When they reached the village, they saw the villagers carrying pitchforks, axes, knives, butcher knives, bows, and spears. The Bright Guard stood next to the Village Council.

“We heard you threaten our lord with war. We stand united ready to fight!” Brand shouted.

Both the Royal Knights and guild players prepared themselves for a fight. Instantly, Woodhaerst turned into a powder keg. The slightest flinch could start a battle.

“Come down everyone! the Royal Knight and Mythical Guild are not our enemies. Please return home,” Thaddeus said diplomatically. He couldn’t afford to lose a single resident.

“Wise choice, Lord Brown,” Lord Calvin said satisfied.

Thaddeus ignored the man and thought about his residents’ display of force. Seeing their residents’ determination strengthened his resolve. Indeed, he couldn’t protect his people now. But soon he’d have a tall wall, army, siege weapons, and mercenaries at his disposal. So, what he needed most right now was to buy time.

The only tool the empire and Mythical Guild could use was fear. Fear of losing his settlement and having to start all over again. The Mythical Guild was so desperate to claim the mana crystal mine, they didn’t care about upsetting their partners.

But what would the Golden Knights say, or others in the consortium for that matter? And he wasn’t just some noob, he’d played VRMMORPGs for a long time. Moreover, he was an employee of Heaven’s Gate and sought after my Big Agribusinesses, they could certainly hold their own against any businesses. After all, people still needed to eat in the real world. He had too much going for him to roll over like a dog.

*growl*

He heard his stomach growl. He hadn’t eaten since lunch, and it was already well into dusk. And characters had to eat and drink in the game unless they wanted a debuff.

But he could let anything stop his plan.

Step one reach out to Nestoris and ask her to spread the word that the Mythical Knights were threatening him.

Step two: reach out to his Uncle Mike and told him to accept Cargill and John Deere’s offers.

Step Three: report the Mythical Guild to Heaven’s Gate.

While the Mythical Guild pursued him, they hopefully walk into his unsuspecting trap. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. A Chinese proverb cautioned people from pursuing a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger. He set his trap perfectly all that he needed now…was an oriole.

“Goodnight Lord, Brown, I’m looking forward to your decision tomorrow,” Lord Calvin said walking to the inn.

Thaddeus walked to his kitchen table and dialed Nestoris in-game.

“Henry, or should I call you Thaddeus how are you?” Nestoris ask.

“Call me Thaddeus in-game,” he replied.

“Sticking to the basics is fine by me. How can I help you?” she asked.

He quickly told her about Hephaestus and Mythical Guild declaring war on him.

“Did you tell them you own 1%?” she asked.

“I did, but they said it wasn’t important because the consortium would break apart eventually,” he paraphrased.

“Okay, I’ll run this up the flagpole, I’ll get back to you tonight,” she said hanging up the phone.

Next, he called his Uncle Mike. He told his uncle to go ahead with the Cargill and John Deere sponsorships.

“Henry, are you sure? These contracts are for 5 years. Once you sign them, you cannot go back. And Cargill’s not the most popular with environmentalists and human rights activists? Just tell me you have thought this through?” Uncle Mike advised.

“I have,” he said.

“All right. Send me the signature page and I’ll get on it,” Uncle Mike said.

“I’ll do it in a little bit,” he said

The next day, Huey banged on the yurt’s door and shouted, “What did you do yesterday? The guild leader called me concerned I was misrepresenting the guild’s position. Why didn’t you tell me you were an employee of Heaven’s Gate or working with the ABCD agribusiness group? If I had known, I would have…”

“Treated me differently. Why should I tell you how to negotiate with me? Tell me how much wiggle room I do have now to bargain with you?” Thaddeus asked.

An upset Huey looked at Thaddeus frustratedly, “You have burned a lot of bridges within the guild. A main guild V.P. was demoted for submitting a subpar recruiting profile and conspiring to go against the consortium. The entire consortium has decided to invest in you. The guild is sending someone important to apologize to you and I’m being recalled back to Redwood for an emergency meeting. I hope you’re happy?”

“I am happy. You and that fat Earl came down here and threatened me. You told me your guild was going to declare war on me. Did you think I wouldn’t fight back? Did you think I would roll over and let you take everything I’ve built?” Thaddeus said angrily.

“You’ve turned down our offer three times. This time you humiliated and penalized the guild executives on top of that. Do you think they will let you operate your village and mine with impunity? Don’t be surprised if the Crimson Outlaw bandits come to raid your farm or hundreds of players come looking for dungeons. Who knows how long you can keep such a pristine property to yourself with no guild to back you up?” Huey warned.

“Who said I turned down your offer? I didn’t reject your offer; I reject your war declaration. I decided to exclusively trade with the consortium. This means the Mythical Guild can purchase as many ore and mana crystals as they like. I’m also okay with you building a trading post and a teleportation pad. You can think of me as a contractor. I’ll work with your guild but won’t be a part of it. That way we both get what we want,” Thaddeus negotiated.

“And your salary,” Huey asked.

“I don’t need one,” Thaddeus replied.

“To clarify, we get access exclusive access to your mine, a trading post, and a teleportation portal in your village. And you get a reduced salary and no guild perks?”

