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“Guildmaster, there’s a call for you on line one,” the Vice Guildmaster of the Richter Guild said as he walked into his boss’s office.
Lennart Niermann looked up from the performance reviews he was going over. Who would be calling that it would warrant his Vice Guildmaster to come tell him instead of his secretary? “Is it someone important?”
“Well.. It’s Laura Walker. Thomas Andre’s secretary.”
———
It was late afternoon when Lennart arrived in the States. The air had a light breeze to it that carried the chill of winter, despite the sun’s warmth. He had expected to be greeted by the Hunter Bureau, or even Ms. Walker at most. Instead, almost as soon as he stepped off the plane Thomas was there himself to pick him up.
He clapped him on the shoulder, the impact forcing him to stifle a wince. Was this guy always so.. aggressively friendly? He’d only seemed aggressively frightening anytime they’d met before.
“Lennart Niermann! Good to see you.” He slung his arm over his shoulders as if they’d been friends for years.
“..Yes. You as well.” Lennart eyed him warily. On the phone, Ms. Walker had been suspiciously vague about the circumstances of his invitation. She only told him that Thomas wanted to see him and—very reluctantly, it seemed—she added that he’d told her to keep calling and pestering him until he agreed.
He could’ve just ignored the summons—it wasn’t like Thomas was in charge of him—but if Ms. Walker really did keep calling, they would have to block the guild’s number. And who knew what Thomas would do then? The guy was had a reputation for being stubborn and prideful. He wasn’t the type to give up on something he wanted that easily.
He could come to Germany himself, or worse, use his connections to the American government and force his hand by threatening the relationship between their two countries. And even if he decided to back off like a normal person, Lennart would still have to go to the U.S. for the International Guild Conference when it rolled around.
The only thing stopping him from going was.. Bjorn. Though the mystery behind those threads of mana that were controlling him had been solved and his outbursts had lessened in both force and frequency, going through a forced Awakening would put anyone at risk. But oddly enough, his little brother hadn’t gone on a single rampage or even wandered off since the gates had stopped appearing.
It was still too soon to tell if things would stay that way, but at least for now, he felt he could keep his mind at ease for a few days. Bjorn was never exactly in danger, and he had the other members of the Richter Guild to watch over him just in case.
So, he decided it would be better to just “bite the bullet,” as they say.
“If I may ask.. why exactly did you invite me to America, Mr. Andre?”
Thomas grinned, squeezing his shoulder—not with his full strength, thankfully. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t have?”
Lennart couldn’t tell if that was some kind of veiled threat or not. He didn’t sense any hostility, but Thomas was stronger than him. It would be child’s play for him to hide a malicious aura.
“…No, I suppose not.”
“Well good, then.” He lead Lennart to a car with the Scavenger Guild emblem printed on the side. Thomas let him in first, effectively trapping him between him and Ms. Walker who had been waiting in the backseat.
“Your luggage will be delivered to one of the hotels associated with Scavenger. I’ll send you the information once your room has been confirmed,” she said without glancing up from her tablet. She looked.. stressed.
“Ah, thank you, Ms. Walker.”
She gave him a curt nod, tapping furiously and furrowing her brow. Her demeanor was a far cry from when he’d seen her at the last Conference. Did Thomas not follow the proper procedure when he invited me here…?
“So how have you been since the final battle?”
Lennart stared at him. Was he really trying to make small talk with him? Even when his secretary was right there, obviously drowning in whatever work he’d given her? “I’ve been fine.”
“That’s good. I heard most of Europe managed to minimize the damage thanks to the distance.”
“..Right.” Was that some kind of jab at him? Was he angry that his country suffered while Germany remained mostly unscathed? Was his invitation really just a guise to guilt trip him into.. whatever it was he wanted?
Lennart did his best to keep his nerves off his face, fisting his slacks at the knees. He knew this guy was almost entirely unpredictable by nature. He just had to hope Thomas wouldn’t notice or be offended by how anxious he was the more the awkward conversation continued.
