Later that day,

The sun had run its course, silently dipping its head in the horizon as if to fall asleep. A sea of red burned across the white landscape teeming with late winter snow. At the center of Ranad, a massive structure stood proud against the harsh winter winds. Blindingly bright lights illuminated the compound, their source a series of magelight-powered lamp posts that stretched beyond the compound to the streets, their collective radiance an assurance to the sleeping sun that the people of Ranad would be safe till the morrow.

Seven silhouettes stood beneath one such lamp post at the Maggot HQ entrance, engaged in animated discussion. The figures, cognizant of the chill that would come at the loss of the sun’s heat, were mostly dressed in warm, furry clothing to stave off the cold.

Well, mostly.

A certain daeben braved the cold in his trademark sleeveless top, the only indication that he experienced the slightest bit of discomfort was the fact that his hands remained in his trouser pockets.

Watching Kashi with wary eyes, Just Matt muttered, “I had heard rumors, but they do not even come close. You guys are truly crazy.” His discomfort stemmed from the massive water tower erected behind the Maggot HQ Building.

Using Ranad as a test site, the Maggots had begun revamping the town's plumbing system to get as close to modern standards as possible. Already, the entire Maggot Building and a third of the city now had taps installed, significantly improving the citizen’s way of life as they did not have to worry about going to fetch water at the stream or waiting to draw water from the well.

During Kashi and Leila’s tour of the Maggot HQ building, they learned that the plans had already reached the final mass production stage.

Before long, these plumbing systems would be widespread to the neighboring towns and cities. Ignoring the massive reputation boost the easy access to water would garner from the common folk, should the Maggots choose to charge, even only 1 Syros per month for every household, the imagined profits were limitless.

Just Matt shook his head.

Considering the Maggots’ significant lead in Runic Technology, should anyone want to push into this business in the future, they would need to go the electric-powered route. However, the MetalBrand leader also knew that a significant number of the player base would sabotage any attempt to bring about the industrial revolution through the excessive use of air pollutants like coal. They were powerless to stop their original world from being damaged beyond repair; they would be damned if they allowed anyone to harm this beautiful world.

Just Matt was not sure the extent of the Maggots’ ambition, but from what he had witnessed so far, it was enough to guess they aimed to modernify the world—in their image.

While things like crafts were great and all, an enemy country could do without them, choosing to prevent artisans from entering their country. However, no sane government could resist the inventions like the water tower and advanced plumbing systems. Thus, the Maggots could get a steady foothold in any country of their choice in the future.

It was frightening, really.

Conquer the world?

At this rate, it would be the world begging to be conquered.

Just Matt shivered. Thank Goodness, he agreed to this meeting. He would not have known how to spell the word regret if he missed the opportunity to jump on a voyage as ambitious as this one because of something as fleeting as pride.

Kashi inwardly smiled, noting the bewildered guildmasters’ faces. Indeed, passing the time with a tour was an excellent choice. He cast a glance at Leila, who was in deep discussion with Lunette and PsyoniousPH. Once again, it would seem he was in the wisben’s debt.

Leila’s business skills, honed by her father, were light-years beyond his light novels/wuxia-inspired ideas.

“Your guild is indeed strange.”

Kashi turned to see DogFighterPro regarding him with a peculiar glint in his eyes. A little smile lit up the daeben’s expression as he replied, “You’d be surprised how often we’re told that. What exactly do you find weird, though?”

“Your guild members,” DogFighterPro mumbled. “I sense no discrimination against Residents from them. That is peculiar. How do you manage it?”

“You’ll have to thank Leila for that,” Kashi revealed. “She made it clear to everyone we need the Residents just as much as they need us. As soon as she established a common ground for profit and loss, it was only a matter of time before true communities borne from like-minded individuals formed regardless of Summoned or Resident.”

“Common ground for profit and loss?” DogFighterProd mused, brow raised with an intrigued glint in his eyes. “Sounds dirty.”

Kashi chuckled. “In the Summoned’s world, it is common knowledge that to prevent the outbreak of major diseases; it is wise to administer a weaker virus, so the body gets used to it.”

“Ooh, that? Vaccination was it? I’ve heard of it,” DogFighterPro revealed with a smile. “Years back, some alchemist out of Markath made waves when he promised something similar.”

Kashi's eyes widened with interest. “Oh? This alchemist. What became of him?”

“Dunno,” DogFighterPro shrugged. “Last I heard, he was relieved of his GrandMaster title and left the country a disgraced man.”

Kashi’s eyes bounced sharply, and he could not help but sigh deeply. “Seriously, a disgraced GrandMaster Alchemist? Don’t go overshadowing another future BOSS. I’ve got enough on my plate right now as it is.”

“Haha,” DogFighterPro animatedly laughed. “He does sound like the archetypical villain with a grudge, doesn’t he?” Patting the daeben’s shoulder, he consoled, “Don’t worry, there is only a slim chance that he does become one.”

Kashi’s expression turned grim. “It’s that slim chance I'm scared of.”

