Darkness completely enveloped the group as soon as they began descending deeper into the tunnels.

Far away from the noise of the black market. Far away from the shouting, the betting, and the homicidal orc grandmothers.

Now, only footsteps echoed against damp stone.

And the faint golden glow coming from Finn’s lantern.

The fireflies inside the small lamp fluttered softly, casting long shadows over the dirt walls reinforced with old timber.

The entire path was marked with red lines painted across various points. Arrows. Symbols. Marks that probably only made sense to a mind as questionable as Finn’s.

Max observed everything with renewed fascination.

’Okay, this is cool again.’

They were literally walking beneath the entire black market. As if a second city existed buried beneath the first.

Finn walked ahead with complete ease, as though he were strolling through his own back garden.

"What a disappointment," he commented suddenly.

Max raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

Finn turned his head slightly.

"I’m sure the party upstairs was far more entertaining than this boring mission."

He smiled faintly.

"That would explain why it took you so long to find me."

Max let out a quiet snort.

"Don’t flatter yourself."

He folded his arms while walking.

"That mess up there was a complete disaster."

He glanced towards the ceiling, as though he could still hear the distant chaos.

"Tell me something."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Is it normal for neighbourhood wars like that to happen around here?"

Finn let out a small laugh.

"That?"

He waved his free hand dismissively.

"That wasn’t a war."

He smiled, amused.

"That’s practically child’s play."

A light chuckle escaped him.

"Just the locals having a bit of fun."

Neros walked behind both of them with a completely neutral expression.

"Not surprising."

He adjusted his clothes, still dirty from the fight.

"Though I admit, I did get to punch a few orcs who were almost certainly criminals."

Finn let out a brief laugh.

"Glad to see you adapted to the neighbourhood so quickly."

Max nodded thoughtfully.

"I did notice something, though."

He looked at Finn.

"There were way too many people carrying the seven-pointed star mark."

That caused the goblin’s smile to soften slightly.

"Yeah."

He raised the lantern a little higher, illuminating another red mark painted on the wall.

"Because this is the worst area of the black market."

His tone lost some of its lightness.

"The most chaotic. The most miserable."

He kept walking.

"And they control practically this entire district."

Max frowned.

"All of it?"

Finn nodded.

"Shops, routes, protection, merchandise."

He gestured vaguely upwards.

"They charge rent to nearly every business and storage unit in the area."

He scoffed.

"Ever since they arrived, a lot of people ended up on the streets."

His voice sounded drier now.

"Like Dorian and me when we were kids."

A brief silence followed.

Neros was the first to break it.

"So you justify being a thief because of a tragic past?"

His tone was completely flat. Almost accusatory.

Finn turned his head and glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"Yes and no," he replied honestly.

He shrugged.

"Partly because it’s what I had to do to survive."

A small smile returned.

"And partly..."

He spun the dagger between his fingers.

"I’m absurdly good at it, and I happen to enjoy it quite a lot."

Neros stared at him with obvious disapproval.

Max sighed.

"Friendly reminder."

He pointed a thumb towards Neros.

"We promised to pardon all his crimes if he helps us. And he is helping us."

Finn looked at the cat man and smiled with almost childish satisfaction.

"Hearing that from a royal knight truly warms my heart."

Neros frowned even harder, clearly reconsidering all his recent life choices.

Max immediately sensed the atmosphere. Too much tension.

Far too much potential for someone to strangle someone else inside a narrow tunnel.

So he intervened quickly.

"Anyway, changing the subject..."

He pointed towards one of the many side tunnels they weren’t taking.

"Where do all those lead?"

Finn kept walking, now a little more relaxed.

"I built them years ago."

The answer came naturally.

"With different business partners."

He pointed at several tunnels as they walked.

"They all connect to warehouses, shops, and strategic points across the district."

He lifted his chin slightly.

"It’s how I infiltrate places."

Max looked around with renewed respect.

"That’s actually pretty impressive."

Finn smiled faintly.

"It was more impressive when I wasn’t doing it alone."

His tone shifted strangely for a moment. Lower.

"The partners who didn’t leave..."

A brief pause.

"...died."

Max blinked.

"I’m sorry."

Finn shrugged.

"I’m not, really."

His smile returned, though colder this time.

"When your expiration date comes, it comes."

Max wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that.

Neros spoke instead.

"And the ones who left?"

The effect was immediate.

Finn’s smile vanished completely.

His steps continued, but his expression changed. Harder. More closed off.

He didn’t answer for a few seconds. Only the sound of the lantern swaying filled the silence.

Finally, he spoke.

"I don’t want to talk about the ones who left."

Dry. Sharp. Final.

Silence again.

Max lowered his gaze slightly. He didn’t need exceptional intelligence to understand exactly who Finn was referring to.

’Dorian.’

***

Finn was the one to finally break the silence.

"We’re almost there."

His voice sounded lighter again, as if the previous moment had never happened. He gestured ahead with the lantern.

"A few metres from here is the exit."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"And directly above it... the traffickers’ shop."

Max felt tension settle back into his body.

"Perfect."

He slipped a hand into his infinite backpack and began rummaging through it.

After a few seconds, he pulled out a longsword wrapped in cloth. He unrolled it and offered it to Neros.

The cat man observed it for a second before taking it. Almost with relief.

His sword. Finally.

He ran a hand over the hilt as though reconnecting with a missing part of himself.

"I don’t even sleep without my sword," he muttered.

Finn let out a small laugh.

"That explains quite a lot."

Neros shot him an irritated look while fastening the weapon to his waist.

Max adjusted his shield and gripped his hammer.

"I prefer being prepared," he said.

He looked forwards.

"Just in case."

Finn smiled sideways.

"If the mage and the idiot do their jobs properly..."

He spun the dagger between his fingers.

"You shouldn’t need to use any of that."

Max arched an eyebrow.

"That does absolutely nothing to reassure me."

Finn seemed amused by the response.

He pushed open a small wooden door at the end of the tunnel. A faint reddish light filtered down from above.

"Then we’re ready."