———
When they finally arrived at the Scavenger Guild office, Thomas opened the car door, holding his hand out. Lennart could only stare at him. What was he, a princess needing help from her carriage?
Unfortunately, Thomas seemed to have no intention of stepping out of his way. Asking him to move might be rude, especially when he was, in theory, offering him a polite gesture. He took his hand and let Thomas help him out of the car.
But instead of letting go, Thomas slid his hand to Lennart’s wrist, pulling him along. “C’mon, I’ve got something special for ya.”
“…Okay. Lead the way.” He really didn’t need to be guided by the hand like a little kid in a mall, but Thomas, as he was starting to realize, never left any room for argument in anything he did. Lennart had to wonder if it was only him that got pulled along to the man’s whims or if everyone he met was forced through the same experience.
Thomas dragged him into the elevator, and they stood there, almost holding hands in the awkward silence. There wasn’t even any elevator music to distract him. Even worse, he could literally feel heat radiating from Thomas next to him. Was it because of his superhuman size? It was like standing next to a human space heater.
The doors finally opened, and Thomas lead him into was he assumed was his office, based on the odd decor and the plaque sitting on the desk that read “Guildmaster Thomas Andre.”
His hand was finally freed so Thomas could use it to unlock the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out a sleek, black box you might find in a jewelry store, the expression on his face almost giddy as he handed it to him.
Lennart took it, but not without raising a brow in question. “What’s this?”
“A gift. For saving my life.”
Just as he looked up, opening his mouth to respond, Thomas continued. “I actually meant to thank you before the final battle, just in case, but I never got the chance.”
Lennart shook his head. “I was only doing my duty as a Hunter. You were our last line of defense by that point; if even you fell, none of us would have stood a chance. And even then, I only managed to distract that beast for a moment.”
Thomas gave him an odd look he couldn’t read. Gesturing to the box, he said, “Either way, it’s thanks to you that I’m alive.”
Lennart hesitated but opened the box anyway, pulling out.. a tie clip? Thomas must have seen the confusion on his face because he quickly cut in to explain.
“It’s a mana restoration device. It helps draw in mana from your surroundings to your body when you wear it.” He grinned, looking mighty proud of himself. “I figured you must use a lot of mana when I saw you fight against that beast.”
That’s because I had no choice but to use my full power, he thought absently. He took a moment to study the clip. Its triangular shape was lined in gold plating, with a blue gemstone embedded in the center. Based on the faint energy he sensed from it, the source of its mechanism was obvious.
He glanced up at Thomas. He must’ve been silent for too long; the man was staring at him expectantly. For what, Lennart wasn’t quite sure.
“..Thank you. It’s a thoughtful gift,” he decided on. That should be praise enough to satisfy him, right? It was a very nice gift, even if it might not be as useful in the coming days without monsters to fight, but first and foremost he had to make sure he wasn’t causing harm with careless words.
Thankfully, Thomas seemed happy with his lackluster answer, still smiling as he stepped closer. He took the clip from Lennart’s hand, pulling him closer by the tie.
He clipped it on, tugging the tie this way and that. “Good. It matches well.” His smile quickly because a smug smirk, clearly pleased with his own choice. Lennart was just glad Thomas was too busy fussing over it to notice his ears burning crimson red.
———
It was already getting rather late when they arrived that the office, so Lennart left for the hotel after receiving the gift. Thomas had meant to come along as well, but Ms. Walker had stood in his way, berating him too quick for Lennart’s barely passable English comprehension to keep up.
All he knew was that the Guildmaster almost looked like he was pouting as he followed his secretary, waving a disappointed goodbye to Lennart.
Ms. Walker is certainly bold, he thought as he opened the door to his room. Not many people would be willing to stand up to the Thomas Andre, especially if he was their boss.
Lennart allowed himself the small luxury of flopping facedown on the soft bed for just a moment. He’d earned it, dealing with that man right after such a long flight. Other than his personality issues, it seemed he had some sort of logical reasoning problem too.
Who in their right mind would invite someone halfway across the world just to thank them for doing their job? Maybe most Hunters didn’t think that way, but Lennart would have been fine with a simple message of gratitude if he really wanted to thank him so badly.
