The trip back to Coral Heights was mostly uneventful, and there were only three beast attacks. The first two were easy to handle because they were lone creatures, but the last one was a pack. Surprisingly, Cora had helped with her bow during that attack, and she was much better than him. The range of her arrows wasn’t that great, but that was probably because of the poor bow and handmade arrows.
When they reached the town, the wooden wall was in much better shape, and the gate was closed and could swing in to place. Vern was behind the gate guarding along with three boys that were probably no older than 12 years old. Zen smiled as the boys pushed open the gates allowing the oxen and wagon along with there two horses in. It wasn’t much better than before, but at least it looked like the damage on the walls and gate was repaired.
One of the boys took the horses from Banick and him, and he walked toward the manor with Cora in toe. He tried not to sigh when he saw her following, but she was now a retainer, so it was right for her to come with him. He still felt a little bad about taking her from her family, but he would have Bena manage her like she did Elina.
He just entered the door when he saw Bena waiting with another woman that was dressed in a simple but well-tailored dress. The girl was pretty, and she bowed to him with a curtsey, and that was when he realized who she was. Elina had changed a lot since he had left, and it looked totally different from the girl he had left here.
“Welcome back sir.” Bena asked as she looked gazed from him to Cora.
“I will explain it later Bena.” Zen smiled. “She has sworn her self to me as a retainer, but as you can see she is ill equipped to do so. I will leave you to sort out what she needs, but now I need to go to my office and see the reports on what has happened since I left.”
“Yes, sir I will take care to get the information from her and get her sorted out.” Bena said with a smile in her eyes. “If you need anything just call for Elina or me.”
“I understand, and if you can bring me some tea and a snack in an hour or so, it would be great.” Zen said as he walked up the stairs and toward his office.
Zen hesitated a moment and shut the door, and then escaped in to his sanctuary, where he saw Bena sitting on the couch watching a raw feed. He walked over to the screen and stopped dead in his tracks as he realized the raw stream was of him fighting the lizards, and Bena was rewinding and playing him being hit by the lizard tail repeatedly. He looked down at Bena and started to think that she is a malfunctioning AI.
“It really doesn’t get old.” Bena said as she looked up at him. “I saw that you picked up another stray. Are you trying to start a harem?”
“What no…” Zen stammered.
“Why not? You will need one eventually, after all having a few heirs is important to a lord.” Bena twisted around and smiled devilishly.
“What?” Zen spat.
“Listen, normal wealthy players have a number of lackies to take on the roles of leaders of villages and towns. Since you don’t have any other players taking on those roles. You either have to hire people and hope they don’t betray you or create heirs.” Bena explained. “You’re not gay, are you?”
“No, I like woman just fine.” Zen stuttered.
“Good.” Bena said with a laugh.
“What type of AI are you?”
“Don’t you know it is rude to ask that to an AI?” Bena fake pouted. “I will tell you though. I am the highest type of AI that a player is allowed. That is how absurd your stunt of turning a platinum VIP in to a pauper lord on purpose.”
“You’re serious about the heir’s thing?” asked Zen seriously.
“It is actually the smartest way of doing it.” Bena said. “No pun intended by the way.”
Zen groaned at Bena’s play with words, but he was curious why it was the smartest way. He had read several books that noble heirs had caused internal conflict and sewed chaos inside and outside a household. He didn’t understand why it was the best way.
“I can see it on your face you don’t understand.” Bena smiled. “An heir’s education and experiences are controlled by the player, and they also influence their personality. If you send an heir off to fight the continental battles you can take control of that heir from the sanctuary. The perks of platinum VIP are boundless.”
“I really need to sit down and go over what perks I get.” Zen muttered.
“That is what you have me for.” Bena giggled. “Now let’s talk about that new girl you picked up.”
“You mean Cora?”
“Yes, it was quite the luck that you made her in to a retainer, because we need more retainers to be able to create an outpost. That is the only way we are going to be able to move the village of coral heights to that region without causing a riot.” Bena stated.
“Explain…” Zen turned serious as well.
“You are only aloud 1 village and 1 outpost until you get enough villagers to expand. This makes it impossible to not waste money on this village before opening a new one at that location. There is one caveat though, because you can build an outpost in that location and then transfer the village rights to that outpost and it can take over. The same necessary buildings are needed for an outpost and a village. If this city was larger and was a town or city. It wouldn’t be near as easy to do this.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“But we need 5 retainers to build an outpost?” Zen asked.
“Exactly.”
“Would I need an heir then to keep in charge of this outpost?” questioned Zen.
“No, soldiers can run outpost and any of your body guards are capable in that regard.” Bena explained. “Though you are getting Cora as a retainer will help quite a bit toward that goal.”
“Why? She is only one?”
“You will understand in time.” Bena giggled. “But now that we have more data on the locations we can have a better grasp on starting construction on building the outpost. I assume you liked the second site better.”
“Yes.”
“The buildings won’t be a problem because of the resources, but the wall has to be done by manual labor. Wood is easy to build and take down. Stone is much harder but is durable to attack.” Explained Bena.
“The first wall has to be wood until we decide on the outer edges of what will eventually be a city size.” Zen decided.
