Everyone barely managed to get out of shed 36 in time. They ended up face to face with the enraged beast.
Fortunately, the third team happened to be there too, and with all hands on deck, they finally managed to subdue it. Still, several of his men were badly hurt.
That close call made Nathan realize how exposed they really were. No matter how careful they were, accidents like this could happen at any time. And next time, they might not be so lucky.
"You mean the tactical vests?" Claremont asked, catching on immediately.
"Yes," Nathan nodded. "That gear would go a long way in helping everyone stay safe."
Seeing Claremont understood right away, Nathan felt a small wave of relief and gave a slight smile.
But Claremont didn't give an answer right away. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and asked in a calm tone, "Is this just your opinion, or does the whole team feel the same?"
"Well… everyone agrees, sir," Nathan said earnestly. "Our maintenance crew deals with magical creatures every day, sometimes in closer quarters than the patrol teams. It's dangerous work."
Claremont didn't reject the idea outright, and that gave Nathan a bit of hope. Encouraged, he added sincerely, "So that's the situation."
Claremont nodded slowly but still didn't say yes or no. Instead, he turned the conversation in a different direction.
"You remember during the last meeting I told you to keep those tactical vests a secret, didn't I?" he said. "How would your crew even know about them otherwise?"
Nathan straightened his posture, setting aside any hint of casual familiarity. "Your Excellency, I've always followed your instructions to the letter. I didn't say a word to my team. They only found out because of Matthew, he's the one who told them."
There was no hesitation in his voice. He placed the blame directly on Matthew, Claremont's nephew, without blinking.
Claremont's expression darkened at the name. 'Matthew again. Why was it always him causing problems?' A flash of irritation crossed his face.
He believed Nathan, of course, Nathan had a solid reputation for being reliable and respectful, but hearing Matthew's name only deepened his frustration.
The problem was, those tactical vests were incredibly hard to come by. When the club had distributed them previously, Claremont had gone through a lot of effort to get a few extra sets transferred in from the other parks. Supplies were limited, and handing out more now would put him in a tough spot.
"So what you're saying is that even the lower-tier workers already know about the vests?" Claremont asked, frowning.
The whole point of keeping that information restricted was to avoid unnecessary trouble. The vests were powerful tools that directly strengthened their teams, but too much talk about them could lead to tension and infighting. That's exactly why he'd warned the middle managers to keep it quiet.
Now, thanks to Matthew's carelessness, that delicate balance had been upset. Claremont let out a slow breath, silently regretting the promise he'd made to Matthew's mother to keep an eye on him. He should've known better.
Seeing Claremont's firm gaze and continued questioning, Nathan knew he had no choice but to be honest. "I believe so, sir. But as far as I know, only my team found out about it earlier today.
I've already spoken to them and told everyone to keep quiet about it. I can't say for sure what Matthew's told his own people."
Claremont let out a quiet sigh, clearly aware that once word of something like this started to spread, it was almost impossible to stop. Most likely, half the park already knew by now. He frowned for a moment, processing the situation, but then his expression softened as he looked back at Nathan.
"I understand your concerns," Claremont said, his voice calmer. "It's obvious you care about your team and aren't afraid to stand up for them. I respect that."
He paused, then added with more sincerity, "But I hope you also understand that I'm in a tough spot here."
Even though the breeding park had been showing solid progress lately, Claremont didn't try to cover up the reality. They were, at the end of the day, working under large wizarding companies, helping them raise magical beasts for commercial use.
Money was always tight. Those tactical vests that everyone had their eyes on? They weren't something you could just go out and buy from any Diagon Alley supplier.
Most weren't even available to the public. Their corporate backers had been supportive to a degree, providing a few pieces of gear when they could, but the numbers were small, far too small to outfit every worker.
As Claremont explained this, there was a flicker of discomfort in his voice. It was clear he wasn't proud of the situation.
Meanwhile, outside the window, Shalltear remained perched in the shadows, listening carefully. Her brow furrowed as the pieces began to form a troubling picture.
Raising magical creatures for corporate profit? Tricking their own staff into risking their lives with barely any real protection? It was starting to make sense.
She didn't fully understand how everything fit together yet, but her instincts told her this was important. This might be the key to dealing with the regular staff at the park, people who didn't even realize how much they were being used.
***
"Are you not worried he might be in danger, letting him patrol the outskirts like that?" Gail asked with a teasing smile, covering his mouth playfully.
Claremont responded with a flat look. Wasn't it already obvious whether patrolling the outskirts was dangerous or not? Those patrol routes were practically like taking a walk through the park.
Gail chuckled at the unspoken reply, then shifted to a more serious tone.
"But you really promised to give them new protective gear. Is that even possible? Even the club struggles to get their hands on tactical vests, and they have to pay for them," she said, her voice laced with skepticism.
Despite their base being the largest among the three, actually securing that kind of gear was still a huge challenge.
"I know," Claremont replied, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. "But the risks the maintenance team deals with every day are real. The creatures are growing stronger and more aggressive, and the pressure on our people is only getting worse."
He paused before continuing, "If we don't figure out a way to improve their safety, accidents are going to happen more often. And when that happens, the tension between the maintenance team and the patrol team will only keep rising."
"You're thinking ahead, I'll give you that," Gail said with a shrug, "but we're strapped for resources. Tactical vests like those aren't just expensive, they're not even available to begin with. You can't buy them, no matter how much gold you have."
Then, as something clicked in his mind, he added, "Wait, are you saying you want to start smaller? Like buying protective gloves or enchanted pendants instead?"