Fort Bone was always busy. And today was no exception.

The vending machines had been updated because of the settlement's recent upgrades.

Atlas gestured for John to follow him to the vending machines. "I'll show you the new security system I found," Atlas said, leading the way.

‘I’m kinda excited to show John this. I’m surprised we didn’t use it last time we were portalled last year,‘ thought Atlas.

"Alright," John replied, walking alongside him. As they made their way through the settlement, John broke the silence. "So, are you ready for the residential auction tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. You've got everything set up, though, right?" Atlas asked.

"You bet," John said. "So, what do you think these private houses will go for tonight?"

Atlas shrugged. "Hard to say. We’ve got a lot of people with deep pockets around here, especially with the way things have been growing. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some serious bidding wars."

John nodded. "I’ve already had a few of the richer merchants approach me, asking if they’d be allowed to use the houses as both a residence and a storefront. I told them it would be up to you."

Atlas considered it for a moment. "Yeah, I don’t see why not. It’s a free market. If they’re willing to pay the price and meet the requirements, I say let them. It might actually help the economy here. As long as the shops with the live-in space are in the commercial area."

"Good point," John agreed. "But three houses… Do you think that’s going to be enough? There’s a lot of interest."

Atlas scratched his chin thoughtfully. "We’ll have to see how tonight goes. If there’s more demand than we expected, we can always consider putting up more houses for auction later. But I think starting with three will create some excitement, maybe even drive the prices up. Remember, you were the one arguing against putting up ten houses."

"True," John said. "I just hope we don’t end up with a situation where the same few people are grabbing all the prime spots. We’ll need to keep an eye on that."

"We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, limit purchases to one per person for now," Atlas replied. "Let’s focus on making sure tonight runs smoothly."

‘And making lots and lots of mana coins,‘ his inner eager beaver slapped its tail, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"But there's one thing I need to ask about—citizenship. Who can become a citizen of Fort Bone? I've had a lot of people asking."

"Like I said," Atlas explained, "if you buy a private residence, you can become a citizen. But there's also a hundred-coin tax."

"Alright," John nodded. "But what about the folks who aren’t rich? There are some pretty good crafters and artisans who might want to join us, but they don’t have that kind of cash yet."

"If someone secures a long-term job and can get someone to pay a bond of a hundred coins, that person can sponsor them for citizenship too," Atlas answered.

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“They could also join the army if they pass a recruiting test.”

"Where would they all live?" John asked.

"They could rent rooms in our apartments," Atlas said.

"Rent? I thought we were giving rooms away," John said, surprised.

"We were," Atlas replied. "That was for all the originals. They got free rooms and rent because they helped set everything up. But now that we’ve got so many new people, this economy only works if there’s income. They can still buy an apartment or a private house if they choose. That’s the whole point of the auction tonight."

"You sure they’ll buy a house, Atlas? I mean, who’d buy something knowing they’re only here for a year?" John questioned.

Atlas sighed. "We still don’t know what happens to the rest of the people after the 100 tokens are distributed. Out of our previous group of 100 people, only Clark had talked to the Red Fairy when she was handing out the tokens."

"That sucks," John muttered.

"Yeah, and it gives me another reason to find that son of a bitch," Atlas grumbled. "Anyway, let me show you the new security system I found in the vending machine area that we received after getting our upgraded capacity."

They reached the vending machines, and Atlas pointed at one of the newly unlocked options. "Check this out."

John leaned in, reading the description aloud. "SkyPatrols (20 coins): The epitome of perfection and design. Automatic patrol unit designed for the safety of your settlement. Perfect and a must-have for all settlements." He looked up at Atlas, impressed. "These sound awesome. And there’s a discount for bulk purchases—20 SkyPatrols for only 200 coins."

"That looks incredible, Atlas!" John exclaimed, leaning in to get a closer look. "It’s like some sort of automatic drone system."

Atlas nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Exactly. I think we should go for the bulk purchase. We’ll get way more coverage across Fort Bone and make sure we’re on top of any potential threats. Plus, the automation means we don’t have to worry about manning these units. They’ll handle most of the basic security on their own."

John whistled, clearly impressed. "That’s a serious upgrade. This’ll definitely help with the influx of new people and the potential for trouble. I say we do it."

Atlas nodded, his excitement palpable. "Yeah, it’ll really free up our need for patrolling guards. We can just station them at key checkpoints like the vending machines, the teleportation zone, and the gate."

"Really, it’s perfect," John agreed. "I wonder why nobody used them before."

"Maybe it was too expensive?" Atlas speculated. "Or maybe you couldn’t get it without the City Builder achievement?"

"Maybe," John echoed. "Well, we should definitely do that."

"Agreed," Atlas said, already moving to finalize the purchase. "This’ll make a huge difference in how we manage security around here."

"Great," John agreed. "I’ll finalize the purchase now. Once we’ve got them deployed, we can start focusing on the auction tonight."

With a quick tap, Atlas deducted the coins from their settlement account. But instead of the usual token for summoning the drones emerging, the machine emitted a strange noise.

"SHHHHERZOOOP!"

Suddenly, the familiar Red Fairy appeared in front of them with a mischievous smile on her face. "Ooooh! Who summoned me?" she said, her voice dripping with playful energy.

Atlas froze, his heart pounding at the completely unexpected appearance of the Red Fairy. She floated there, materializing in front of them with a dazzling yet terrifying smile.

John’s jaw dropped as the Red Fairy hovered in front of them, her shimmering wings casting an eerie glow. He blinked a few times, clearly trying to make sense of what had just happened. "Uh… did we just… accidentally summon her?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Atlas took a deep breath, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of one of his twin swords. ‘This can’t be good,‘ he thought, feeling his heart hammering in his chest. He forced a smile, trying to play it cool despite the panic rising inside him. "Looks like it," he said, his voice tight.

The Red Fairy giggled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, well, well. What a delightful surprise!" she sang, spinning in the air with an exaggerated flourish. "Now, what can I do for my favorite little humans?"

John shot a quick glance at Atlas, his eyes wide. "I’m not sure I like where this is going," he muttered under his breath.

Atlas nodded slightly, keeping his gaze on the Red Fairy. "Just… stay calm," he whispered back. "We’ll figure out what she wants."