He rolled over when he felt the various ornaments on his outfit digging into his skin. Grabbing his tie, he stared at the clip in silence for far longer than he should have.
Then he glanced beyond it, and on the dresser was a vase of fresh flowers and a dark bottle of wine. He forced himself up, drawing closer to inspect the display.
Now, Lennart was no expert in flowers. He could name a few, but he wouldn’t be able to tell you what they meant or even what the specific variety was called. Within the bouquet, there were only two he recognized: irises and pansies.
Both came in different colors—blue and white respectively, with the pansies also having a few violet-tipped white variations. The other flowers filling the vase were lost to him, but the main event were clearly the ones with fluffy, peach-colored petals.
He only wished he knew what they were as he leaned down to smell the bouquet. He had initially expected the large variety to make an overwhelming cacophony of scents, but they actually proved to be quite the pleasant combination.
The wine on the other hand, was one Lennart had heard of. It was an American-made brand, and an expensive one at that. As far as he knew, they only made a handful of bottles a year, each costing a small fortune.
Lennart thought the treatment was a bit excessive, even if the room was reserved under the Scavenger name. Did they expect him to drink an entire bottle of wine within the next two days? He certainly couldn’t take it on the plane with him, either way.
But he had to wonder, were unusual bouquets and expensive wine standard for this hotel, or was it simply the weight of the title ‘Goliath’? The possibility that such gifts had been prepared for his arrival never even crossed Lennart’s mind. Not while he showered, or while he was getting dressed for bed, or while he was lying awake waiting for sleep to overcome him that night.
———
As always, Lennart was awake before his alarm ever went off, getting ready for the day while it was still dark out. He liked being awake at this hour, when the house was still and he was alone—but not lonely—in the ambient silence of morning.
Except this time, he was in a hotel, and the stillness he usually enjoyed felt suffocating because he couldn’t sit still. How could he, when Thomas Andre had invited him back to his building with another vague “I want to see you”?
His flight home was supposed to leave the next day. He had even hoped to leave earlier if he could, just to save himself the eventual worry for his brother that would inevitably come during any international trip he had to take. That was no doubt impossible now. Lennart wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas already had plans in mind before sending him that message.
He should’ve expected this, really. Thomas was well-known for his loud, eccentric personality. Just giving him a thank you gift wouldn’t be enough for him to justify inviting him to the States to begin with.
Lennart stopped. The tie clip was on the dresser where he’d left it last night. It really was unique, wasn’t it? Lennart was sure he’d never seen anything like it.
Thomas would be offended if he didn’t wear it. It was in his best interest to wear one of his blue ties then, since he would be spending the day with that man.
He rummaged through his bag, pulling out one with an elegant crisscrossed pattern on it.
Does this mean I can only wear blue ties from now on? Lennart thought absently as he put it on, fixing his collar.
It was true that the clip went best with a comparable color, but that would also mean he needed to invest in more blue accessories. For now, he grabbed his scarf and the comfortably professional coat he liked to wear when he traveled for business. As an afterthought, he added a few matching lapel pins to his coat and chained his pocket watch to his vest.
Thus far, he still had no idea what would be on the schedule for the day. He just hoped he wasn’t over- or underdressed for whatever it was. His outfit from the day before had been considerably more casual, if only for the lack of fashionable ornaments since he had to wear it for the entire ten hour flight it took to get from Germany to the States.
Still, he thought he was dressed reasonably enough for whatever might come his way. He’d even worn similar outfits when raiding before. Sometimes, he would dress up nicely just to keep up appearances for the inevitable bombarding from the press as soon as he stepped out of whatever high-ranking gate his team had cleared.
Despite being an S-Rank Hunter, he still preferred safety and practicality over fashion—though only when it was necessary. His armor had its own unique charm, but unless he was in a highly dangerous situation, he didn’t feel the need to wear it. His natural resistance was usually enough, and it wasn’t like he could walk around in full armor like he was going on a raid, especially when there wasn’t anything to raid.
