The First Legendary Beast Master

The pack began to spread out through the Clan compound, examining the buildings left behind.

“They even left all the supplies in the restaurants. I think that they just took the valuable resources and abandoned the city. We could set up a whole town today, just using what is here,” one of the female Elders informed them as she bounced her grandson on her hip.

“That’s a good sign. Karl, were you going to claim this spot for the Darklight Host?”

Karl nodded. “I need to clear it with Clan Leader Nerissa, but I don’t think it will be an issue. It’s within the training area of the New Home, so the members will likely stop here on their trips.

It will be good for everyone, and it encourages more members to get out of the compound and make the trip.

You’d be surprised the resources that you can find when you’re just wandering through the woods.”

“Especially when you’re an Avatar of the World Dragon.” The Pack leader agreed.

“I think that we have all agreed that this spot is better than where we were. If you want to contact Clan Leader Nerissa, we can hammer out the final details. I know her, and she shouldn’t give us trouble about moving in here.

She already allowed a Clan to be here, and they weren’t even allies.

Now that there is an allied Pack here, I think she will actually be relieved. The fact that it’s affiliated with the Darklight Host, who is also in her Clan, should set her mind at ease. Just be prepared for her to pressure you to keep giving her goodies for the warehouse.”

Karl laughed. “I’ve got a lot of Clan Credits.”

Elder Blackwoods smiled. “I would imagine that you do. Splitting time between the two locations could become a bit of an issue, I suppose. However, if you’re not looking to actively manage this place, and are willing to leave it to the pack, that would make the New Home happier.”

Karl nodded. “Actually, the branch office that I am technically leader of now, I haven’t lived at for some time. I just arranged the craftsmen and then moved to be closer to the dungeons.

That would work just fine here as well.

It would let the branch keep the Guild Skill that I can provide, and I’m sure that the Pack wouldn’t be too mad about being volunteered to run the place. There are businesses already prepared to open, and once I start teaching all the new Guild members trade skills, they’ll have plenty to sell.”

One of the younger members, a girl in her late teens, raised her hand to ask a question, as if she was still in school.

Actually, she might have been.

“Sir, why would you put so much investment into a Pack, just because they accepted a Guild invitation?”

“Because the associated Guild Branches get a cut of your sales. A flat five percent, all sorted by the System. Having more productive members keeps things running smoothly, and lets the young Immortals grow even without going to the dungeons constantly.

If there isn’t enough to find in the woods? You can fall back on a crafting skill, sell a few items, and get what you need.

I’ve sent a message to Clan Leader Nerissa, and once she arrives, we can talk about selling the items your Pack makes to the New Home’s warehouse.”

A dry laugh came from behind Karl.

“Elder Douglas will not be happy that you are volunteering him for more work trying to value crafted items for the warehouse,” Nerissa informed him.

“But somehow, he never tells me to stop sending them.”

The Clan Leader and the Pack Leader nodded politely to each other, then Nerissa returned her attention to Karl.

“So, if I understand this properly, you wish to make this abandoned place a Guild House, as an extension of the New Home Merchant Clan, and have the Blackwoods Pack move in to operate it. I’m assuming after you have drafted them into your Guild?”

“Well, I do need enough members to make a branch, so yes. That is exactly what I’m asking. You can work out if they’d be considered part of the Clan, an allied Pack, or how the deal works.

But I would like to take them into the Darklight Host.”

Nerissa sighed. “I would try to discourage you, but Lycans and the Host have an exceptional affinity for each other. I suspect it’s the fur. Or possibly, their love of snacks and killing”

{“Yeah, the second one. Definitely the second one.”} Remi agreed helpfully.

A large portion of their team was not furry. However, they were all fond of snacks and stabbing. Even Leo, who didn’t have claws or teeth, was a fan of the scimitar.

Mostly because it went with his pirate hat.

“I don’t actually see an issue with that. The Packs are their own structure, not a formal System recognized organization. So, it’s not an issue to have the Blackwoods Pack join both the Guild and the Clan if they want.

Then, this will really become an extension of the Clan, and the System won’t give us any headaches about ownership because the managers will be in the Darklight Host, who technically holds the rights over this territory until it reverts to free land in the System interface.”

The rights over the land didn’t mean much, as far as Karl could tell. But if anyone else tried to claim it, they would have to wait 30 days before the System would let them establish a Clan Compound, Guild House or other System linked structure.

A reward for the victors of a Clan battle or Guild war.

The Pack members quietly, but urgently, discussed their options. This place was good, and if they joined a larger organization, they would gain many benefits.

However, they would lose some of their autonomy.

It didn’t look like the Clan was going to ask much of them, but they would want it specified in advance. Just in case there were rules that didn’t work with their

nature.

Even if they lived in this compound, they needed to be in the woods most of the time, it was a genetic imperative to be in nature.

Nerissa handed the Pack Leader a document, and when he opened it, a system message appeared in front of each of the Pack members, visible in the air. That was the details of Clan membership in the New Home Merchant Clan, the same

ones that Karl had agreed to.

They were not strenuous.

In fact, other than the agreement to trade goods to the Clan at a rate set by the Clan, they didn’t really require much of anything in particular.