“What’s there to be scared of?” CyanidePilgrim questioned, walking up to the duo with brisk steps. Pounding his gauntlets against each other, he declared, “Worst case scenario, we get one more person to pound into the ground. Can’t see any downsides.”

“Know what, you are absolutely right,” Kashi agreed with a toothy grin, hints of madness pulsing beneath his eyes. “Best-Case Scenario, he returns with a whole army, and we have a lot of people to pound into the ground.”

CyanidePilgrim met the daeben’s steady gaze. Visible sparks exploded between their eyes, similar bloodthirsty grins beginning to spread on their faces.

BAM!

“Y’all are way too bloodthirsty,” DogFighterPro joked as he shook his head at the pounded fists. “The testosterone levels in here are way too damn high. I’ll wait with Ms. Paragon.” He said, pointing to Paragon4x, who calmly sat under the shade of a tree, methodically sharpening her massive blade with a whetstone.

As if prompted by the mertian’s finger, the blond knight looked up, blue eyes gazing past the trio. “The direwolf has arrived.” Rising to her feet, Paragon4x sheathed the blade at her back and announced.

The leaders paused their various discussions, turning to the gate to see the fabled direwolf confidently trotting in with a Nespian tiger in tow. Irises akin to the flames of hell burned brightly against corneas and fur that invoked memories of the darkest nights where sin and despair ruled supreme.

In stark contrast to the direwolf, the Nespian tiger’s silver fur projected a majestic aura, magnified by the regal manner in which it carried itself. Streamlined, triangular facial features housed a pair of gray eyes that seemed to view all as naturally beneath its gaze.

Where Kira’s imposing stature struck terror and fear in the hearts of all, Hogosha’s grandiose nature stirred a sense of awe and worship as if gazing upon a king.

What frightening beasts!

The guildmasters shared this thought as Kira and Hogosha approached them, their shock increasing when they noticed the tiger purposely keep a step behind the direwolf. To make such a majestic beast submit, what kind of monster was this direwolf? So this was the HellHound the bards sang of. The songs, with all their grandiose exaggerations, clearly paled before the real thing.

“Took you long enough,” Kashi greeted as Kira came up to his side.

Kira snorted. “The sun just set.”

Indeed, looking into the horizon, the last of the red tucked in for the night. On the other side, Hogosha silently sat next to Leila, bowed head, displaying his unconditional respect for his master. Noting the awe in the guildmasters’ eyes at the tiger’s demeanor, Kira could not help but give out a snort. “Poser.” If these people knew how this supposedly regal tiger really behaved, how would they react?

Kashi took out a portrait from his inventory. “Since we’re all here, we can go. First, I’ll ask that everyone get their respective mounts. Just in case.” Currently, apart from [Beast Tamers] who were blessed with a small independent world, no other class could store mounts in their inventories. If Kashi teleported these people without mounts, they would have to hire rides from nearby stables to explore Merriheim or leg it.

The guildmasters, who hadn’t been briefed on exactly what was to happen, innocently left and returned with their mounts. Kashi inspected the beasts, secretly impressed by the species diversity, which seemed to reflect their riders’ personalities.

CyanidePilgrim, a battle fanatic without a sense of the flair and dramatic, rode the raptor-inspired lockjaw species. The two-legged dinosaurs were fast runners with nearly inexhaustible stamina and their high intelligence was an additional admirable trait. If there was one area they lacked, it was defense. Bodies primed for speed lacked heavy scales for protection, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. Like its rider, the lockjaw prioritized quick attacks, aiming to destroy the enemy with critical strikes before the enemy killed it.

Paragon4x proudly sat atop a heavily armored Leoma, a rare breed of the kings of the jungles native to Rosendun. This muscular specimen of power and regality stood eight feet tall, massive jaws promising death to any caught between them. Although lacking somewhat in intelligence compared to the lockjaws, the Leoma more than made up for this shortcoming with a hulking strength that could theoretically put all well-made plans to rest.

Next to her, PsyoniousPH rode on a mutated version of the dreaded manticores. This version, called Scarui, was much smaller than its original, sporting snowy white fur and three beautiful tails where the scorpion tail should have been. However, it did retain the horns atop its head, massive canines adding much grit to what would have otherwise been a ‘cute’ beast. What this creature lacked in size and strength, it made up for with multiple magic skills, which helped serve as added protection for its master so she could focus on healing and supplementary spells.

A smaller, lithe Quirl stalked to the side, its tiny size a massive deception to potential prey. The cheetah-spotted beast boasted one of the highest short-range speeds among land-based creatures, with a frightening acceleration that allowed it to go from 0 – 90 km/h in the span of a second (or in other words, twice the acceleration of the world’s fastest car.) Massive whiskers grew to over nine feet long, electric arcs sparking around feathered ends. With its speed and master’s skill with firearms, most enemies never understood what hit them by the time enough holes were drilled into them for their bodies to serve as beehives.

Last but certainly not least, as if to display his insane wealth, DogFighterPro rode atop a young Quillin. The magnificent creature boasted the body of a stallion, antlers of a reindeer, and long ears resembling that of an elf. The beast’s jet-black fur sported traces of sky-blue, which only added to its ethereal beauty. It was the sort of creature one could not help but stop and admire.