Letting himself be satisfied with his attire for the day, Lennart sat on the edge of the bed and tried to enjoy the rising sun out his window. But the restlessness just would not leave. He got up and started pacing the floor, walking in circles again and again just to feel like he was doing anything besides worrying over every little thing.
Then he froze mid-step. He glanced down at the tie clip again. Something like that wouldn’t just be lying around in a gate.
He opened the Global Hunter Auction website. Key terms like “magic accessories” and “mana absorbing artifacts” yielded no results. After a brief hesitation, he typed in “custom magic items,” to no avail as well. The only thing that showed up were weapons made from the byproducts of magic beasts.
Even with the lack of results, Lennart was becoming more and more convinced Thomas had this thing made to order. Most craftsman might not typically make such items since they weren’t popular, but it wouldn’t be hard for someone like him to convince them with power and money.
Just how long had he been planning this gift for? It would have taken time to simply design it first, and then longer to find a craftsman who could create such a thing, and longer still for them to actually fulfill the order.
Only seven months had passed since the final battle. Just how soon after the resolution of the crisis did he start making this thing?
Lennart’s phone buzzes, yanking him from his thoughts. It’s the driver Scavenger sent for him. He does another quick once-over his outfit before heading out the door.
———
The first item on the agenda was a tour of the Scavenger Guild training facility. Save for a few armories and gear maintenance rooms, the majority of the building’s rooms were gymnasiums with reinforced walls meant to withstand attacks up to A-Rank. They were generally used for training sessions between veterans and new recruits.
They were in one of these gymnasiums when Thomas turned to face him, wearing that signature grin he was starting to get used to.
“I want you to spar with me.”
Lennart stopped. “Is that a request or a demand?” he asked flatly, even though he knew he didn’t have much of a choice either way.
Thomas took a breath to ponder that. “A request.”
Well that was unexpected. The Goliath was usually one to take what he wanted, not ask nicely. Something in that dissonance made Lennart’s ears burn hot.
“Then I accept.”
And not even a moment later, Thomas was throwing a punch straight for his face.
Lennart ducked to the side, his body moving before he had even registered the incoming attack. As he called forth his mana, geometric shards gathered around his hands to form his gauntlets. He hopped back to put more distance between him and his opponent.
Lennart knew his biggest strengths in this fight would be speed and range. The gauntlets helped him fight in close combat, but against someone like Thomas, that would never be enough to win.
He shot off several rounds of mana, the air coalescing at his command. Each grew more volatile than the last as he continued to stack the pressure. The tie clip Thomas gifted to him was helping as well, restoring his mana faster. It let him fire more wind-based projectiles that mimicked the same geometric structure of his gauntlets.
But to his dismay, even with the strategy he had come up with just to best him, Thomas was having no trouble tanking all the hits thrown his way. In fact, he was even taking the opportunity to activate his [Reinforcement].
Lennart felt a chill down his spine as Thomas’s body was covered in an armor-like formation. Gritting his teeth, he resisted the instinctive fear of a higher power. He’d fought against much stronger creatures and survived. He could do this.
With a gust of wind, Lennart’s mana filled the air. All around, dark figures matching his silhouette swirled into form, recklessly charging at Thomas with no real strategy. But there was too many of them, coming from all sides, for Thomas to effectively block or counter them. And that wasn’t mentioning Lennart himself flitting in and out of view with the relentless use of his [Charge] skill.
“Neat trick you got there.” Lennart could all but hear the smirk in his voice, even if he couldn’t see it. “But all I have to do…” He wound up a fist. “…is blow them all to bits!”
The mana constructs Lennart created were shredded with the massive burst of power Thomas unleashed. A crash sounded, and the two of them were frozen in a crater on the ground.
“Hm? Where’s that disappearing act you were doin’ before?”
Lennart grit his teeth, eyeing the fist that had stopped right before his face. “I can’t keep doing that forever, you know. I have my limits.”
“Huh. Bummer.” Thomas got off him, letting Lennart finally breathe again. He held out his hand with a smirk. “Guess that means I win.”
