As if planned in advance, the party ended three hours after sunset, and the guests began heading ho. It gave the Mayor plenty of ti to get his
overnight guests settled, and it gave everyone else ti to get ho and get to work on ti in the morning.
"Guild Leader Karl," the Mayor called as they stepped inside. "Is there a particular reason that your group chose to co here now? No offence, but you're a long way from ho, and this is not one of the weaker countries that might have issues with the leftover monsters."
Karl nodded. "Indeed, it is not random luck that brought us here.
You see, we are actually scouting out new locations for Guild Houses. We currently have three locations, all in the eastern isles, and we were hoping to spread the influence of the Darklight Host a bit further.
So of our mbers will be moving to Cyhosasa, to fill in while the Supre Lady is busy, but our crafting halls are crowded, our mbership roster is getting full, and it is inconvenient for custors on the other islands to purchase what they need.
We have employed skilled professionals in nearly every major trade, you see. We've even hired spiders who specialize in silk production to create retail grade products, while Lady Rae focuses on the higher end custom pieces."
They had also needed them just to keep up with the volu, and the spiders were happy to have a safe place to spin the cloth, while the spider beastkin enjoyed working with the fine quality materials.
"Ah, so it's a matter of Guild Logistics. Do you know what is going to happen in Cyhosasa? I heard that the Supre Lady has advanced, and that she will be spending less ti there."
His question sounded suspiciously ambitious to Karl, but he couldn't see how it would help a young dragon.
Perhaps he was asking for an Elder.
"I believe that she intended to have one of her Immortal friends co back and watch things in her absence so that there wasn't a power vacuum with her gone." Karl offered.
He had no idea what she planned, but her branch was very small. He should talk to her about that.
The dragons all stopped to stare at him. "Call on an Immortal friend? Is she still in contact with Immortals who have left the world?"
Karl nodded. "Indeed. I know that she keeps in regular contact with at least a few. But that's largely for practical reasons, as at her power level, she can only interact with the mortal world so much before she starts to destabilize it."
The older dragons nodded. They knew how things were, and that the power of a Supre Ranked being was never ant to be more than an anchor for the world. She was already at the level where she could reshape the world to her will if she wanted.
"If that is the case, then I can see why you would want to add an outpost here on the western islands. Did you have sowhere in mind?" The Mayor asked.
"I was thinking of looking sowhere in Zararag. The Dwarves are particularly well suited to Runecrafting, and that is the core skill of equipnt making." Karl replied with a shrug.
The Mayor sighed. "The dwarves get all the good things."
Dana smiled at him. "Not all the good things. You should see how many skill books we have given the blue dragons since the Darklight Host opened the Drodh Branch. We have had exceptional luck with Inscriptionists learning new skills."
The Mayor chuckled. "Ah, there is that. The blue dragons have been talking about your Guild for most of the last year. They're all excited to get to add the new books to their Library.
I heard sothing about 'decentralized knowledge' so that a tragedy doesn't wipe out as much history as it did during the last downturn. I don't know if that will actually work, but it is all they can think about."
Karl shrugged. "Even if they spread out the knowledge, it doesn't matter for skill books. The common skills don't have powerful enough magic in the books to survive the downturn intact.
Eventually, they fade. And once they do, the skill is lost in any aningful way until soone with the Inscription skill and an active System appears again. But the System goes nearly completely offline in between resurgences.
I don't think it was originally supposed to be that way, but that's how it has been the last two resurgences."
"You say that like you know firsthand."
"More of an academic form of knowledge. I'm not nearly old enough to have been around for both of the downturns." Karl countered.
The dragons accepted that. If he was friends with the Supre Lady, he could be privy to all sorts of knowledge that others would not even think to ask
about.
"The staff will see everyone to their rooms, and rouse you for breakfast in the morning, so you can get a good start on your hunting mission." The Mayor announced, ready to retire for the evening.
He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow, and he hadn't been prepared for his grandfather to volunteer his house for a party. Especially when the old man didn't even live in the city.
Still, it was a blessing to have the last of the monsters dealt with, so his citizens could return to their hos.
"Sir, would you prefer a private room, or is one of the ladies with you?" The maid asked politely as the Mayor left.
"The Dana Mage is my wife. We will share a room, but I believe all the others present are going to require individual rooms."
The mbers of his team who might share were already in the Tiny World.
Rae smiled at the maid. "If you have a room with a nice balcony and large windows, I am a nocturnal sort."
The maid nodded. "Of course, Miss. I will arrange a corner room for you."
[Now I can watch for intruders. Soone is bound to co check on the Prince tonight.]
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