It seemed facing a similar creature with a superior bloodline sparked something within Drixlia, its restlessness transmitted to the daeben seated atop it through vibrations in its chest.

Kashi’s brow rose with interest, a small smile playing on his lips as he patted the proud stallion’s back to soothe its discomfort. Well, it wasn’t like there were no possible means to enhance a creature’s bloodline. In fact, there were quite a few methods. It was just that failure usually led to a bloodline deterioration or even death.

However, as if sensing Kashi’s hesitation, the vibrations in Drixlia’s chest magnified.

Sensing this, Kashi sighed and whispered, “Fine. I’ll find a way to enhance your bloodline. I do think you’re fine the way you are, though.”

Drixlia snorted, the vibration in its chest finally settling down. It wasn’t stupid. Although Kashi was okay with it now, it would not keep up with the daeben’s future battles.

An average horse, even one with a bloodline as rich as its own, had a shallow ceiling for improvement, and it could tell it had already hit its peak. Any further progress would be minute as best.

“Good, we’re all here,” Kashi said as he examined the painting in his hand to ensure it was the right one. “We’ll go in two batches.” His recent leveling in Dimensional Painting mastery had increased the number of life forms he could teleport to nine at a time.

With that, the first chosen set of people linked hands. Then, with a simple [Teleport] chant, they were enveloped by bright bursts of light and disappeared.

Rine’s Bar

Meilfour.

Nightfall in Meilfour was unlike anywhere else in Destia. Streets lit by beautiful lamp posts bustled with life as several adventurers rushed to and fro, enjoying the city’s busy nightlife. Musicians and bards from far and wide had settled in the town, their presence promoting the rise of several salons, bars, and restaurants where they performed for an ever teeming audience looking to unwind from all the fighting and killing.

Lovers enjoyed chilled drinks, serenaded by wandering performers, some choosing to get their portraits done to decorate their apartments or homes.

The magnificent Emporium at the city’s center housed many unique works of art that wealthy collectors did not hesitate to part with their hard-earned syros to obtain. Performers with bright futures rented out rooms within the center where they performed to small audiences with the hopes of building their fan base.

Although, as of yet, there were no superstars in the vein of Lunette Falsetto, who was famous enough to justify using the main concert grounds, it was only a matter of time before even that area began selling out once again.

Tucked away in a little corner of this bustling town was a small bar that most people would ordinarily not pay attention to. In recent weeks, it had expanded somewhat to make room for performers who wished to ply their trade within. But even then, probably because of its remote location and lack of advertising, it was a bar only for a select few patrons.

Tonight, however, those patrons, along with many others, felt for the first time that this out of the way bar might not be as simple as it looked. The exotic mounts tethered to posts in front of the bar brought to mind the insane vehicles found at high brow clubs for the top 1% teenage kids. Even more frightening were the black armored soldiers who stood guard in front of the bar, their presence a powerful deterrence to any potential thieves.

One could only imagine what kind of meeting was currently happening within the seemingly unassuming bar.

Within Rine’s bar, uncaring of the commotion outside, Leila beamed as she familiarized herself with the Hopeful Maggot members she had either not met in a long time or not at all.

It was nice to finally put a face to all the reports she’d read. Especially so, considering these men and women were directly responsible for the guild’s expansions. She cast each name to memory, then shook hands firmly with Miote, whose eyes held a bit of fatigue. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“It has been my pleasure,” Miote replied, a hint of a smile revealing the excitement within. “I hope you enjoy the presentation. We have a lot in store.”

“Oh? Consider me intrigued. I will be looking forward to it.”

Miote nodded, making his retreat as a vibrant voice called out to the wisben.

“Ara? So you’re the famous Leila Lightwood.” Jade grinned as she gave Leila a naked once-over. “Uwah~ you’re even more intimidating in person.”

“You must be Jade-san,” Leila greeted with warmth. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Only good things, I hope?” Jade joked, then added with a wave of her hand. “Please, call me Jade, and I’ll call you Leila. How’s that?”

“Jade it is then,” Leila acceded, smile widening as she added, “I heard you were instrumental in the battle for Aygorzi. You main both healer and electric mage? How did you manage that? How do your mana reserves hold out?”

“Fuu,” Jade flushed, cheeks turning slightly red. “It’s true what they say about you. You make people feel naked.” With a bouncy shrug, she excitedly explained, “In fact, it’s not that hard. There’s a hidden bonus for reading looots of magic books cover to cover. Boosts Intelligence and Wisdom like you wouldn’t believe. But even more than that, there’s a [Scholar] trait that cuts down mana costs by 20%. Did some research, there are even higher tier traits that can reduce costs by upwards of 60%.”

“But to get those, you would need to read thousands of magic books cover to cover,” Leila winced, feeling the mage’s pain.

“Tens of thousands,” Jade agreed, shoulders slumped. “What’s more, apparently, there will be tests issued by the gods to find out if you understood what you read.” With a light shrug, she shook off her distress. “Anyway, that’s it for mages. How ‘bout you melee classes. How do you guys reduce ki cost?”