“You also have to decide on the street design and placements of the different textiles…”
“Wait!” Zen said in a raised voice. “Can’t you do all that and I just make changes or approve it?”
“You mean you don’t want to do everything?” Bena asked with a sweet voice.
“Hell no!” spat Zen.
Bena just giggled and then said. “Ok I will do all of the designing and come and ask if I need your authority on something.”
Zen had just realized that she was totally messing around with him, and she was going to take care of everything from the start. What kind of AI did he get? He sat down in front of the screen and accessed the controls. A 3D image of the village came up on the screen and he realized that he could watch what was going on in his manor from here. He focused on Bena’s avatar and saw her making some food in the kitchen.
He moved to Elina filling up a large tub and saw Cora looking depressed as she was stripping away layer after layer of clothes. He paused a moment and then sighed and then changed the screen and suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Bena.
“You really are innocent.” Bena mused as she looked at him. “Why don’t you let your self go a little. Sex is just sex here, and I have been told it is just as enjoyable as your real life.”
“What type of AI are you?” Zen asked again.
“The moral codes of your real life will only limit you here.” Bena muttered as she shook her head. “Those that excel here understand our way of life, and the rules we have. You are not the same as your real life, and the natives here will only truly accept those that play by our rules and cultures. Elina and Cora expect you to take them in to your bedroom, and if you don’t they will lose trust in you. They know they are not nobles and can’t be one of your wives, but it doesn’t mean they can’t better their lives and their families. There true intentions they have will be based on your treatment of them, but if you play by the moral codes of your world. They will just think your insane.”
Zen just gawked at Bena not knowing what to say, because this was a real shock to him. He couldn’t believe what she was trying to say, but the natives here are truly realistic in nature. There were times when you knew what they did wasn’t natural, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t natural to them. It meant that he didn’t believe it was natural. He understood what Bena was saying, because there were a few people that would just sleep with Cora and Elina with out hesitation. He knew his brothers would and then throw them away.
“Are the natives that real here?” Zen asked in a pleading manner.
“Define real.” Bena answered. “To us you don’t act real, and when family or friends die. We cover the same emotions from sadness to anger like any of you would. We have had thousands of years before the first player came here, and we have developed our own culture with in the parameters we were given. Is that any less real than the culture your people have created over that same time. I think the question you must ask your self is, whether Rozen Martell Lord of Coral Heights is from here, or from your world everybody seems to want to run away from.
Zen felt numb and finally asked. “Does every player know about this?”
“You idiot.” Bena laughed. “Do you think everybody has an AI assisting them? Do you think they all have one as high as me? Maybe a few at the very most might know, but would those people truly care to believe such a thing, and would the AI’s believe in their lords to even bring it up. It is because your kind and somewhat naïve that I am telling you this, but for the most part I think you have a capacity to believe it and excel here.”
The conversation with Bena was shocking and exciting at the same time, because in real life Zen hadn’t had any real relationships. His first real fling was a year after he entered virtual reality, and that was with Amanda from Arrise Guild. The relationship never really went anywhere, and while Amanda was unbelievably beautiful. She also had too much responsibility and after a while their relationship turned in to friendship.
Other than Amanda he had sex a few times with other females in the guild, but most of those were members wanting to get information that he had privy too. There weren’t any feelings involved but the situation he had in front of him this time was different. Most people would just take it as a game and transform in to the energizer bunny and go at it, but Zen knew that he couldn’t justify it like that if Bena was telling the truth. His gut instinct told him she was, and this was an amazing discovery for him that could lead him to becoming powerful in GCO.
The problem is that he never truly sought power or riches in his real life, but he did use it. He sat down on is couch and realized he was truly an idiot. What was real and what was fake now a days? Bena was right, because in the place he was right now seemed real to him. It was a different life that he hadn’t even began to live yet, and with the wealth he could make here. He could change or rather make things better. They were not non-player characters, but natives and having sex every so often. Did that make him a truly bad person?
“You are really thinking hard on this.” Bena sounded surprised as she walked beside him. “I think you’re the first player I have viewed that took your decision so seriously. I am not sure if that makes you a tard or a thoughtful person. Ether way it is kind of cute, and I think it justifies my decision to tell you.”
“I am not sure if I will be able to handle this.” Zen muttered.
“Oh, just ball up and be a man.” Bena snapped. “Nobody likes the wimp type characters in those books. So, let yourself go and we will support you the best we can.”
Zen just started laughing at Bena’s comment and realized he was one of those wimp type characters he always mocked. His laughter lasted for almost a minute before he gained control of himself and nodded to Bena before saying. “Ok Bena I give you permission to kick my ass if I revert.”
“Ahh now that is a truly good command.” Bena smiled as sat down beside him. “Now that wimpy stuff is over I am going to teach you how to truly command the system here. By the time I am done you will have as much power as the emperor and maybe as many wives.”
Zen sighed and didn’t know what he was getting into, but he knew that he wouldn’t be like his brothers. He would do things right and only must be harsh when needed. He didn’t know how long he could hide in virtual reality, but he was going to make it enjoyable. He nodded and focused on Bena and began his new education.