"Hold on. I still don't get why this performance, – all this drama with leaving Phoenix – was required. We could've just sat down and had a chat. But no, you felt you had to put on a show ..."
"Not everything that I do happens on your account," smiled the girl. "What I did ... it was something I needed to do ... it was personal and has nothing to do with you."
"It looks like it already does. At the very least the waiter has already seen that you're no longer in Phoenix, and because for everyone you are ... an ideal, an icon ... all in all, this could affect me as well, especially when your admirers find out about it."
"Some 'ideal'," smiled Anastaria. "Thanks for the compliments, of course it's always nice to receive them, especially from someone who is doing all he can to resist my womanly charms," the girl smiled once again "but it's a pity you see me in this way. In truth, appearance is only a mask, what's inside a person is much more important. This is why I decided not to take part in the beauty contest this year. I've had enough of it. All these envious stares from other girls, the persistence of the men who try to find me in reality. ... They offer to shower me in riches if I agree to be theirs. ... It's all a bit too much, really. Although I'm already twenty-eight, I still haven't managed to find a worthy companion. ... But enough about sad things. I have a request: please don't divulge what I've just told you. There are many rumors circulating about it – starting from me supposedly being a cold-hearted bitch and ending with polyandry being my true preference – so it’s not as if another rumor would make much of a difference, but ... if you don't mind, please forget what I’ve just told you."
"It's already forgotten. As far as your love for riddles is concerned, I have something for you. Here's the description. Perhaps you'll like it." I wrote down the formulas from the Orcs and passed them to Anastaria. Let her have some fun and I'll have a chance to find out how long it takes her to find the answer.
"The Pythagoras Theorem, the Fibonacci sequence and the formula for volume?" Anastaria became immersed in thought as she examined the formula descriptions: "Two multipliers, one equals sign and seven numbers after the dot? What is this?"
"An equation. You have to solve it."
"There isn't a solution here. These formulas have no meaning."
"You disappoint me. A solution exists and it’s the only one possible. Find it."
* * *
The next morning I headed for the Jolly Gnoom tavern. It was unclear why it was called 'Gnoom' instead of 'Gnome'. The tavern was run by an NPC, so the name was the prerogative of the developers. Which of them came up with the idea (or perhaps made a typo) remains shrouded in mystery.
As I occupied a table and ordered some food providing +10% Intellect for 24 hours, I was still unable to quite recover from Anastaria's maneuver yesterday. What did she want to say by leaving Phoenix? Why did she join me? I had a gut feeling that this wouldn't end with the explanation that I was given and I had no idea which direction to dig in to get at the truth. I just didn't have enough information to hand.
"Hey there, 67th." A familiar voice sounded next to me, bringing a smile to my face. "Where’d you manage to level up like this?"
25-level Eric, 20-level Clutzer and 19-level Leite were standing in front of me. Judging by their levels, these guys had kept themselves busy in the past three months: if not for the Beatwick battle, they would've been well ahead of me in leveling up. Well done to them, all in all.
From the way the group was standing, it looked like they'd chosen a leader: Eric. Clutzer and Leite were standing a little behind him, as if giving room to the one in charge. Or, which is just as likely, I was overthinking things and they ended up standing like this by accident, or perhaps it's a habit from having the tank stand at the front, or ... why am I sitting here lost in thought instead of greeting the guys properly?
"Am I glad to see you!" I jumped up and gave each of them a hearty handshake. Whatever turn our subsequent conversation might take, I really was happy to see them. It mattered little that we'd only played together for a week and then spent the next three months at different ends of Malabar. "Sit down, why are you standing there like lemons?" I pointed towards my table.
"No prisoner headband and the gear – judging by its appearance – is of a Rare quality at the least, 67 levels in three months and the ten thousand that you sent us:" said Clutzer using normal speech (in the sense that it didn't contain a word of his usual slang) "are you still a prisoner or have you already been released?"
