A Theory on Godhood: An Overlord Story

Chapter 62: On the matter of Business

                                                                    In an undisclosed location

Hilma Cygnaeus was smoking her pipe, watching as her compatriots in Eight Fingers argued with one another. An emergency meeting had been convened between all the prominent department heads of their shadowy organization. Time was of the essence, especially given that they were nearly on the brink of collapse.

And here we are, squabbling like children.

She didn't have a high opinion of any of her peers. And the feeling was mutual. If anything, the only reason any of them worked together was because of their shared greed, their desire to dominate the underworld by any means necessary.

Her eyes scanned the round table they all sat at. The room was dark, with only a few wax candles giving them enough light to see each other's faces. It was drab, but it did set the appropriate atmosphere. The candlelight shook with the collective rage of the department heads.

There was Ampetif Cocco Doll, the head of the Slave Department, and to his right was Zero, the head of the Security Department. They were engaged in deep conversation, the former crying dramatically.

Further down was Noah Zweden, the head of the gambling department, who glared daggers at Olin Dramsden, the banking department head. Oscas Verin, head of Larceny, was similarly engaged with Prian Polson, head of assassinations. They whispered furiously and slipped documents to each other. And near the head seat next to their organization's "esteemed" leader was Endio Zersky, the head of the smuggling division.

Hilma puffed her pipe, trying to read the lips of Eight Finger's leader. A hood obscured most of his face. Even in the dim light, she could see that his skin was clammy. His mouth trembled with a mixture of emotions: anger mostly, but a healthy dosage of fear.

For an odd reason, he kept glancing over his shoulder. Were they expecting someone else to come? As far as she knew, every department head had been summoned for this emergency meeting. It seemed a whim of fate that they all happened to be in the vicinity, otherwise it would have taken far longer to arrange things.

Not that it mattered. She could hardly focus with Cocco Doll's wailing in her ear.

"I can't believe my favorite messenger has gone missing!" wailed Ampetif Cocco Doll, head of their slave trade department. "Zero, surely Davernoch must be mistaken! He can't be dead!"

"We don't know if he's dead, just that he's missing," Zero replied calmly. He was one of the few voices of reason amongst the heated threats of the other department heads.

"But that magic tracker was 'top-notch' you said! Should've never trusted that stupid undead to handle anything delicate. Those bony fingers would be too harsh handling my delicate merchandise."

"I... look, I can't promise anything for certain anyhow. With Blue Roses up our ass and the loss of a majority of our income, there's too much uncertainty. We should've been out of this damned city ages ago."

"Like we could move! Have you not heard about our storehouses getting raided? All our products are disappearing, and our money with it! Who are we gonna sell to if there's no product left? First, that little girl bans slavery and now our drugs have gone missing."

Noah Zweden, head of the gambling department, rolled his eyes. "And yet we're still getting money somehow from the idiot nobility. Our departments take in some profits and you, Cocco Doll, can quit whining. Just because this one was your personal toy-"

"You don't understand! He was more than just a messenger to me! He was my best! We shared everything, and he kept things running smoothly. Without him, my other errand boys will run off!" Cocco Doll sniffed.