Lennart nodded, as amicable as ever. “I concede.” He took his hand, bracing to pull himself up only for Thomas to do so for him, setting him on his feet with surprising care. His hand lingered just a bit too long over Lennart’s—he couldn’t even see his own from how big Thomas’s were—before letting go.
He could still feel the lingering heat from that hand tangling in his hair, mussing his bangs and pinning him to the ground. He ran a hand through it, trying to tame its messiness and rid himself of that feeling.
That same heat also persisted in his shoulder, where Thomas’s other hand had held him down, and in his thighs, where his knees had his legs pinned. It traveled up to his face, heating his cheeks until he could feel how red they were.
He cleared his throat, turning away to hide behind his hand. Thankfully, Thomas didn’t look back as he lead him out of the sparring gym they ruined.
———
The guild’s mess hall was crowded, but it wasn’t hard to find a spot to sit. Even among his own Hunters, people still darted from the Goliath’s path like gazelle before a lion.
“What d’you wanna eat?”
Lennart hesitated. Admittedly, he didn’t know much about American cuisine—his visits to the country were only ever for the Conference, not tourism—especially what they might serve at a guild. “I’m not picky. I’ll just have the same as you.”
“Really?” Thomas narrowed his eyes in a way Lennart swore was mischievous behind his sunglasses. “S’pose I’ll have to pick something good then.”
He tapped away on the digital menu, glancing up at Lennart. “Did my gift work well?”
“Ah, yes. It was more effective than I thought it would be.”
He chuckled as he pushed the tablet to the side. “It better be. It took quite a while to get my hands on.”
After a brief hesitation, Lennart asked, “How did you get your hands on it? This isn’t the kind of item you can just buy off the market.”
Thomas tapped his fingers on the table. “I‘ve made a lot of connections over the years, Niermann. They come in handy from time to time.”
Lennart tilted his head. Surely he hadn’t gotten his gift illegally, right? Did this guy just enjoy leaving things vague and suspicious to mess with him?
“And speaking of connections.. I know you don’t usually make much an effort to talk to other guildmasters at the Conference. Honestly, I thought I’d have to go to Germany myself,” Thomas said, vaguely gesturing to him.
“Well,” Lennart began cautiously, “No offense to them, but many of the other guildmasters aren’t the kind of people I like to associate with.”
Thomas leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. “Then what kind of people do you associate with?”
Lennart stared at him for a breath. “..People with principles, at least. People who value loyalty and honor, who know the responsibility their power comes with.” His brows furrowed slightly as he closed his eyes.
“Many people with the kind of power we have take it for granted. They become arrogant, and think that because they have power, they have the right to do as they please. They lose the ‘grace of kings’ and become no better than ordinary tyrants—no, in fact, they are worse, because they can do in broad daylight without a single person who is able to stop them and—” He opened his eyes. “And you seem a lot more interested in my opinion on this than I thought you would be.”
Thomas flinched, his mouth hanging open slightly. After a moment, he took off his sunglasses, setting them down on the table slowly. “I think.. I think you’re right. And I think you’re the kind of person this world needs. Especially at a time like this.”
“..What? What do you mean?”
“I mean you have merit. Integrity. Morals that you clearly care about. You said you only saved me because that was your duty, but no one else there had the courage or ability to do what you did. Hell, you hardly even let me thank you.”
“That’s—”
“—true? Look, you.. You’re a good person, Niermann, and I don’t think you value yourself enough for that. And no matter how much that is, I can tell you it’s definitely not as much as I do…
“…so what about me?”
Lennart blinked. “What about you?”
“What do you think of me? Am I one of those ‘tyrants’? Am I the kind of person you would want to associate with?”
“I— I…” Lennart didn’t know how to answer that. How could he? All he really knew of Thomas was rumors, and during his entire trip, the man had been both meeting and defying his expectations.
Thomas chuckled, but something about it seemed almost bitter. “I won’t force you to answer that. Your silence is answer enough.”
