair.
"I’m listening."
◇◆◇
Meanwhile, Liam and Lydia walked down the hallway.
Liam looked ahead.
The selection was getting closer and closer.
And now he knew that he wouldn’t only have to face a test.
He would also have to prove his worth to one of those five Vice-Captains.
’Jane...’
Liam smiled.
’Captain Armstrong’s daughter is a Vice-Captain of the guild. I definitely want to meet her.’