Twice was too many times to disappear without warning (damn fractures), so I went around telling people about my plan. To some, I ask for help. To others, I ask for their understanding.

I'll need to overcome the hurdle that I can't 'technically' leave the country until I complete my duties as "Representative of Humanity." Something about treason, or defecting, or danger. The information outlined in the pdf sent to me by the institute, which also held the departure time, stressed this fact heavily.

"No. Ellis, we haven't found a proper candidate for the Vice guild master position. Additionally, my claws are full, so I can't help you scam the government into letting you leave the country."

"Full of what? My money?"

"Recall how we 'allegedly' backstabbed the FIB after they completed their end of the deal by 'allegedly' anonymously sending their dirty laundry to one of the highest authorities in anti-corruption?"

"It was not 'we.' It was you. Allegedly."

"Allegedly. Regardless, our guild is being attacked legally from all directions by puppet and shell companies funded by the FIB. No one can prove it's them, but that doesn't mean I won't scratch back. And before you ask, no, the number one body in fracture research and containment isn't going belly up from the anti-corruption investigation. A lot of 'restructuring’ will happen, but that might be worse for those caught in the crossfire than a simple agency dismantling."

"Seems... petty. What does the FIB gain from 'legally attacking' us? Wasting my credits on our legal department's salaries? I was paying them anyway, so I don't see what's up."

"Well, as an experienced [Lawspeaker], I can deduce their motives... They want to overwhelm our legal department with lengthy, expensive, time-consuming court proceedings. They want to disrupt the well-oiled machine we have going on here by pissing on some of the cogs. The sheer amount of 'attacks' is staggering. If it was any other guild, they would've had to outsource for more lawyers... which would cost an arm and a tail and open the company up to vulnerabilities to the attackers."

"But we aren't any other guild. We are the Guild of Flash Gordon."

"Hmm. Yes, that is our name."

"Why aren't we struggling?"

"Without reference, you might not realize how robust our legal department is. It's about five times the size of a guild of our level should have. If it wasn't for Sir. Rob, we would only have the budget to afford two times."

"...Why the hell do we have five times the people? I wondered why I needed to specifically sign off on something called the "Legal Village." How many lawyers live on guild property?"

The guild has accommodations for most members since most people want to live somewhere safe, especially in big cities. However, I additionally allow people's families to live on guild grounds. Since living here isn't a requirement for the job, my employees still have to pay to live here. But, they get a discount to the point where we don't make a profit since any "profit" goes straight into security, which is the point of the accommodations. Anything else is a bonus.

Although I haven't experienced it as often as I believed would happen, I didn't get caught up in some of the horror stories of the capital. Random altercations with someone levels higher (I won the fight), suffered from collateral damage (I was the target), and high rent (I was either homeless or a homeowner, no in-between).

How the hell is rent still high if people get hurt daily by human belligerence. Well, most of the things I know about this city are from books. Maybe going sightseeing will open my eyes. It better be damn good architecture if people are willing to die to live near it.

"They aren't all lawyers. And before you become accusatory about expenditure wastage, know that this is for the foundation of your kingdom. It will be beneficial to have a robust legal team. One that gained a sense of familiarity for you by working for your guild for a long time. You can integrate them into the existing judicial system when the time comes, or you can have them create a new one for you."

"Hmmm... okay."