"No, I'm still in a capsule, like the rest of you." His question was pretty understandable. In the past three months they had had a chance to get to know each other, get used to each other and find common ground, and now it was time to accept someone else into their small group – someone they had been acquainted with, but hadn't seen in a good while. Moreover, this acquaintance looked very different to them now. "I've been through so many misadventures in the last three months: you get what you see right now. But I haven't stopped being the person who you got to know at the mine. Guys! Come off it already! Have a seat!"
Leite looked at Clutzer and Eric turned as well, while I mentally conceded a point to Anastaria. She was right that Clutzer's brains had ensured that he would become the leader amongst these three. It certainly wasn't Eric.
"It won’t hurt to talk, I guess," he concluded. "Let's see what tune Mahan's gonna sing us."
No, he did still drop into slang from time to time. Well then, let's make it clear that I can do some analyzing as well.
"Clutzer, tell us where you're from. From the way you were speaking at the mine, gangster lingo is your native language, yet you're quite capable of speaking normally so that everyone can understand you. Where did you learn to speak like this?"
"Paris, one of its less popular districts. Everyone talks like that where I'm from; I picked it up as well, so as not to stand out." A smile flashed across Clutzer's face for the first time. "Reading is not too popular with my homies, but everything else ... so tell us what happened to you and how you lost the headband. Especially the latter – for us that's the main sticking point."
"The sticking point?" I asked.
"The PK-ers have really gotten to us," Eric spoke for the first time. "When we refused to join Phoenix, we became the targets of organized hunts, either by Phoenix members or some other idiots. You can't get away from the fact that as soon as we would try to leave the gates, the PK-ers would be waiting for us. We only managed to leave town properly a couple of times and were only able to gain a couple of levels at best. The rest of the leveling took place in town, with assignments, socializing and delivery quests. And all under the close watch of bounty-hunting enthusiasts. As soon as it rained, we were immediately sent for respawn if we happened to be outside a safe zone. At the same time, we were constantly bombarded with offers: to join Phoenix or to join the Dark Legion. ... "
"Eric is right," Clutzer took up the conversation "we were expecting a beginner twenty-level Shaman, but now you're sitting here in front of us with your 67 levels, excellent gear, without the red headband and already a member of a clan. Have you forgotten that we intended to make a clan together, or has that totally slipped your mind?"
"I see. Right, about the clan. Yes, I am in a clan, but I am its only member since I created this clan last night to save time doing it today. I created the clan for us."
"Seathistles?" chuckled Leite. "You've got to be kidding, right?"
"On the contrary. "If you hate the name, it can be changed – I picked the first that wasn't downright terrible. The other names on offer, like 'We love Barliona, we play Barliona" and "Dark-eyed Cows of the West' didn't quite fit." I mentally gave myself extra points when all three of them chuckled. So, they're beginning to thaw. Good. "So you don't need to worry about the clan, I was never going to ditch anyone. Moving on to the headband, how much do you need to take yours off?"
"For me it's a hundred thousand ... what about you?" said Eric and looked at Leite and Clutzer.
"Two hundred and twenty," threw in Clutzer.
"A hundred and fifty," said Leite after a pause. "Why do you ask?"
"I call upon a Herald, I require your assistance!" I said, in place of a reply.
"You called me and I came. If your summons was a false one, you will be punished," the Herald uttered the standard phrase as soon as he stepped out of the portal. The three 'Red Riding Hoods' froze. Little surprise there – it was their first meeting with a Herald in the Game.
"I would like to make a payment in order for these free citizens to be able to remove their red headbands. Please deduct the money from my account."
A window opened before my eyes asking me to confirm the deduction of the required amount. I chased the Greed Toad into some distant corner and pressed the 'Yes' button. Unlike the wait following Nurris' payment, the red headbands vanished from the heads of the three convicts almost instantaneously.
"Can I be of any further help?"
"No, thank you. We can take it from here," I said and turned to the guys. "Listen, if it bothers you that I created the clan without you, you have my sincere apologies. I arrived in Anhurs yesterday, sent you messages and created the clan to save time later. If you don't like the name, suggest another one, we'll talk about it and, if it's free, change it."
