“Alright, I accepted the contract.”
“Good I have accepted it on my end as well. Now our time is limited so let us talk about the city. The location of the city and where you all will returning to should you all decide to return together, is somewhat predetermined. The general area is where we will build your city. In this general area you have two options. There is an open plain where your city will essentially be in the middle of those plains, and then there is a deep cove next to the ocean where a harbor district will be included in the city plans. Pick one.”
Now Raizen, you have played enough games and watched enough shows to know that building next to the water is probably better. It counts as a natural defense, should hopefully provide food, and therefore money. Well as long as people actually go out to fish. But it could also pose a problem. Who knows if there won’t be giant sea monsters that would attack the harbor? Or perhaps really small ones that carry poisons and what not…but there could be things like that living in the plains too.
Not something I can control too much, plus the Outpost Leader will be handling the defense for a while so hopefully they’d be prepared for things like that. Alright sounds good enough to me. Coastal City it is.
“I choose the deep cove.”
“Good choice, then that wraps up our discussion. I will see you soon.”
“Wait, how long will it take to build the City?”
The Outpost Leader just gave a slight smile to that question and simply vanished. Huh. Moving on I guess. After that, I left the Outpost Leader’s office and stopped by the shop, but Greja was nowhere to be found. Out of curiosity, I stopped by the Blacksmith and the Alchemist shops, but they were both empty as well. I guess they’re gone for now.
I didn’t dwell on it for too long and headed over to the training ground, where the others were waiting. I need to show them the contract which was thankfully still an option to select in my status, because I didn’t write any of that down and It would have been very easy for me to forget some things.
…
In a dark room, where a small projection of a somewhat aged man was being displayed. He had a thick white beard, powerful and sharp eyes, and a bald head that appeared shiny even through the projection.
POV Jrino
“I greet the Branch Head.”
“No need for formalities Jrino, I’m stressed enough as it is. Since you’re calling, I assume the Tutorial is now over. How was it? Did you manage to sign a favorable contract with the natives? I apologize for having to send you all to do something like that, but my hands were tied. Hopefully this planet has some resources that would make this venture worthwhile.”
“I did manage to make a favorable contract yes. Displaying it now.”
After taking a few minutes to read over the contract, which I’m sure was more than enough time for the Brand Head to read the contract probably a million times for someone of his level, he closed his eyes and grabbed the bridge of his nose for a few seconds before sighing, and finally speaking.
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“I know you’re not stupid Jrino. So, who was it? Who was it that forced you to do this? Was it those metal bastards? I will personally take a trip to-…”
“Branch Head. Please ensure your quarters are secure.”
“Hm? Give me a moment.”
…
“Alright, it is secure.”
“The City Lord that I signed that contract with is an Infernal. There is also a significant chance an Elder of his is waiting for him once he leaves the Tutorial.”
Watching the Branch Head’s face go from shocked to extremely serious is always a sight to see. Though this time I don’t blame. An Infernal is just too big of a presence to plan for. Especially in this scenario. We have heard stories of them popping up in Tutorials, but not a single one has ever been confirmed by us, well at least to my knowledge. The Branch Heads might know something I don’t. The point is, this is not a situation we had accounted for when our plans for the Tutorial were made.
“Jrino. This is not something to be taken lightly. There are things at stake here that are beyond our scope of control. The contract has been signed so I will not harp on it. Focus on serving him well.”
“Serving? I understand the significance of aligning with an Infernal, but isn’t a serving a bit much Branch Head?”
“You understand nothing Jrino. Nothing. If you did then you would have never suggested a contract with him. There are things I cannot say, but you need to understand the gravity of signing a contract with an Infernal, whom you met in a Tutorial is bigger than whatever it is you were thinking. Serve him well Jrino. 50 Body Tempering brats, right? I will send over our best. Contact me again once everything has settled, there is much to discuss.”
“Understood, Branch Head.”
…Just what have I done?
…
POV Raizen
“…And that’s pretty much everything. Any questions?”
“When will the City be built?”
“Good question Richard, I’m not sure. The Outpost Leader didn’t give me any information regarding that, but I hope it’s not longer than a year. Though I guess we should be prepared for it to take that long. Nate and the others can help us set up tents and a camp of our own until we can get something more like a house going.”
“You mentioned taxes and what not, so will we have to pay tax to live in the city?”
“Good question, Vanessa, but I really don’t know. Maybe in the future but for now to be determined, and even if it does happen it probably won’t happen initially. I’ve been thinking about it, but you all need to think about your futures a bit. I know this is happening very fast but the Tutorial is over. This is it; this is our new lives. We probably won’t be facing things like daily Hobgoblin attacks anymore or things like that, we will live in an actual city now.
“Except it’s going to be a bit different from the cities we were used to. There is no other government except ours, there are no policemen, there is no army, there are no doctors, there are no waste management programs are anything for that matter. Think about what you want to be in this new world. Whether it’s finding a job in the City like a fisherman, or a tailor, or opening up a restaurant. I don’t know. What I do know is that you all will have first dibs on anything. There are still a billion people alive on our planet, and we already know that the City will be open to them joining so a whole bunch of people could be here initially and over time.
“So again, think about your futures and what you want to do in this new life of yours.”
I said that to them…but I need to do the same for myself. I’ve long since thought about the idea of my own country, or in this case city, but all these discussions were kind of an eye opener for me. Wanting a country due to my own selfish desire of not wanting to live under another is somewhat childish. These are people’s lives at stake here. I have a lot to learn, and I need to learn fast, because I do not want the people in this city living bad lives because of me. As always, if I’m going to do this, I need to do it right.