Leila chuckled. “There are two ways. The first is quite common while the second was taught to me by a friend.” The sparkles in Jade’s eyes urged the wisben on as she continued, unaware of the perked up ears of all the warriors nearby, “The easy method is to spam a skill as often as possible. Over time, the body gets used to the skill and determines optimal ki usage, reducing the amount of ki needed to activate the skill. This manifests itself as level-up of skills.”

“And the other method?”

“The other method. The other method, well, let’s just say it’s quite out there.” Sneaking a glance at Kashi, who was engaged in some exchange with Miote, Leila smiled as she explained, “This method requires you to perform all your skills manually.”

Jade frowned. “Is that even possible?”

“It is,” Leila revealed. “In fact, the most difficult part is the initial learning phase. Once you get the hang of it, you can apply it across all skills.”

“How does it work?” Unable to hide his desire any longer, Absalon inquired as he came up next to the duo.

Leila chuckled inwardly, amused by the naked desire in the battle fanatic’s eyes. She could understand the way they all felt. When Razznik first explained it to her, she too had similar greed in her eyes. “Simple, really. When you activate a skill, pay attention to your body and try to sense the path through which your ki flows. When you can visualize it, you will then start meditation to feel out the rest of the meridian pathways in your body. All skills, mana, or ki augmented pass through certain channels in your body. If you can understand these channels, not only can you utilize ki much more efficiently, but you will also find it much easier to create new, personal skills.” Turning to Jade, she finished, “This logic does not apply only to melee. Even mana users who can sense the pathway through which mana passes and the arrays they construct for each spell’s activation can greatly reduce mana cost overall.”

Leila's eyes flashed. “The first method that requires you to spam each skill independently, or the second that can cut across all skill sets once you understand it; I do not need to tell you which one is superior, do I?”

“You have enlightened me.” With a grateful bow of the head, Absalon acknowledged. Although many in the room still did not fully understand, he certainly did. After all, as a commander in real life, he had learned the basics of ki control. Although he could never reach the levels of those depicted in novels, basic tasks like controlling blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle-strengthening were relatively easy. As such, his fingers were already itching to whip out his blade and attempt the wisben’s claims.

In fact, if they were not indoors, Absalon might have done just that!

“Alright, everyone, settle in! We’re about to start!” Just as Absalon was contemplating stepping outside for a moment, Miote’s voice cut through the din, pulling him back to reality. Absalon shook his head as he took a seat. Eventually, he would get a chance. He just had to wait until this meeting was over.

In a brilliant display of the guild’s orderliness, the room quieted down within a moment of Miote’s voice. The only people left standing were a reticent Syèl who leaned against a wall at the west end and Shoko, who stood next to him.

As part of its renovation, Rine’s bar had placed a raised platform at its east end for performers, but tonight, Kashi took an embarrassed seat on a magnificent chair placed on that platform.

Kashi wanted to curse Miote to the high heavens, but Miote’s simple question of “Are you the guild master or not?” forced him to swallow his rage and endure this embarrassing.

As if to offset the daeben’s distress, Kira sat tall next to him, her large presence exuding enough intimidation and majesty for the both of them combined. Under the influence of her dominating aura, Kashi began to relax, coming into his role as the head of those gathered here. Straightening his back, he turned to Miote and nodded his approval.

Receiving the guildmaster's signal, Miote faced the Hopeful Maggots' top echelons, the guildmasters of the five various guilds, and the merchants. Standing before these people reminded the chesch of boardroom meetings, trying to convince shareholders to invest in a business proposal.

With a rueful smile, the chesch began his address, “Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I am glad to see you all made it here safely. My name is Miote, and I will be your host for the evening. With permission from our esteemed Guild Master, I now officially declare this meeting open .”

After getting a few more pleasantries and opening remarks out of the way, the chesch delved straight into business.

“We have a lot to cover tonight, and we’re all busy people, so I will not waste anybody’s time further.” Miote motioned to Muko, who had been standing by something with a cloth over it.

At Miote’s signal, he pushed it over, wheels at the bottom, making the task easy. Upon reaching the chesch, he removed the covering cloth without much fanfare to reveal a whiteboard.

Of course, the Summoned were far from impressed.

A whiteboard?

That was so prevalent in school that they had even grown to hate the sight of it.

Miote did not miss the disappointment in their faces. “Some of you are probably thinking, Why a whiteboard? What use does that have?” Miote smiled as he tapped on the board. “Look beyond the board. Its very existence is what we should focus on. This piece of aluminum here is proof that we can create anything we want as long as we know the right materials and method.” Grinning, he expanded, “Today it is a whiteboard, tomorrow, a dry-erase marker. Maybe next we attempt a car. Or a plane. Hell, go crazy and build a space shuttle while you’re at it! The point is, if you can imagine it, you can build it.”

Miote’s grin widened at the expectant eyes that rounded with shock and excitement. “I apologize to the Residents in our midst. Most of those terms are from our world. But the point still stands even for you guys. If you have something great in your mind, chances are we can build it. So, do not limit your imagination! Dream Big and you will Live Big!”