"Thanks for the headband, of course," said Clutzer, "but can you tell me one thing: where did all this gold come from? You just made a generous gesture and shelled out four hundred and seventy thousand gold. Three months ago you had nowhere near as much money. What's with the ostentatious habits you seem to have picked up in the meantime? I want to know everything before I tie the rest of my game life to you. From A to Z. Otherwise what do we need a clan for, if it will be you constantly rubbing shoulders with those at the top and us doing all the grinding while picking up crumbs that fall from the table? We can do that in any clan."
"Catch and sign the non-disclosure agreements," I opened the list of standard agreement forms, which included the non-disclosure agreement, changed a couple of points, entered the players’ names and handed them to the three men. "It's time to start playing by the rules and not by 'the code of the underworld'," I pointed out, seeing Eric's glum face.
"Now listen to what's been happening to me all this time," I began, as soon as all three agreements were signed. "I will start from the very beginning. The Pryke Mine and Kameamia."
I told them about everything: the creation of the Kameamia, the Orc Warrior Figurines, which they immediately asked me to show them, the Crafting skill, the First Kill, Beatwick, the Totem, Dragons, the Cursed Chess Pieces, the Priestesses of Eluna, the map of Kartoss and its sale, Anastaria and her presence in the clan and the Treasures of the Dragons. I kept nothing back, even telling them about the Dress of Leara. When I told them about the Totem, I had to activate the standard invisibility barrier that was available in this tavern so I could show them Draco, because the guys had trouble believing it otherwise. I didn't think that it would take me quite so long to retell six months of my life spent in the Game and I was also surprised by just how eventful this time had been.
"And that's how I became such a brash 'big shot' throwing money around," I concluded, having revealed all. "Now you know what happened to me. My current appearance doesn't make me any better or worse than you. I'm the same. I just got lucky in opening up the Kartoss scenario and striking it big, as they say. Stopping is completely out of the question right now. You have to keep it up, or your luck will run out and it's back to the everyday grind. Catch the description of the High Priestess quest." I shared Beth's assignment with the others. "We'll have to set out towards the Free Lands for the search as soon as possible. We need some more people, but I have three reliable guys, with whom I've spent enough time adventuring in my day. So, are you in?"
"Why didn't you join Phoenix?" Clutzer was still trying to get to the bottom of things. "When Rastor, Phoenix's chief recruiter, found us, he spun the tale of how Mahan was already in the clan and couldn't wait to see us there as well. We even went through some tests necessary for being accepted into Phoenix, but then decided to wait a bit before joining."
"That's why I didn't join ... Hellfire – you probably know who that is – told me exactly the same thing: that you guys were already in Phoenix and were just waiting for me to join. I was pretty upset with you at the time. If Anastaria hadn't made the slip-up that I mentioned, I may have even bought it. To be more precise ... I'm a Shaman and function on the level of intuition. So my instincts tell me that I must avoid joining other clans at all costs. I know it sounds stupid, but in three months my instincts have brought me all that you can see right now, so I try my best to follow them. And why did you decide not to join if they were trying so hard to recruit you?"
"We're no deserters and don't go back on our words." Clutzer's face relaxed. "Other clans invited us only on account of the First Kill, they didn't really need us otherwise. Protection from PK-ers? That's a bit of a joke; besides, even more would've ended up hunting us if we joined Phoenix of Legion. There was little point joining a smaller clan and we simply lacked the gold to create our own." Clutzer turned to the others and asked: "Has Mahan passed the test? Are we with him or do we part ways?"
"He passed," said Eric. "No tricks and he's not sticking up his nose at us. He seems to be the same as he was three months ago. The clan gets my vote. Leite?"
"Mine too. I thought at first the bastard came to have a laugh at us, but I see that I was wrong. I'm in.”
"Then send us the invite," concluded Clutzer. "Have you already decided who will be what?"
