Darkfin was once again on Oceanis ready to brief his client Glow at Darkening, also present was Rippling Orange Highlights of the deep-sea people.

“So in conclusion guildmaster Vartark of the Adventurer’s Guild of Foraville on Badonia reiterated once again that the Midgard guild does not look to him. On Midgard, Lilly the guildmaster of Midgard and two of her subordinate guilmasters namely Silverfin Wavedancer representing the guild branch closest to the Luso Dungeon and Colonel Edmund Blackstone representing the native born Midgarders all stated that this was a matter between you and Antonio.”

“Ridiculous, dungeons cannot be allowed to have a say in these things. We demand that the Midgard Guild force the dungeon to comply with our demands,” huffed Glow at Darkening.

“Yet you signed a contract with this dungeon and you broke a fundamental clause of that contract,” asserted Darkfin.

“Pah! Who cares if we did, it’s only a dungeon after all. You’re our lawyer. Sort things out, get the damn dungeon to reopen the portal, our guild is losing money,” ordered Rippling Orange Highlights as Glow at Darkening nodded agreement.

“Well, as I said last time it’s your money but I have to advise you that you are not likely to win this one.” Darkfin nodded to his clients gathered his documents and swam off heading for the gate for home.

The following day in his office at the Lawyers Guild on Astricar Darkfin received his nephew Deep Diver.

Diver looked apologetic but he was grinning. “Hey Unc, that was one doozy of a case you got me. So, I have some papers to serve your clients namely The Adventurer’s Guild of Oceanis regarding breach of contract and inflicting grievous bodily harm to an accredited ambassador. Accredited as agreed to by said contract.”

As his uncle accepted the papers Diver added, “that’s a nice ironclad contract unc, I don’t think your clients have a fin to swim with.”

Darrkfin bit back his automatic reply and ruefully contemplated his nephew. This was going to get messy, very messy.

* * *

Ryan’s crew were celebrating at the bar, they had succeeded in beating the dungeon twice, their first win had gained each of them two levels. The third hadn’t raised their level and they accepted, reluctantly, Silverfin’s explanation that it was far too basic a dungeon to allow for fast levelling.

Hellen and her friend Sue went looking for someone connected with the dungeon and found Rfelicia sorting out some problem at reception. So they waited then asked her if there was any chance that Antonio would create a more challenging version of his dungeon.

Felicia choked as she tried to contemplate something more challenging than Otavio the giant blue-ringed octopus and Jezebel and her merry band not to mention the sprinkling of dragon turtles and assorted schools of carnivorous fish.

“More challenging?” Felicia managed at last, “Oh you mean the training dungeon... Hmm maybe, but I won’t ask him right now as he’s still irritated with the arrogant bastards on Ocianis.”

“That’s a pity, we’ve been having so much fun and we still have just over a week of our holiday left,” added Sue.

Felicia blinked twice as she tried to equate scrambling through vermin infested dirty damp caves with fun. “Erm, I think there’ll be something before your holiday is over.”

The two women thanked her and left to give the good news to their friends. Felicia watched them go shared a look of incomprehension with the two receptionists. Then she retreated to her office where she curled up in one of her comfortable armchairs. Producing her phone she called her friend Tessana and after catching up on gossip she broached the possibility of upgrading the training dungeon as a halfway house to producing something more on the lines of a true training dungeon on the lines of the ones on other worlds.

“Um... I wonder, Tessana how usefull would a graded set of dungeons be to the guild, a set that won’t evolve and grow out the market so to speak?” Felicia asked her friend.

“... Let me think. Felicia is that a true offer?”

A pause followed as Felicia turned things over in her mind, “Yes, but I can only promise another two though I think Antonio would accept four if I sell it correctly.”

“I’ll go and convene the family, Felicia this... this could be very important. Bye I’ve got to run.” Tessana disconected and hurried of tho find her husband and wives.

* * *

Elorinal rubbed a pointed ear as he relaxed after three very hectic days that had passed after that electrifying phone call from Silverfin about the embassy from the high elf run elven empire on Marcenium. Thankfully everything had passed of well, the fact that there were so many high level high elves in the Russian Federation’s armed forces and that Midgard had been a human world had allowed the visitors to believe it was a matter of time before the high elves would be in charge.

So a fairly interesting treaty had been signed. Elorinal sighed and looked back over the last few days, what was that that Green’Tor had said, Alcadar, oh gods the Theocratic Empire of Tall Trees! He was doomed!

There was a knock at his door and after he asked the visitor to enter, it was Mikhail Kuzmin his current number two. “Elorinal I’ve been asked to pass on the thanks of the government for your help with the elves, also do you mind telling me if the high elves out there are all that arrogant?”

“Most are worse, Green’Tor was remarkably tolerant.”

Mikhail winced, “Secondly, congratulations Elorinal you are now a citizen of the Russian Federation.”

“How come, I haven’t applied for citizenship?” asked Elorinal.

“You were born in the Empire province of Lunarion, correct? And you are still registered as a citizen, furthermore the Empire seems to think you owe a truly obscene amount in back taxes.”

“I could easily contest the taxes, it would cost me but it’s business as usual in the Empire,” explained Elorinal.

Mikhail smiled and passed over a well stuffed brown envelope, “Well as a citizen of the Russian Federation’s new province of Lunarion here are your new papers and passport. By the way while the abolition of slavery was resented by some, the flat twenty percent tax rate has given us a very loyal province.”

Elorinal just sat back, stunned for several minutes. “Twenty percent and no tax farmers?”

“Tax farmers are very inefficient. The state would rather see to the collection of taxes.”

“Do I need to sign anything?”

“Here, sign and date please,” said Mikhail as he passed a sheaf of papers across the desk.