Lennart swallowed dry saliva. “I wouldn’t have even come on your invitation if I didn’t want to associate myself with you. And if you really wanted me to bring me halfway across the world just to give me a thank you gift and a stay in a fancy hotel, then… I’d say you have your principles as well.” He kept his head down, but he could feel Thomas’s gaze burning into him.
“Well, I think you are the most brilliant man I’ve ever met, Lennart Niermann.”
Lennart could only stare at him. He held his gaze for a long time, and even after their food arrived the words lingered in his mind, forever associated with the image of his crimson eyes entrenched in sincerity.
———
Thomas came with him to the airport the next morning to see him off. He’d already tried convincing him that such a gesture was unnecessary, but as always, the Goliath was stubborn and insistent.
He waited the entire hour it took for him to get through TSA, even with his Hunter ID, and waited still for his plane to arrive. They didn’t talk much, just sat together in relative silence as they waited.
At least it’s not as uncomfortable as before, Lennart thought, glancing over at Thomas.
Perhaps they had grown a bit closer in the short time they spent together.
Actually, Lennart was glad Thomas was here, if only for the fact that his presence kept others away and kept him warm. He had always tended to run cold, but the energy rolling of the Goliath in waves was actually quite nice, now that he was over that initial discomfort.
His eyelids started to droop. Some combination of being awake and alert so early and the safety of Thomas’s warmth made him want to crawl back to bed.
He startled awake as his phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling his head from Thomas’s arm—wait, what? He turned and stared at the man in horror. He had fallen asleep on him, even if only for a moment.
Thomas, to his relief, was unperturbed. He chuckled, resting his arm over the back of Lennart’s chair. “Take your call, Niermann.”
Lennart tried not to cringe away from the hand on his shoulder, pressing the answer call button without even looking at the caller ID. “Hello?”
His secretary’s voice rang out from the other end of the line. “Mr. Niermann, your brother wandered off again—” Lennart’s eyes widened. “—but don’t worry, he’s already been located, and he cooperated when the Vice Guildmaster took him home.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. How is he now? Any strange behavior?”
“None so far, but we’ll keep an eye on him. I’ll send you an update if anything happens.”
“Good, thank you. My flight will be here soon, so you may not be able to reach me once we take off.”
“Yes, sir. I will keep that in mind.”
Lennart sighed after she hung up. It did worry him that Bjorn had taken to wandering again, but at least he had left him in capable hands.
“Did something happen?” Thomas asked, eyeing his hunched posture.
Lennart quickly corrected himself, leaning back into the chair with faux relaxation. “Nothing major, just.. worrisome.”
Thomas hummed softly. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
He glanced over. He actually looked.. genuinely concerned. His brow was furrowed slightly, and his mouth was set in a slight frown that gave it a solemn quality. He was serious. “I… I probably shouldn’t.” But in the end, he sighed and gave into the temptation.
“My younger brother.. He’s been through a lot. He has this tendency to wander off and fall asleep in all manner of places, regardless of his own safety. He’s been doing better recently, but…”
“But he did it again,” Thomas finished.
Lennart nodded, remaining silent. He closed his eyes softly, only for his entire body to go rigid when Thomas’s hand returned to his shoulder.
“I can’t say I know much about what it’s like to have any siblings, but I do know what it’s like to worry about someone. Sometimes the best thing you can do for them is worry. Just knowing that you care can help.”
Lennart finally looked at him. “That was.. surprisingly insightful.”
Thomas balked. “‘Surprisingly’?! Hey, I am very insightful—regularly!”
“Sure, you are,” Lennart conceded playfully, unable to hold back the soft smile that came over his face. If his intention had been to cheer him up, it was certainly working.
~~~
Thomas stared after Lennart as he walked away.
“Hey Laura,” he began without looking away, “if I were to propose to the strongest S-Rank Hunter of another country, and he were to move here to be with me, how would that go over, politically?”
He still didn’t turn to see, but he could feel his secretary burning a hole in the side of his head with her eyes. She sighed, “You’re hopeless, sir,” before her heels clicked away, leaving him alone with his longing.