Miote’s infectious words blazed through the hearts of those gathered. Breaths raced, and blood boiled as the audience imagined their respective desires come to life.

Miote allowed the people to indulge in their fantasies for a couple of moments before snapping them back to the task at hand. “With that said, it is time to lay out the plans and dreams of our guild going forward, beginning with the new guild structure.”

Whipping out a marker from his inventory, Miote began writing on the board. “We will have nine main branches in our guild going forward. The first, named the Twilight Wolves branch, will be lead our very own Guildmaster Kashi. They will be the advance force of our guild, acting both as scouts and potential conquerors as we search for ways to expand Rosendun’s borders.

“The Commerce Industry will be headed by myself. I will be in charge of ensuring the guild always has gold for our guild master's crazy ideas. I’ll make sure we get the most profitable deals with local and international merchants, pioneering new ideas and strategies, so our guild always remains ahead of the market.

“Our crafting division will be headed by a Resident dwarf named Nurguk Dyshari. Most of you are not aware he exists since he has never left the guild headquarters. He acts both as a trainer and our most productive craftsman, regularly churning out high-quality armor and gear. For those wondering, all crafting divisions will fall under his jurisdiction. These include smithing, leatherworking, tailoring, rune-mastery & jewel making.

“Next, we have our R&D division, who will no doubt end up the greatest money sinks after our guildmaster. Their sole job is to test out the unknown, the untried, to push this world to the limits and see if it pushes back. They attempt to discover or invent what no one has before. Here’s to hoping successes come more often than failure.

“To fund all these, we’ll need lots of gold, not only from our commercial deals but also from loot obtained in dungeons and Raids. Leading the Raid Division will be Stryke, who unfortunately is not here right now. He is currently working hard to secure another source of income for our guild. Stryke will be tasked with training recruits in dungeons to get them up to speed and challenging for top times in dungeons to advertise our guild to the masses. Finally, they will be tasked with dealing with dissenters within the guild, sorta like an Internal Police force.

“With Stryke and his team dealing with domestic issues, we need an army to fight off larger threats from the outside. Absalon is the Supreme Commander of our forces. He will work in tandem with the Twilight Wolves to attack strongholds marked or help defend certain areas. Luckily, Rosendun has agreed to place some of its soldiers under his care as he has continually proved himself to be a capable commander, even against terrible odds. The victory at Aygorzi displayed his full capabilities as both an outstanding and intelligent general willing to listen to others’ suggestions. Under his watchful gaze, I see a strong future for our guild.

“An army without intelligence is like a bound and blindfolded prized fighter. He can thrash about but will eventually be beaten black and blue, even by those weaker than him. To prevent this from happening to us, our great and wondrous vice-guildmaster, Ms. Leila Lightwood, will head an Intelligence agency whose primary purpose is to gather all information regarding everything from beggars on the street to what time the Lords of provinces go to bed.

“This intelligence will also come in handy for our next division called the Saboteurs, who will be a small elite division with members whom most will never know exist. They will be tasked with assassination, thievery, espionage, and sabotage. Basically, they are elite viruses we send to destroy something somewhere.”

Miote paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Holy Crap! Those were a lot of words!

Miote’s mouth almost hurt from all the talking. Yeesh, no wonder those agency people always kept their briefings short. No one wants to talk for so long!

A smile returned to Miote’s face as he continued, “Last, but certainly not least, we have the Arts & Music Division, headed by Lufer and Lunette. This division will have its headquarters here at the home of Arts & Music, with an aim to producing as many bards and artisans for the guild as possible. We will even be hosting a competition later to find recruits. Art is, after all, money, and after experiencing the boosting effects of bards, I don’t think there is anyone here who would rather go without, right?”

All the warriors nodded stiffly. Just thinking back to the battle of Aygorzi, if they did not have the Orchestra to accompany them, that battle would have been a disaster.

Miote nodded, pleased with their reactions. “There is one other group, but they are not yet large enough to have a division of their own. In the future, we will have a lot of infrastructure being built around Rosendun and beyond. We will need a division solely to monitor these activities. We intend to create an infrastructure division after we complete the current project in the south.”

“So, to recap,” Miote clapped. “We have Nine and a half divisions. They are as follows:” he said, pointing to the board.

GUILD RESTRUCTURE

 Twilight Wolves (Kashi)

 Commerce (Miote)

 Crafting (Nurguk Dyshari)

 Research & Development (Leila (temp))

 Raids & Dungeons (Stryke)

 Advance Army Supreme Commander (Absalon)

 Intelligence Agency (Information Gathering) (Leila)

 Saboteurs – Assassinations, Thievery etc. (Leila (temp))

 Music Industry (Lunette & Lufer.)

 Infrastructure (Leila (temp))

“With that squared away, we can move on to our upcoming projects,” Miote said as he wiped the board with a cloth. The marker he made wasn’t perfect, leaving some streaks on the board afterward, but what the hell? He still had to thank his arts and crafts teacher in middle school for forcing him to learn how to make one of these.

