wtmileham
patreon
BS6 C17
🕑 Added 2024-11-06 00:12:23 +0000 UTCThe benefits of having competent subordinates were many, but the biggest one in Kay’s opinion was that it was much easier to get things going from a sudden start. With barely any notice planning sessions were scheduled and went underway, missives and messages were sent out to gather everyone necessary, and a million other tiny details were shoved into line or our of the way to make everything run as smoothly as possible. People obviously knew about the threat of the vampyr to the west, but knowing that they existed was different than knowing that we needed to get working on dealing with them right now, thank you and shifting into that kind of mindset quickly was appreciated.
The messages to the Shatterplate Order and the Itarian Crusade that Kay had told Eleniah about were also sent out, telling them to get their asses in gear. He was sure that everyone from both organizations that didn’t want anything to do with him and his demands would use the opportunity to say that they were “paying back” and that their debts to Avalon after unfairly attacking Kay’s nation would be gone after helping deal with the threat, but he was prepared for that. Having the majority of both organizations present to actually interact with as he slowly convinced or cajoled them into doing what he wanted would make getting what he wanted much easier, and that wasn’t including Zeia and her convictions, or that the leader of the Order and one of the more influential Crusader Generals already agreed with him.
The two most powerful vampyr slaying organizations weren’t the only places Kay was going to turn to for help in dealing with such a wide-spread problem though, which is why he scheduled a meeting with the Adventurer’s Guild, specifically Guildmaster Gemglass, who remained the Avalon branch’s Guildmaster even after everything that had gone down in the last year or two.
Specifically scheduling an appointment meant there was no need to wait and a functionary guided Kay up to Gemglass’ office as soon as he arrived. The Guildmaster was sitting behind her desk when he stepped inside and it was obvious that she’d been waiting for him.
She inclined her head at him as he entered. “Your majesty, welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild. I believe I’ve said this before, but wouldn’t it be more proper to summon me to your office instead of setting an appointment with me and coming to mine? Some might say that it’s beneath you to travel to meetings yourself.”
“And I would say that anyone who thinks something like that doesn’t what ‘work’ really means.” Kay replied dryly. “One thing I’m going to make sure is built into the culture of this nation is that being a noble of any stripe doesn’t mean you can be a dick to people. The most important part of being a leader is one’s duty, not one’s privileges. Besides, I’m just the first king of a tiny, newborn kingdom and you’re the representative of the entire Adventurer’s Guild for this region.”
The Guildmaster chuckled and shook her head, “That’s significantly downplaying yourself. And while I agree with leaders focusing on their responsibilities long before they look at any benefits they get from their positions, having someone come to you for a meeting doesn’t really fall under that category as much as it does showing off the pomp and circumstance of your position.”
“Ugh. I hate that going to those ends even when they suit me, I’m not going to chose to do it when I don’t want to. Honestly I’m coming to you because I respect your time and the work that you do, so throwing off your schedule would be quite rude of me, but more importantly I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I’m calling you to me to express my displeasure, or anything like that. I know that that’s the kind of thing monarchs get up to here as much as it was back on Earth.” He shrugged lightly, “Even if you and I know from the contents of the meeting we would have that there’s no issue, other people might assume there is one and that could cause trouble I don’t need.”
“I see. What about the trouble caused by people who think they can make demands of you, since you’re obviously too weak and malleable to really make the demands a king should?”
“I’ll sic Amanda on them and then listen to their wails of lamentation.”
Gemglass grinned back at him. “An effective punishment. Well, now that we’ve exchanged courtesies, what can the Adventurer’s Guild help you with?”
“I’d like the Guild’s assistance in setting up a coalition force do deal with the vampyr problem west of us. Like the army that came to kill me, but actually going after real vampyr.”
“Ah…” She gave him a concerned look. “You know that the Guild doesn’t support wars that aren’t definitively to end massive threats against most of the world or things like that, that’s why we didn’t help with either side of the Shatterplate War.”
“As much as too many people would like me to say otherwise, what’s going to happen to what used to be Nelam and the surrounding regions is still up in the air. I’ve yet to make a final decision about whether Avalon is going to take control of any of that territory, if we’re going to support anyone in taking any land, or if we’re going to let the survivors fight it out for themselves. I doubt that those decisions are going to come even after we deal with the vampyr, there’s just too much to decide there, and I am specifically not asking the Adventurer’s Guild to get involved in any of that. I’m asking you to assist in dealing with the large scale problem of hordes of vampyr pushing out of that area into the rest of the world.”
“And you have proof of this?”
Kay pulled a folder out of his Inventory Skill and gave her time to peruse the contents.
She slowly looked back up at him after reading it all. “This… None of this is definitive proof, but together it paints an alarming picture. The Avalon branch will definitely be supporting your… expedition?”
“We’ll figure out a term eventually.”
“Sure. Anyway, I’ll support this and I’ll send what influence I have up the chain to get adventurers and other resources moving in this direction.”
“Thank you,” Kay replied. He took a long breath as he looked at her with a grave expression. “Guildmaster, how deeply would you say that you’re in your Founder’s good graces?”
She looked startled by his sudden subject change. “… I would say I’m as deep into their good graces as one can get, why do you ask?”
“Would you perhaps have access to certain information that they might not tell others?”
“… Perhaps.”
“I’m sorry for beating around the bush, I just don’t know what level of detail they might have told you about things, and I don’t want to stepping on their toes.”
“If I haven’t already heard something from them they aren’t going to be annoyed if I learn it from someone else, they aren’t those kind of people.” She told him, her eyes narrowed at him.
“Good. Do you already know that there is some kind of intelligence behind the System. And I mean know not suspect or believe.”
Some of the tension in her shoulders bled away. “Yes, I know. It occasionally speaks directly to people that are powerful enough or are involved in momentous events. We know that you’re one of the people it’s spoken to as well.”
“And your Founders are included in that group?”
“They are.”
“Are they currently working for it to clean up everything that got summoned and couldn’t be dealt with locally when all of those eldritch things appeared? It directed me to head to the Seramist Isles to deal with one of those issues, and I’m guessing they were called on to do the same.”
“I’m not sure,” Gemglass said slowly, “Because I haven’t heard from them in a little while, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.”
“Could you please put a little extra effort into trying to get a hold of them? We need more information on all levels and having people available that the System talks to more than it does me would be a boon. You saw the part in there about how we’re pretty sure all of the rituals that broke the barrier around Torotia and let those eldritch things in came from whoever’s leading these vampyr?” He pointed at the folder still on her desk.
She nodded.
“Like we concluded there, I think that all of that is a distraction. And if they’re going to the trouble of making distractions that big, what the final outcome they’re after? And what else are they going to do to try and make sure we can’t get in their way?” Kay tilted his head back a fraction and let out a breath. “I’m concerned about what’s going to happen if we fail. Having access to the famed Founders of the Adventurer’s Guild would be a boon not only for the information they could provide, but as a backup in case I can’t get it done.” He tilted his head back and flashed Gemglass a tired smile, “Above all, I’m worried about the same thing those fools who brought an army were, but I’ve actually got proof of a real threat. A high tier vampyr with an army is terrifying.”
“That’s… Yes, I can do that. I’ll send a message to Honor as well so she can try and get word to them herself. Between the two of us and some messages through our Headquarters, we’ll get to them somehow.”
“Thank you.”
Comments
Rielgesh
Tftc! Really excited with how the story is going! Can't wait to see what happens next!
