"Report?"

"We beat back all opposition. Nobody breached the walls. Or even came close to trying," Adam reported with a frown on his face as the leadership of the AFK company and Chrysalis guild gathered in one of the secure conference rooms of the new HQ in Ferabor.

After the events that transpired during the press conference, Lucy felt that it would do them some good.

"You don't seem too happy about it…" Lara pointed out. Despite the general low mood of the room, she was basically radiating joy and satisfaction. Which Sam could understand, as one of the biggest player-led projects in the game had just finished with her in the lead. Her name was forevermore etched into the legends of the game…

Adam shook his head. "The attacks were disorganized and ineffective. And no blood magic…"

"Are you saying it wasn't the Blood Cult who was behind it?" Lucy spoke up.

"I thought the idiots at the conference were from that group?" Lara added, looking questioningly between Lucy and Sam.

Sam just waved his hand non-committally. "Pretty sure, but there is always a chance that a totally different group obsessed with blood and diseases has decided to attack our press conference…"

"Doesn't matter who they were… Their actions make no sense!" Adam continued, his frown deepening.

"How so?"

Adam looked around the table, making eye contact with everybody before continuing. "We left them enough holes to make them believe they found some kind of weakness. Yet, only a few halfhearted attacks. We exposed several VIPs and vital locations to them. None of them acted on it."

Sam listened, already suspecting as much. From what he remembered of the Blood Brothers, the two men behind this entire situation, Sam and his friends were facing were, to put it bluntly, drama queens. They made sure to maximize the dramatic effect of all of their actions and the results of said actions. The original Sam wasn't really part of the leadership back when it happened, so he only got second or even third-hand information about them. The 'full' story only came out a few years later, when the brothers had some kind of falling out and both of them released a tell-all story about the Blood War on their new channels to jumpstart them.

"Maybe they wanted us to waste resources?" he offered.

Adam spent a moment thinking about it before shaking his head. "Most of the defenses currently active are always active; we didn't activate any of the emergency defenses."

"Psyop?" was Lara's suggestion.

"Could be… they are, after all, known for fucking with people and actively setting things up," Lucy replied while staring at Sam.

"What?" he asked. "I don't fuck with you guys…"

Lucy opened her mouth, no doubt to tell Sam exactly how many times he fucked with each and every one of them, but Adam interrupted her.

"That could be it. Maybe a shot across the nose… A warning, if you will," he explained his thoughts as Sam let out a small, relieved sigh.

He clapped his hands together and grinned. "Then let's take this warning and make use of it."

"How?" Lara asked, looking interested.

"Well, a bunch of small guilds and groups decided it was okay to take money or promises from them. Time to show them the consequences of their actions."

The people around the table looked at each other, then back at Sam, and as one – even the usually reticent Adam – grinned.

**

"What's the plan, boss?" Katie asked as the team gathered in another room of their new headquarters. Isabella was also looking at him eagerly. Dan was just sitting on a sofa, grooming his familiar, Hawky, the fiery bird, enjoying the attention.

Clarissa was sitting next to him and doing the same thing to Melody, the murderous swan.

Sam looked back at them, a tad confused.

"About what?"

Katie and Isabella looked at each other before turning back to him with a grin that sent shivers down his spine.

"Just tell him before he combusts from anxiety!" Clarissa called over, not even looking up from grooming her familiar. Though Melody let out a supporting squawk that somehow sounded like 'KILL THEM ALL!'.

Sam looked back at the young women with a hopeful look, imploring them to share the information.

"Hehe! For once, I know something that the mighty Solar doesn't know!" Katie crowed, putting her hands on her hips. Isabella just jabbed an elbow into her side, causing Katie to let out a squeak.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Stop that, you gremlin!" Then she turned to Sam and began to explain. "Eternal Light put out a 'private' video, declaring their intention of becoming the biggest guild in the Emerald Kingdom."

"What?"

"They posted on their private forum for all their followers and members," Isabella explained while Katie watched on bemusedly. "Apparently, they announced that because you managed to build a city, they can definitely do better!"

Sam let out a slow whistle. "Gotta admire the confidence…"

Katie just cackled as Isabella continued. "It was a popular announcement. Their backers are all gung-ho about establishing dominance. According to my sources – one of my cousins – money is flowing like alcohol on prom night."

Blinking at the information, Sam considered what Isabella told him. "What do you think the chances are they will pull it off?"

Isabella tapped her finger to her lips, thinking, before shrugging. "Depends on whether they manage to pull their heads out of their own ass. Back when I was with them, I did most of the directing while the 'council' sat back and enjoyed my victories…"

"But they fired youuuu!" Katie called out in a sing-song voice while hugging Isabella over her shoulder, who blushed rather adorably. "And then you joined our team of murder and MAYHEM!" she declared vehemently, then roared into the air while pumping her hands.

Isabella slowly pushed her away, shook herself, and tried to control the blush, but it didn't really work.

"The main issue is that they're doing this when we're actually preparing for the incursion from those stupid blood mages…" she grumbled, but Sam noticed that her hand stayed on Katie's.