Placing the cloth to the side, Miote continued, “Our guild has identified infrastructure as a dependable source of both short-term and long-term income. For that reason, we’ve been pushing hard to find new ways to implement infrastructure from our world into this one. So far, we have found successes with light, roads, and plumbing. The existence of magelights is great for adventurers, but they are too expensive for the common folk. To remedy this, our R&D department has designed a device powered by mana.”

A standard, ordinary light bulb appeared in Miote’s hands. The chesch released a little of his mana, facing brightening into a grin as the bulb lit up. “Now, I would like you all to understand, as a merchant, I have very little mana, but the little I have put in this bulb is enough to power it for three weeks before it needs another recharge.”

The light bulb in the Miote’s hand followed all the rules for regular light bulbs in his world, except for one. At its base, a set of runes were inscribed, each with different tasks.

Some runes switched the bulb on and off. When activated, another converted mana stored in the metallic layer to the electricity used to power the bulb. The final one was the [Absorb] rune, which, as its name implied, was used to absorb mana from an external source and store it in the copper base.

Although copper was not the best conductor of mana, it was more than sufficient for the meager amount needed to power the bulb.

All the runes used were easy, low-level runes. Compound that with the cost to make a light bulb, and you have an easily affordable tool for all households, rich or poor.

Miote explained all these with a bright smile then added, “This little tool is going to make us a whole lot of syros, as well as drastically improve the lives of all the inhabitants of Rosendun. Following this, we have the plumbing system, which we first tested out in Ranad. Luckily, it has passed all our tests with flying colors, which means we can start looking to apply it in many more regions.” Turning to Muko, he grinned, “No more going to the well or a stream to fetch some water. You’ll be able to access water easily from the comfort of your home.”

Muko’s brow jumped, but he held in his shock. This guild flung out surprises like candy. It would tire him out to be shocked by every single one.

Miote’s grin widened, eyes almost turning to Syros signs as he exclaimed, “Just imagine the gain if every household in Rosendun pays just 10 Syros for this service! Of course, we won’t charge something as low as 10 Syros, but just using that as a benchmark, our profits will be in the millions even after taxes. Tell me, do you think the Infrastructure division is important or not?”

The guild members frantically nodded, eyes sparkling with promises of riches. Who gave a damn if all these so-called ‘inventions’ were just rehashes of things existing in real life? It did not change the fact their guild had been the first to consider bringing them over. And it especially did not change all the syros they were going to earn from this!

What’s more, by the time the money exchange rolled around, they would be rolling around in both real cash and in-game Syros!

They could not wait!

Hell, if they could, they would sign up for the Infrastructure Protection Squad!

Touch their moneybags!? You must be tired of living!

Miote allowed the pressure in the room to boil before taking out two rolled-up portraits from his inventory. “Next, we will talk about transportation.” The entire room fell silent, eager to hear the chesch’s next big reveal. “To ensure commercial success in Rosendun, we need to limit not only the time spent by our merchants to deliver and receive goods but also the risks involved. To that end, we will be introducing two inventions to help us deal with this. First,”

Miote unwrapped the portraits and stuck them to the whiteboard. “The locomotive trains,” he said, pointing to the pictures which depicted someone’s concept art of two different looking types of trains.

“I will not bore you all with the details of how exactly we made this a reality. It is important to note that these trains can run up to 250 kilometers per hour ( 150mph ).” Miote paused to let the reveal sink in. “We resolved our greatest challenge of building tracks capable of withstanding trains running at such speeds by using high-level ores.” Shaking his head, he muttered under his breath, “Indeed, this world is vastly superior to ours in certain areas.”

With a smile, Miote returned to the portraits. “You’ll notice these two models are different from each other. The first is the traditional steam engine the Summoned will be familiar with, which relies on coal for fuel.” Miote paused, adding with a cheeky smirk, “Albeit with some additions to make it befitting of this world.” He then pointed at the bottom portrait, a train with no chimney. “The other will run on mana provided by massive mana crystals. The second model is much faster than the first but is a hell of a lot more expensive. We are still searching for viable mana sources except for those absorbed from people. When we do, we’ll be able to create more designs like these.”

“Speaking of expensive inventions…” Without giving the audience a moment to collect themselves, Miote snatched the portraits from the board and placed a new one. A wide grin stretched across his face as he simply said. “Skyboat… enough said.”

If the trains caused murmurs to rise among the Summoned, the Skyboat turned the room upside-down as the Maggots stared, mouth agape at the portrait.

Even an idiot could tell the value of such a thing. Merchants pictured the sharply reduced risks. Some imagined the blissful feeling of flying among the clouds. Simultaneously, the military men strategized all the possible advantages a flying contingent could bring to a battlefield.

“All I will say about the Skyboat is that it’s already in its middle stages of development,” Miote said. “In another month or two, the very first model should be complete.” Riding on the momentum of the audience’s shock and awe, he disclosed, “Construction of train tracks have already begun. To begin, we’ll have an express line running from Aygorzi, through Meilfour, Suvron’s Gate, then down to Kerta and Riven.“

“So that’s why he wanted the bridge to be that wide,” Absalon muttered under his breath, casting a wary glance at the daeben seated at the podium. Just how far ahead did this guy plan, really?

