Chronicles of Metal: Chapter 7 - Plunder and Plotting

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Beard returned to the guild to find almost all of the NCP's waiting for him at the gate. He couldn't blame them; thanks to Tao the whole guild probably knew of his outing, and being a gamer, he knew exactly how hype could rile people up.

He and Isabella had made out well in that regard. For one, he learned that the billions of gold from YGGDRASIL was next to useless. The gold itself held value as a precious metal, but not the currency this kingdom used. He'd brought back a few coins as a reference, something Synth would likely appreciate. More so, he gained a bit more information about the land they found themselves in. The Country of Lazuli, a collection of small kingdoms and city-states all pledging fealty to a single king in the capital to the North East. A large and somewhat powerful force, if some of the travelers they encountered where to be believed.

Of course, there where still things he didn't know. He learned that magic was a thing in this world, but much rarer and less pottant. Nobody he spoke to could really attest to it, only that a single magic user was worth about ten armed men in a fight. Likely an exaggeration, but he didn't want to go ruling it out before seeing for himself. Monsters where a thing as well. They'd passed someone peddling ground up troll's teeth as some form of medicine, so it was fair to say some other monsters from YGGDRASIL where here as well.

"Master, Master!" Beard let out a small groan as Tao ran out to greet him. Her tail again waging like an excitable dog. If she wasn't a dragonoid, she would've made for a convincing Husky. "Did you get anything cool?"

"Indeed, we did." Isabella piped up, wearing the same smile she'd had since they left Hashigin. "But a lot of it involves being able to read to enjoy, So I don't think you'd be interested."

Tao's cheeks puffed out and her face turned red. "I can so read!" She shouted, waving her arms in circles.

Stepping between the two, Beard shot Isabella an irritated glance. "You know that's not the problem." He dug into a rucksack he'd bought, retrieving an armful of books, scrolls, papers, and other such documents. "Synth, we're unfamiliar with this language. If we're going to be doing business with anyone in this world, we'll need a translation guide." The android stepped forth, taking one of the books in hand and flipping through the pages. "You asked to be brought something, so I hope this is good enough for ya." Beard added quickly, realizing all he'd done is bring him more work.

None the less, Synth closed the book and bowed his head. "No Master, this is perfect. What better way to learn of this world than to study it's language?" Clutching his staff, Synth raised his head. "**Levitate Item**." The books he hadn't taken lifted into the air, surrounded by a semi-transparent bubble that floated after the android as he made his exit. "If you'll excuse me, I shall start straight away."

With him gone, Beard lay his rucksack out on a nearby table and began to unload their spoils. A few trinkets, some children's toys, and food. Quite a bit of food, actually. "The rest of you can have whatever you like, but I don't want to see any fighting over any of it. Understood?"

At once, Tao practically dove at the counter, rummaging through everything she could get her hands on. It was surprising, Beard assumed she'd have gone for the food first. It was good to see she could at least listen, as she picked up a child's doll with inexplicable glee and ran off.

"Vespa?" Beard called as Hexis and Solomon each took a turn. The tiny NCP looked to him and bowed her head. "I don't think either of them are interested in food, so why not give it to your solders?"

"I shall." She spoke in a commanding tone, like an army recruit getting orders from a superior. "Thank you, Master Beard."

"Once your done, come meet me in the atrium." Hs added. "I wanted to discuss security now that we have a better idea of what we're dealing with."

"Yes sir." She said again, before marching off to join the others at the table.

With that, Beard left the entrance hall. He'd learned a lot, more than he thought he would. The world seemed to be based on YGGDRASIL. Not in landscape or factions, but in environment and magic. That was good to know. It meant there wouldn't be too many surprises coming their way should they decide to have more of a public presence.

Before he knew it, Beard had arrived in the atrium. Beforehand it was used as a place for himself and the other players to hang out and just talk. A nice place to relax if there weren't enough people to take a quest or if they just wanted to hang out. It resembled a lounge, a few tables and chairs, decorative banners hanging from the ceilings. A handful of minigames one could play to pass the time. A scoreboard hung on the back wall with each of the guild member's names. True as ever, Teen-Spirit remained at the top of the list with a commanding lead. She had a knack for boardgames that none of the others could seem to match. It was a pleasant place to hang out, and as such Beard had opted to use to as a head office for the foreseeable future.

Stepping through the door, he removed his disguise. The robed hood and trinkets disappeared in a wisp of smoke. He took a moment to stretch, feeling oddly freed in what was now his original body. It was interesting to think about, but he technically wasn't a human anymore. Ability's, powers, even mindset. A calming wave would wash over him if he ever got too worked up. It made him chuckle to think how useful something like that would've been while going through collage.

As he sat down, he heard the door click closed behind him, and found Isabella staring back at him. She didn't say anything. Hell, he hadn't even noticed she'd followed him until just now. But if there was one thing he'd learned about her, it was that she wouldn't be here if she didn't have something to say. "Was there... Something you needed, Isabella?"

