New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

“That question is quite simple to answer, my liege. We are inside it.”

Phoenix frowned at his vagueness.

“What do you mean, inside it?”

“My queen. The reason the mages’ guild wanted to tie itself up to your budding kingdom is very simple. This tree in which your palace is built. This tree is our reason.”

His answer made no sense to Phoenix, and she kept her frown up.

“Perhaps it is a discussion we should have in private, my queen. When fewer ears are present? It is a sensitive matter for my guild, and we wish to keep some things closer to ourselves.”

Phoenix was suddenly suspicious about the man. But his intent still showed no malice, so she indulged him.

“Very well. I shall arrange a private meeting between you and me later on today, with only Leon and Brienne present with us. Does that satisfy you?”

The old man smiled widely, nodding his head once slowly.

Phoenix felt the old man was creepy, almost like he was trying to act like everyone’s grandfather. It made her flesh crawl a bit.

But she knew she would be fine with him, as long as Leon was there. Returning to the matters at hand, she then turned her head toward the Fey woman on the other side of the table.

“I would like to know what is in it for you as well, Lady Grove. What does the adventurers’ guild gain to be part of our ruling council?”

When the Fey woman locked her eyes into Phoenix’s, the latter felt a small sense of vertigo overcoming her, but it quickly subsided. The iris-less eyes of the woman felt like looking into a bottomless pool, or like looking at the ground from so high up it was no longer perceptible.

But the feeling was fleeting, so Phoenix paid it no mind. The first time this had happened, she had looked at her mental status, believing this was some kind of magic effect, but nothing was there.

She assumed it was just her body’s reaction to something unusual. Waiting for the woman to answer, Phoenix observed her mannerism.

The woman was gentle in every movement she made, almost like watching a glass figure move around, afraid to collide with other surfaces, by fear of breaking. But Phoenix knew better.

She had met other adventures’ guild masters, and they were never pushovers. They wouldn’t have made it to their positions if they were.

And just like every other master she had met, their power was practically unnoticeable. She could have used the system scan, possibly, to glean more detail, but she was sure they would notice.

The woman finally opened her mouth to speak, after many seconds of uncomfortable silence. She made even the old mage uncomfortable with the silence.

“We have only one purpose here, your majesty. It is to ensure the perrenity of the adventurers we serve. Nothing more.”

Phoenix had expected this answer since it was the same one the Fey woman had given her when they met in private. But she would have preferred for her to be a bit more clear as to what that entailed.

“Lady Grove. All I wish for, when asking you this, is complete transparency between council members. Could you be clear about what that entails exactly?”

The slow and gentle nod from the Fey seemed almost out of place.

“Of course, your majesty. The adventurers’ guild only wants to have someone at the higher decisions making level, to ensure they make no decision that negatively affects their clients and members. That is all. I will not be getting in anyone’s way unless they affect said perrenity.”

Everyone at the table nodded in approval. But Phoenix sighed inwardly.

‘Seems like she doesn’t want to mix up with us more than necessary. I’ll have to find a way to get her to open up with me, at the very least.’

“Thank you for clarifying, Lady Grove. Next up, Mr. Grit Herman. I would like to know what it is exactly that you do for the kingdom as of now.”

The gruff man smiled, revealing a bit more of his short tusks, before clearing his throat.

“Ahem. Yes, my queen. My job is to form, sign and enforce major trade contracts between our kingdom and the others, or the smaller trade associations. As of yet, I have not failed to enforce a single one of them, and our economy is still flourishing. I think I’m doing a good job.”

Phoenix chuckled at his self-appraisal. The Half-Orc was a merchant, with clear interpersonal skills, but he also came off as slightly awkward.

She wrote it off as nervousness to be suddenly questioned by his newly met sovereign, who he had only met a few days prior. .𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Thank you, Mr. Herman. From what Brienne tells me, you are doing excellent work, and the fees and taxes you have set in place on trade inside the city all fit what she would have made herself.

Grit eyed the small human woman writing behind the queen, and slightly blushed.

“Ah… Thank you, your highness. Her praise touches me.”

Phoenix raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

She instead turned her head to Morticia. The Fey player was currently gaze-locked on Singing Grove, almost like she was mentally dissecting her quiet demeanour.

It didn’t surprise Phoenix, as she knew Morticia to be an inquisitive person.

“Ahem! Morticia. How are things on your end? Can you explain to the other council members what your duties are?”

Morticia snapped her head in Phoenix’s direction, with an almost displeased look, but went back to her signature psychiatrist fake smile.

“Of course Queen Phoenix.”

Her tone went almost acidic for a moment, before going back to normal as she proceeded.

“My task is to make sure the players, or Abnormals, as the Natives call them, are heard and listened to, just as much as the natives in the kingdom. For now, we are still setting up the office, which will be complete by tomorrow, and I can get to work then.

“But we have a booth set up in the outer ring, and it already seems to have made the few new players quite happy to have some input into the kingdom.”

Phoenix was happy that the players wanted to help out, but she also knew most of the requests were stupid and would never happen. It was the thought that counted, right?