“Security for both the trains and tracks will be co-handled by the guild, Rosendun’s soldiers, and through contracts leased out to the Adventurers’ Guild,” Miote explained. “This will reduce train hijacking incidents as well as ensure a steady source of income for mercenaries looking for a job.”

Turning to Absalon, the chesch said, “On that note, I think it’s time we move on to the next section of our upcoming projects. The army has been more than successful in their recent efforts, going far beyond what many would have thought possible.” Exposing a sheepish grin, Miote said, “But their job is far from finished. The better you are at your job, the more responsibilities you are assigned.”

With a light chuckle, Miote took down the Skyboat portrait to write down three points on the board. “In that vein, we would like the army to host two events. The first, a recruitment event that any Rosen citizen, Summoned, or Resident can attend. The aim is to bolster our ranks against future endeavors. I am sure the Supreme Commander can think of some drills to pluck out potentials from the masses.”

At Absalon’s short nod, Miote continued, “The second will be a tournament hosted in Aygorzi. The purpose of this tournament will be to select the truly elite and the hidden gems who would normally not make an appearance. As for the prize…”

Miote turned to Kashi, who calmly nodded and said, “A few Legendary weapons a Divine artifact should do, right? Maybe add a couple hundred thousand Syros.”

A chill ran throughout the room at the daeben’s nonchalance: a few legendary weapons, a divine artifact, and a couple hundred thousand Syros.

‘What the hell!? If you don’t know what to do with wealth, why don’t you give it to us!?’

Miote coughed, managing to hide his embarrassment. Jesus, this daeben would be the death of him. ‘Do you have to posture so hard? Jesus, we know you’re awesome. You don’t have to rub it in our faces.’

Finally catching his breath, Miote muttered, “Uh… Yes. Those should be enough to draw out the Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons. Our guild could always use some extra elites.”

With a light cough, Miote pressed on, “Continuing, when the recruitment events are complete, Absalon-san, you will be tasked with cooperating with Rosendun’s army to consolidate the garrisons and forts within her borders to ensure there will be enough soldiers to protect every province in the country. You might also be tasked with helping with the clearing efforts in Merriheim to wipe out any pockets of resistance and set up garrisons and forts for the country’s soldiers.”

“Duty Accepted,” Absalon briskly accepted.

“Finally, and I know it’s been a long talk, but bear with me please, are the projects for the Commerce Industry,” Miote said with a smile, evidently pleased to talk about his division. “The Hopeful Maggots Enterprise has multiple investments in small businesses both in Merriheim and Riven, with some preparations being put in place for businesses in Aygorzi with an aim to boosting the local economies while securing a steady stream of long-term profit.

“We have also opened up a new auction house here in Merriheim where we sell rare works of high-quality art and music as well as rare items found by adventurers in their travels outside in the world. Although it is nowhere near as prestigious as the auction house of the Adventurer’s Guild, it is a start, and we aim to have it profligate around Rosenund within a few months.”

Miote paused to take a deep breath. Nearing the end of his speech, his expression suddenly turned grim. “I have spoken about many things today: new inventions, discoveries, and innovations to the industry. What sets us apart from the other guilds is that we were the first to make all these. But what stops the other guilds from just copying us and stealing our businesses right from under us? After all, this world does not have the logic of patents and copyrights?”

The Summoned froze, expressions turning bitter as they realized the horrible truth. Indeed there were no patents or law agencies to prevent theft of ideas. They could rant and rave all they want, but in the end, this was a world without laws. Someone could easily steal all these ideas and make their own without any consequences.

“But you do not have to worry,” Miote’s calm voice drew the audience’s attention. Hm? Did he already have a solution? “Some time ago, in this very room, I held a meeting with the top merchants in Rosendun. Merchants whose words are akin to the law among those in these lands. In conjunction with them, we have agreed to set up a Merchant’s Guild. We will make it so if anyone wants to be a respected merchant in this country, he or she’ll need to be signed up to the Merchant’s Guild.”

Miote spread out his hands. “With that as a base, setting up laws to govern trade and enforce fair trade across the land regardless of status will be easy. Yes, even things like copyrights and patents will be put in place to protect their creators' ideas. Such that if anyone wants to make these things, they will need to pay the original owners.”

Miote leaked a devilish grin. “I’m sure you can all guess the first couple of patents to be fast-tracked, right?”

Miote laughed inwardly at the expressions of shock and disbelief spread out across the room. Many looked at him like he was some sort of crooked devil. Who would have guessed this golden frivolous looking chesch would be such a despicable person?

Gazing at the daeben seated behind him, they could not help but shake their heads. Indeed, one can tell the character of a leader from that of his subordinates. A devil begets another devil, indeed.

If Kashi knew what these people were thinking due to Miote’s actions, it’s a wonder how he would react.

Miote, enjoying the flabbergasted gaping jaws, chuckled as he said, “Hold on to your jaws. We’re not done yet. The final item on the list today is one which even I did not think possible until a few moments ago. I will leave it to our esteemed guildmaster to explain.”

Miote gingerly stepped to the side as Kashi stood from his seat and stepped down from the podium. He scrolled through his inventory and tapped on a certain painting.

