Arthur leaned back, days later, cups of alcohol before him. He stared at Karen, the woman alone for once, her daughter having managed to sneak away to hang out with others more her age while Arthur asked his question. He had received word just this evening that Kim was finally ready to join him along with some of her people, and that meant he had run out of time to ask his question.
"Why me?" Karen said, eyes fixed on his without fear.
"Why not you?" Arthur smirked, then cut her off before she could protest the non-answer. "You're smart. You train well, even if a little sadistically, and you have reason to stick around for a little while longer. You aren't in a rush at the least and you don't back down."
"You barely know me."
"More than I do your boss."
"That's not a selling point."
"Needs must."
Again, Karen shook her head. "This is a slipshod organisation. You'll introduce a lot of spies, a lot of slackers and individuals intent on nothing but their own good."
"I know." He nodded at her. "That's why you're in charge of helping." He opened his hand, gesturing around. "Someone who has managed to come this far, but doesn't offer us much?" He shrugged. "Well, you'll be able to take care of them." Then, Arthur hesitated before adding. "After this, to the sixth and maybe even seventh. I don't know how many others I might find that are appropriate. Might not even leave anyone in charge on the sixth. Seventh might be... viable."
"Depending on who?"
"Exactly." The seventh floor had the most numbers being the rest floor and having a place much like the fifth where individuals could gather. If anything, it was even more peaceful - at least from monsters - since the extended area around the portal stone on the fifth floor still received waves of monsters as the fifth floor attempted to recapture it's original starting area. On the other hand, the fact stood that the Thorned Lotuses were never a powerful group, the individuals who managed to make their way up doing so by virtue of luck or determination, alone without much aid.
Who he might find at the seventh floor was entirely unknown. Even the sixth floor would likely have few enough options for him to build a Clan hall, so it was best for him to confirm what he could here. Which meant her, surprisingly.
"Look, it's not great. I know that, you know that. But none of the Clans in the beginning are great. It's why so many of them fail or never really rise far." He shrugged. "The way the Towers are built, it makes it hard. But later on, if we grow enough, fast enough; I'll have more controls."
"A shaky foundation..."
"Do you want the job or not?" Arthur said, suddenly fed-up. "I promised her this floor, nothing else. You on the other hand..." He shrugged. "Well, you have options."
Karen sat back, fingers drumming against the table as she kept one extended arm outwards. The knock-knock-knock of acrylic nails on wood made Arthur grit his teeth but he knew better than to interrupt her thoughts. He did wonder, idly, how she even managed to keep those nails. Not like you couldn't - wouldn't break nails at some point. Or even outgrow those you arrived in.
So did she take them off somehow before each time she went out? Because he was certain he could remember their presence on their own trip otherwise. If so, how? Didn't they glue it or something? Idle thoughts, to fill the time as he waited for an answer.
"Fine. I'll take it. But I've got some suggestions and some requirements," Karen said, leaning forwards. "Let's start with your bookkeeping system."
Arthur's eyes widened, alarmed at the change of topic. He looked around, spotting Mel and pointed at her. Then, he switched, turning to the point to a gesture for Mel to sit down. He could ask her to deal with this, to discuss numbers and rules and other aspects of putting together - or keeping - a Clan. But that kind of attitude was how you could get backstabbed.
"Mel has been keeping the books and she's my second-in-command. So we should have this talk with her," Arthur explained, leaning back in his seat a little more as he glanced around. "We're going to have to be short though, we've got a lot of cultivating to do."
"I'll be brief." Karen said. "But this has to be done."
***
Done indeed. Rubbing his head later that evening, Arthur wondered why it hurt as much - if not more - to deal with such things than pouring pure energy through one's veins. Meridians. Same thing in some was, entirely different in others. Outside, multiple governments had attempted to ascertain exactly what these meridians were, tapping into age old knowledge and running numerous tests. Some a little less ethical than others.
He knew that every other month or so, new announcements came along, decrying the sudden explosion of knowledge that a particular study had arrived at. Some new shocking revelation. Almost always followed by a new scam purporting to help individuals toughen meridians or make them cleaner or shinier or something.
It reminded Arthur of the diet craze, when nutrition information - always more nuanced than the journalists take on the results - would flood the airwaves. All followed by fitness gurus and the latest health craze, such that true information about cultivation and meridians and the actual data was hard to find.
Arthur could not help but wonder if business information was like that. Certainly not as much about Guilds or Clans since the creation of those were half-luck and half planned circumstance. But, if Karen was to be believed, it shared many of the same traits. Though why a robust harassment policy was required seemed amiss even now. After all, women still consisted of the majority of his members. Surely they could handle things themselves?
Or was that sexist and patriarchal? After all, men could be harassed.
Either way, she had, eventually agreed to work with them. She would be the second in command, keeping the Gui Hin Kim in check till someone else of equal strength could come along. Then she'd move up, doing the same for the sixth or seventh floor as necessary. In time, Amah Si would send up others too from the first floor, reinforcing whatever was done and fixing the floors in-between as well.
Energy from the monster stone pouring into him, Arthur turned his mind to his other problem. Cassie had grown quiet, only going so far as to deposit a pouch of monster stones for him to utilise as part of their agreement. He knew she was fighting her own battles, and it might still impact him. He hoped not, but her cousin had looked less than happy the last time Arthur had seen him.
Worst though, Arthur had a feeling that the problems that might occur would happen afterwards. When he had left the Tower, when he was at his weakest. Not physically, of course, but in terms of allies and infrastructure. The Chin's and Prime Group, the other organisations and the triads all had ways of passing on news.
By this point, it would not surprise him if they had gotten news all the way outside. What he might face, when he exited, was concerning a little. His family taken hostage, his Master? Obligations and debts taken out on his name perhaps. Or, just as bad, individuals and corporations and Guilds and Clans getting ready to bully him into alliances.
Perhaps not getting involved with the Chin's was a strategic mistake. Getting Cassie further on his side might have given him some protection. Or tied him further.
He had no way of knowing, but the pressure of time and crises outside of his control pressed upon him.
Damn it all and back.