"No... Sir." That had to be the first time she'd lied to him. Or at the very least it was the first time it'd been so obvious. "I... Just wanted to know when our next outing will be."

That caught Beard off guard. They'd been here for almost two weeks now, and this was the first time Isabella had taken the initiative on anything. She'd preform any task given to her, help out when needed. But as far as he knew, this was the first time she'd done something of her own volition. "Well... We learned a lot today. We should sit on it for a while. At least until Synth has a chance to get us a translation guide."

The maid gave a small grimace. "Yes... Of course..." She gave a small bow, clasping her hands behind her back. "Sir..."

What was this? She usually had no problem speaking her mind. Why was she suddenly so reserved now? "Why? Taking a liking to the city?" Beard asked, looking for some sort of insight.

"No, Sir. Of course not." She lifted her head, retaking her usual, exasperated tone. "I simply wish to be useful to the guild."

Beard didn't believe that for a second, but had no way of knowing what her actual goal was. He thought about pressing the matter, but if she didn't want to talk about it then he didn't see it worth the trouble. "If all you wanted was to keep busy, there are plenty of things you could do here." A large rucksack appeared in his hand, which he placed on the table. "These are spell scrolls. One-time-use items that contain a message or teleportation spell within. I want all of the floor guardians to have a couple in case of an emergently, and the rest you can leave at the lookout until we have time to make more." By the time he looked up, Isabella was waiting just across the table from him. "It probably won't take more than an hour, but you've done more than enough for today. Why not go back to your floor and relax a little?"

Snatching the bag off the table, Isabella quickly backed into the door. "As you wish..." She gave a quick bow, then abruptly spun on her heel to exit the room. "Master..."

Again, Beard was stunned. She seemed angry, but he had no idea why. Sure, it was a menial task. But... That's what she asked for, wasn't it? Something else to do now that they where back home? Of course, she seemed to have a roundabout way of asking for things, so perhaps he'd misunderstood her. He'd have to make it up to her later. But right now, he had a whole city's worth of information to look over. As soon as that was done, he'd dig a little deeper into the maid's intentions.

The sun was just beginning to set that day. Viscount Roth stood glairing out the large bay window to his personal chambers, impatiently tapping his foot on the hard marble floor with a sour look on his face. "Where is he, where is he...?" He muttered over and over, almost pacing in place.

A short while later the door swung open, and one of the town guards stepped through. "You summoned me, Viscount?" He said, offering a short bow.

"Capitan Anders... We have a little concern." The Viscount growled, stepping away from the window and pacing around the room. "That elf in your detachment..." He said, pouring himself a glass of wine. "He's sniffed out our little oil stockpile."

"Thyocrei?" The captain raised an eyebrow, but chuckled at the idea. "That boy's head is too far up his ass to smell anything more than his own bullshit."

"This is serious, Anders!" Roth snapped, throwing a half drank wine chalice in his general direction. He missed the captain by a wide margin, but it was enough to get his attention. "He thinks we're up to something. And we both know he won't leave it alone."

More serious now, the captain mulled the suggestion over. "Alright, So he knows about the oil." He said, giving a small shrug. "What does he think it's for?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Roth waved him off, pouring himself another glass of wine. This time with some noticeably shaky hands. "Something about the cathedral downriver. Maybe he thinks we're going to burn it or something."

"Well, he's half right." The captain chuckled. Roth shot him a viscous glare, and he backed away slightly with his hands raised. "Alright, alright, so what? Let him think whatever he wants. By this time next week, it won't mater anymore, will it?"

Gulping down the last of his wine, the Viscount seemed to calm himself. "I want him dealt with." He hissed, wiping his chin clean. "And we're not waiting anymore. Who-knows when those freaks up north are going to muster. I want to be long gone before one of those barbarians or savages makes their move." The captain bowed again, a knowing grimace on his face. "We do this tomorrow. Dispose of the elf then. Should be easy enough to get away with."

The captain bowed again, resting a hand on his hip. "Putting that little shit in his place? I'm sure a handful of the boys would jump at the opportunity to do that. If not, it shouldn't be too hard to convince 'em."

"And bring me his sword. A weapon like that is more befitting of a ruler than some common elf." With that last order, the captain turned and made his exit. Viscount Roth turned back to his wine, discarding the cup he'd been drinking from and instead drinking straight from the jug. "Soon enough..." He drunkenly mumbled. "Soon I'll be rid of this backwater forever and be back in the capital." He finished his jug, dropping back onto the lounging couch with a dull thud. His voice trend ecstatic, and he raised his hands into the air triumphantly. "No raiders, no savages, no creepy cathedrals... And I’ll have enough money, wine, and women to satisfy me to the end of my days!"

As he stared out the window once more, he failed to notice one of the women he'd called upon lay under the bedsheets. She'd been awake throughout the entire conversation, but was now too afraid to move for the burning anger that radiated from the Viscount.

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