BOOM!

‎ A colossal pressure burst across the room, sending bottles and cups flying off tables, crashing to the ground. The source of this burst of mana floated conspicuously beside the daeben, not requiring a stand to sustain itself. If one paid close attention, they would notice mana streams flowing into the painting by the daeben’s side.

That’s right; this was Takahara, the very painting which had shaken Aygorzi to its core. The artwork with a miniature habitable world within it. After explaining the painting’s origins, Kashi began disclosing its purpose, “Takahara allows us to do something we initially thought impossible—Build a working Banking System in this world.” Kashi first gave a rough overview of the purposes of a bank for the sake of the Residents, then continued, “When we first began considering building a banking system, we came across two major issues. Namely Security and Accessibility.”

“On the Security aspect, we knew it would be a disaster if petty thieves could easily access significant banks and rob the vaults, especially when done by Summoned, who can carry an unlimited amount of Syros. So, we needed to create a security system that discouraged robbery as much as possible. At least for the main banks.

“The second issue we encountered was accessibility. Say I deposit one thousand syros in one major bank. What are the odds I can get that same account in another bank? Such transactions are made possible in our world because money can be easily transferred from one branch to another, either by hard cash or wire transfer, but that is not feasible in this world. There are too many variables to consider if we want to transfer huge amounts of syros from one location to another for us to deem it feasible.”

“Which brings us to Takahara here,” Kashi leaked a grin as he thumbed at the painting. “Within this painting is a world that can hold up to 500 square kilometers of space. If we have a headquarters within this painting, no one can access it without being a member of or accompanied by a Maggot. At present, there are only five keys in existence. I intend to place one at our headquarters in Ranad and then have three placed in major banks at Riven, Merriheim, and Aygorzi. If at the end of every business day, all the money is placed in Takahara, and only little is taken out at the start of the next, thieves would soon realize there is little to no gain to attacking these banks, especially with the security detail which will be assigned to each one. An added bonus is the allowance for people who want to travel to place huge amounts of Syros in one branch, say our Riven branch, then pick it up at Aygorzi for one purchase or another.”

Kashi paused, eyes darting across the room. “Tell me, is this a good plan or not?”

The room went silent, everyone staring at the daeben with faces that were tired of disbelieving everything every ten seconds. Still, they could not deny the wondrous truth revealed to them!

Clap! Clap!

Everyone turned to see the stoic faced Syèl, whose palms jammed together every other second, gaze holding within them a hidden pride. Ahead, Absalon’s thunderous applause shook the room as he too stood from his seat, dark eyes profoundly staring at the daeben before him. Thoughts of ‘I did not choose wrong’ rang through his head, ever grateful for losing that battle at Riven.

If he had won, Absalon would have gained a city and lost the world.

Lunette and Shadow were the next to rise, dainty hands rapping together with such speed, some would think they were attempting to beat a record. Lunette’s eyes held no small pride and undisguised admiration as she cheered shamelessly for her beloved.

The reticent Shadow even leaked a small smile, evidence of his pride in the daeben and the guild in general.

Leila and Jade led the rest of the audience to their feet as they jammed their hands together, letting out sharp whistles and birdcalls. No one knew who started it, but soon a small shanty that the army made up during their time in the islands began echoing in the room as they cheered and drank cold beer and mead provided by Muko.

“Haha! We may be Maggots, but yay, we are Hopeful,

You kill one of us, Er’ we’ all be chopping you,

We may be Maggots, but yay, we are Hopeful,

Ouch! Those are Maggots in yer veins!”

The meeting had all but ended, marked by Kashi putting Takahara into his ‘inner world’ and joining the celebrations. He drank along with Absalon and the guildmasters, who were each in their way stunned beyond belief. Not one of them thought of betraying the Maggots to steal their ideas.

Are you kidding?

It could be seen just how much preparation had gone into this before the Maggots made the guild announcement. Who knew how long it would take them to come to the same level of preparations? Even if they managed to do so, the Maggots would have long since begun reaping a profit. There was no good reason to make an enemy of people with such great foresight. Much better to tag along for the ride and reap as many benefits as possible.

Kashi, overjoyed by the positive responses from the guildmasters, discussed further details with them, suggesting and counter-suggesting methods by which they could cooperate with the Maggots.

The discussions were good, the company even more remarkable. The music, provided by Lunette and Co., was outstanding, the beer cold and the wind chilly. A great night overall, with festivities seemingly having enough momentum to spill into the morning. Life was great, which to the fates that governed the life of the daeben, just should not be.

BOOOOM!!!

The Maggots, once in a festive mood, sprawled into battle mode as a massive explosion tore the entire roof off of Rine’s Bar. Weapons drawn, the Maggots warily stared at the intruders, whose auras alone pressed down on their chests like a ten tonne hammer. The Summoned, familiar with these intruders, paled with fright, but their pride as Maggots strengthened their grips atop shaking swords, bows, and staff.

Kashi spared the intruders a glance from the corner of his eyes before he returned to the jug of mead before him. Raising the mug to his lips, he lightly sneered, “Get it over with and get out.”