Sam scratched the back of his head, thinking about the issue. Then after a moment of silence, he spoke up.

"Izzy, be honest. What are the chances your family will lean on you?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes. Katie snapped up from whatever she was imagining and scowled at Sam.

"What? She wouldn't betray us!" she declared with force as she reached and pulled Isabella close to her, as if protecting her friend from Sam.

"Katie. I'm not saying that. I was just curious if her family approached her or would approach her…"

"Ohh…" Katie let out a small squeak, then looked at Isabella, who was still cradled in her hug. "Are they going to do that?"

Isabella sent Katie a reassuring smile before turning to Sam. "They already did. Told them to pound sand. They weren't happy…"

"Any chance they're going to lash out?"

Isabella shook her head. "My position here, and the properties they managed to get, give me a rather solid position. They can rage, but pure numbers say that I'm in a good place."

"Hedging their bets, huh…" Sam replied with a small smile. Isabella nodded. "That means the family heads are happy, but what about the cousins and whatnot? Last time I met them, they seemed to lack in the long-term thinking department?"

Isabella opened her mouth, then closed it, thinking deeply about it for a few moments. "There may be a few people who would ignore the orders and attack me or us."

"Good. Give the names to Tim; we can use them as a distraction if needed."

Katie let out a loud belly laugh. "Imagine how they would react if they knew that they barely rate as 'just-in-case-distraction'! Ha hahaha!"

"What about their planned expansion?" Isabella asked, ignoring Katie's laughter, though Sam could see the corner of her mouth bend upwards.

"Ignore it," Sam answered matter-of-factly. "Does Lucy know about it?"

"Yeah, I keep her apprised about the guild."

"Then, she can handle them."

The room fell silent at that declaration, with the only noise coming from the familiars. It was Katie who broke the silence.

"Then, how about we go and do a little murder? Those attackers were rather lame…"

"Sorry, I have one more meeting with the nobles," Sam replied.

Katie fell to her knees dramatically, raised her hand to the sky, and let out an anguished cry. "Noooooo!"

The invitation came after the press conference finished, but as it had not mentioned any kind of urgency, Sam decided to get a few meetings done before going there, as he suspected it would not be an easy meeting.

Leaving his team in the meeting room with a promise of future bloodshed and violence, he quickly changed into more elegant, and more importantly, clean clothes, before leaving Ferabor on Lucky's back.

Heading with speed and elegance toward the tall walls of Ironwood.

The Silvercrest family was waiting for him.

He arrived in a remarkably short time, waved through the gates by the guards after a cursory check – of which he made a note to tell Tim – before heading directly toward the Silvercrest manor.

The butler, as always, greeted him and took him to the office of the lord of the manor.

The man, still the same musclebound man, stood next to the window, looking out toward the garden, no doubt watching his wife reading in the garden.

As soon as Sam was announced, the man turned toward him and grinned, offering his hand for a shake.

"Samuel! What an honor! Congratulations, by the way! What a beautiful city! Excellent work by that young woman! Lara, was it? Is she up for commissions?" came the rapid-fire speech from the man as he shook Sam's entire arm.

"Thank you, my lord. Yes, Lara. We have an office in Ferabor where you are free to contact her. She is rather picky with what she accepts, but I think a request coming from you, sir, would catch her interest."

"Excellent! Excellent!" the man responded with his usual excitement before motioning Sam toward the chair before his gargantuan desk, before taking his own seat. "What a splendid town you have built, my friend… Who could have known that when we met so long ago, you would end up doing something like this!"

"Thank you, sir."

They spent a few more minutes just having small talk, the lord talking up Sam's accomplishments, while Sam talked about what Lucrecia was doing and how impressive it was. However, after a while, Sam couldn't really hold back.

"I'm sorry to bring it up so abruptly, my lord, but why have you called me here? Especially with such an official message?" he asked, watching as the smile slowly slid off the older NPC's face. The lord of the Silvercrest family looked back at him, stone-faced and serious.

"My friend. What you have accomplished here and around the country – and outside – has reached many ears. I have been your guarantee for a long time on account of my debt to you, but with your current achievement, that turned out to be impossible."

Sam blinked and bowed his head a little. "I apologize for the undue burden I have placed upon you, my lord."

The man just waved it away with a smile. "This little 'burden' means nothing if I can see my wife's smile. However, while I make sure to stand as a wall between you and those who would use you, but this action cannot be hidden away, I'm afraid."

"The town?"

"The town, indeed."

A brief bout of silence enveloped them, which was rather cleverly used by the butler to come in and quickly serve them tea. Sam took a sip and was pleasantly surprised that it tasted exactly as he liked.

"What does it mean, my lord?"

The man put his hands together in front of him, leaned a little forward, and looked directly into his eyes. A heavy aura enveloped him, and Sam could feel a shiver run down his spine.

"His Majesty, holder of the Verdant Crown, ruler of the Emerald Kingdom, would like a word with you."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.