Free Chains later told me that the government can't stop me from leaving the country since I'm not a criminal. However, if I enter another country or miss the trip to the Elvish Territories, I will get in legal trouble.

~~~

"We don't have a boat fund."

"Charlie. We have credits for a "Legal Village," but not for nautical travel? What happens if the world floods? All the lawyers will drown! ...Are we actually running out of money?"

"We have stored funds, emergency funds, super-emergency funds, apocalypse funds, and a few more in case we need more credits for a project. Every credit that I touch is being allocated as best as possible. Unfortunately, boat expenditure wasn't mentioned in the meeting, so the funds weren't properly attributed."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Pull from the third one. It'll be fine."

"...The main issue is that boats at the caliber to where they can weather the... weather past the waters of the Prime Territories are ludicrously expensive. Besides, the Navy and the Cerulian Shield have a minor monopoly on ships, and they are basically the same things. That guild directly employs the best shipwrights and typically only sells to the government. Exceptions exist, of course."

"Like what?"

"I don't know the exact specifics. Adventures got that far out on something, didn't they? I wouldn't recommend making such a dangerous journey without a specialized boat. I can look into getting one for the guild, but it'll be hard to make it a guild expenditure."

"Oh, as I said, I need it for Khan's evolution."

"Yes. But being your tamed beast doesn't mean we can buy anything for him and call it a tax write-off. Evolution increases his power. Power is necessary for many aspects of the guild, but Khan... doesn't do much but eat and freak out the other pets or tamed beasts our employees have. He's technically a security consultant but officially hasn't earned us an income."

"...Can we just not have it be a tax write-off?"

"..."

"..."

"I'll start a fund for the ship, but it might be easier for you to buy, rent, or borrow one from a coastal city. Someone will have to go there and pick it up anyway because those ships aren't made for the rivers leading to Aurora."

"You can start by limiting the funds Free Chains is getting to build his 'mansion.' I reread the reports about that village, and although he deserves it, I want to slightly punish him."

"Most of it is being built with his own money."

"Yeah, not all of it. Free Chains bought the materials and hired the architect, but he's piggybacking off the construction crews we payroll. If he spends most of MY money on construction projects after spending all MY money on real estate, then HIS home should come later."

"The deal was good. I don't blame Free Chains for guiding the guild in that direction."

"...Weren't you a major player in this too? You handle my money."

"Cut the funding on his mansion? That's not enough. I'll have him compensate the guild for the mismanagement of workers not under his jurisdiction. His pride will take the blow, not his wallet... Although his spending habits are high, he probably won't notice while this FIB fiasco is happening. He sleeps at the office more often than in the dorms the guild provides."

"...Have the mansion completed before the attacks stop."

"Understood. Overtime will come out of Free Chain's pocket, however."

"Oh. Yeah, that's perfect."

~~~

"You don't need to tell me, dumbass. Just get to training."

"Okay, Master Wang."

~~~

"Thank you for informing me, disciple. Now that you are here, a local veterinarian hospital needs help. I'll give you some tips about traveling those waters once you return. Here's the address."

"Sure. Thank you, Master Giles."

~~~

"Are you sure? I expect you to disappear into a fracture and not show up until midway through whatever elvish tournament we have to compete in."

"Val. I may have fallen into two separate fractures, but those were separate occasions. They can't even be attributed to my fault. If it happens again, I'll find a way to sue the FIB for it... again."

"Sure. Whatever. So when are you leaving, and when do you plan to return?"

"When transportation is sorted."

"Is there any reason you don't simply ride one of your tamed beasts? The trip shouldn't take longer than the boat ride to the Elvish lands."

"...I want the experience of captaining a boat through stormy waters, fighting sea monsters on a lurching deck, and other sailor-y activities."

"Okay... How about you do that when time isn't an issue. You can catch scurvy and eat hardtack on your own terms *after* any responsibilities are handled."

I know that I will most likely find the prospect of being a sailor no longer fun after my trip to Elf land... but I don't say that because that sounds like how a tantruming child would respond. 'But it won't be fun *later* I want to do it now!'

Flying removes any romance from the trip. What takes weeks roundtrip will now take days instead. Sigh, I guess I'll prioritize efficiency over fun.

I give my farewells and leave the capital. I wondered if the government's warnings about leaving the country were final... so I asked the dean of the Auroran Institute for confirmation.

He danced around the topic before saying he doesn't recommend leaving the country for 'safety concerns.' I'm technically still a target for the Death Cult... and whoever might have gripes with me. I'd be safe as long as I'm in the country, more accurately, the capital.

When I asked about them not attacking me when I left the capital during the earthquakes to help out other cities, he explained that we weren't the only ones affected. The assumed headquarters of the Death Cult had a mountain fall on it during the disaster. The people hunting down this organization still believe that they are out there, but their movements have diminished since then.

Rather than wait for them to bounce back even more, I decided to speed-run my journey to the Storm-Scorned Archipelagoes and complete Khan's evolution.

With that, I ride Khan's main body as the rest of him acts like a deterrent for any beasts, land or sky, to attack us. I still plan on going to the island of Little Rock, where most of those who adventure out to sea end or start their journey. It's a city on a small island near the mainland but acts as a good launch pad for anyone trying to leave Prime Territory waters.

Instead, I'm heading there to stock up on local goods, souvenirs, and advice rather than having my Personal assistant buy me a boat or something.