"Yes. If there are no objections, I will remain the head. I've picked up a good number of quests and as the head they'll spread to the rest of the clan through me. Plus I have Moneybags – take a look at the description – which is another big bonus for the clan. Clutzer will be my deputy. What do you say?" I selected each of the players and sent them an invite.
"I won't be the deputy." Clutzer declined my invite. "Perhaps Eric would take it, but I won't do it. Make me an ordinary fighter."
"Why?" I asked, surprised.
"It's just not my thing. Thinking stuff up, figuring out a way to get in somewhere – I'm your man – but I don't want to be in the limelight all the time."
"I won't do it either," said Eric. "Becoming a deputy after Anastaria is just too risky. What if she decided to come back and the place was already taken? No, I'll pass."
"All right then," I said, once Seathistles clan sported three extra players. "Guys, you probably know each other quite well by now – can you tell me what you're doing time for?"
"Tell us about yourself first."
"I'm here for hacking." I briefly told them about the bet with Marina and the hacking of the Intellect Imitator and looked at the others, "What about you?"
"Hacking," Eric spoke first. "I hacked an Imitator of this shop and was syphoning money off them."
"If my memory doesn't fail me, Clutzer's here for theft, right?” I asked.
“Two hundred and twenty gold for the headband equates to a twenty two million debt. What on earth did you steal?" I asked, surprised.
"Have you heard of the painting called the 'Mona Lisa'? That," smiled Clutzer. "Although I had no time to carry it out before the police arrived. Later they spent a long time questioning me about how I got inside. I told them, so ended up with a 7-year sentence instead of a 15-year one.
"I'm here for bribery," said Leite. "I was working in the district administration office ... usually everything was fine, but one time things just didn't work out ... it was my fault and I had to take the rap."
"Then this is what I propose we do with our clan. I know you probably have ideas of your own, but hear me out first. Let's see," I glanced at the clan properties and was disappointed to see that the bonuses for the First Kill didn't stack. It turned out that just one person with such a buff was enough to get all the goodies. "All of us have to level up in our professions. The clan will focus on producing and selling i
tems made with the Crafting skill. We will have to find a reliable free person, who doesn't have the 30% convict tax deduction, to deal with the sales. As I said before, I already have three old acquaintances in my sights. I'll try to take them with me to the Free Lands and see if they've changed much in the last six months. If they haven't, one of them can easily be made into the Treasurer: these guys are reliable – they won't let us down. Each of us has different terms to serve, so the aim of the clan for the next 4–8 years, however long each sentence is: to earn money and secure a comfortable existence after release. In the time we're spending in the capsules, the world isn't standing still, so we will find it very hard to return to our previous occupations. I don't want to end up unemployed after Barliona, and neither do you, I suspect. So, all in all, that's the plan for now. If there are no objections, our task for today is ..."
As it turned out, Clutzer's ideas were running along the same lines, so after providing everyone with the necessary cash, I first sent them all to the Bank to buy themselves a new purse and a Mailbox and then visit the profession trainers and unlock the maximum number of both gathering and production professions. When the guys left, I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Right. These were some tough negotiations. It's not that I expected them to run at me with open arms, but I didn't expect this either. But that's fine; we'll make it work. And then suddenly I jumped up like one hit by lightning: the Princess! I promised to visit her yesterday, but never found the time! Or to put it more bluntly: I forgot. I had to go to the Palace straight away, before I landed in any extra trouble.
"You weren't in a great hurry." It looked like Tisha's Imitator had finally come into its own as a highborn lady. Before I could meet the Princess I had to explain to a flamboyant-looking gentleman in a long blue jacket – a butler or a steward, who knows with these Palace NPCs – why I needed to meet the Emperor's daughter.
"Tisha, a thousand apologies. It was my first day in Anhurs yesterday, and by the time I got on top of all my errands it was night already. Who would've let me in to see you at night? So that's why I came today first thing, as soon as the Palace gates were open." My level of Attractiveness with her was still at 39 points, which was comforting. At least the Princess hadn't taken offence.
The Secret of the Dark Forest ( (The Way of the Shaman: Book #3) Page 8