“No, the consortium gets exclusive rights, and I get autonomy. I’m not some guild member who follows orders. If you want me to do something besides what I agree to, I can refuse with no repercussions. If you want me or my villagers to craft something you have to negotiate with me. That’s what I get. That seems fair to me what do you think?” Thaddeus explained.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“So, you want to be in the guild, but not in the guild at the same time. Thad, it doesn’t feel right to make an exception for you. At Vulcan, we already have autonomy from the main guild. Why be a contract employee and not just an employee? As V.P. you will have your autonomy and enjoy the benefits,” Huey asked.

“Because I don’t like bullies. Go tell your guild leader what I told you and then we can finalize negotiations,” Thaddeus demanded.

“Fine, I’ll check with the guild leader and let you know what he says,” Huey said walking away.

“Oh, do me a favor. Let Lord Calvin know I chose to go with you,” Thaddeus laughed.

“Now that I can do with pleasure!” Huey said walking away happier than he arrived.

Now that he had a wake, he quickly walked over to the kiln and picked up all the panels. Today he’d finish framing the second floor and exterior wall sheeting. If he was lucky, he can start on the roof by tonight.

One of the nice things about Heaven’s Gate was that its servers somewhat mirrored the climate of each continent. In the North American server, the north was cool, the northwest was rainy, the southwest was hot, the Midwest was windy, the northeast was mild, and the southeast was warm.

The climate in the southern Akkadian Empire was similar to northern Georgia or Alabama. June was warm but not hot, drier, and less humid. The sun stayed out late into the evening, giving Thaddeus extra time to work on his cottage.

Around lunch, Huey returned to the farmhouse. He climbed the ladder to the second floor and joined Thaddeus who was already sitting down enjoying a smoked duck sandwich. He handed a third uneaten one to Huey.

“How did the Earl take the news?” Thaddeus asked with a chuckle.

“Not well. He stormed out of the inn and left with his retinue promising to return with an army. What he doesn’t know is that what I said about the emperor’s brother is true. The guild leader just broke the emperor’s brother out of prison. When they found the brother, he was trapped in an iron mask to hide his identity from the guards.

The quest was insanely difficult. Only four people could attempt the quest. They had to disguise themselves as the Three Musketeers and recruit. They had entered the island prison undetected and fought their way out.

Now the true emperor is meeting with the NPC rebel faction. Most of the rebels are fallen nobles, which opposed the young brother’s coup. The younger brother married his fiancé and killed his brother’s supporters or exiled them.

Now it is time for his revenge. We are hiding him in the capital under an alias. Soon Earl Christopher von Monte will avenge the men who conspired against him. And when he is reenthroned at the end of this month, the Mythical Guild will have complete control of Redwood, Pinewood, and Pine Grove. Thanks to our citadels, we already control the popular mob farming locations. However, what we do not have is a mana crystal mine under our control in a small frontier territory,” Huey said.

“So, what was your headquarters’ response to my demand?” Thaddeus asked.

“Thad, the guild is willing to accept you as a consultant. You’ll have the same rank as a V.P. of Vulcan Company, but with a reduced salary and benefits. As a consultant, you are free from any guild responsibilities, but at the same time if you wish to use the main guild’s resources or labor you must pay full price. Also, the executive board approved the trading company, not the teleportation pad. If you want that, you must finance it yourself. Finally, to smooth over the mistakes on our end, the guild will issue a one-time recruitment notice to NPCs,” Huey explained.

“Alfred, how much does a teleportation pad cost?” Thaddeus checked.

“Sir, teleportation pads are the most expensive building and have the highest upkeep. A small teleportation pad cost five million gold,” Alfred explained.

Thaddeus choked on his sandwich hearing such an enormous number. He took a long swig of water to flush out his throat.

He was slowly adjusting to spending gold coins. The 300 gold coins to add a divinity and graveyard to the church and the 10 gold to upgrade the blacksmith made him feel wealthy. Yet, the Mythical Guild could afford to purchase teleportation pads for all their settlements. That was too extravagant. But at times, millions of players used their teleportation pads to reach new leveling locations. Thaddeus guessed; the Mythical Guild made a profit from their teleportation pads. Something he wouldn’t be able to do.

“Fine, I agree,” Thaddeus said sticking out his left hand to shake.

“Thad, there is one more thing…and you will likely hear this from your contact in the Dawn Kingdom too. As a consultant, the Financial Consortium would like for you to meet the other consortium members working in Heaven’s Gate. There is a weekly one-hour meeting during the workday. You just…need to…attend when you’re available,” Huey said.

“And if I say, no?” Thaddeus asked.

“Then you say no. Read the contract there’s no mandate to attend the meetings. It’s just recommended…along with some strong financial incentives for attending and sharing,” Huey encouraged.

“Well, you can tell them, that I do not plan to go! And what is this about changing my username?” Thaddeus asked reading the contract.

“You can keep your username, but to access the Mythical Guild employee intranet you need a username and password. All employees, consultants, and contractors must have a mythical username. There is a random username generator on our homepage, or you choose your own.

System Message:

Demeter permits you to use the name Philomelus. Reward: +25 SP to Farming skills. Penalty: None.

“No, it's fine. I pick one,” Thaddeus said after reading his newest system message and seeing his farming skill increase by 25 skill points.

“Then sign and initial where it’s highlighted and welcome to the Mythical Guild… Philomelus. Our HR will reach out to you once you’re in our system. Once you’re in you’ll need to create a password and log in. I’ll dispatch a guild trader and banker. You can expect them to come within the week. Once they’re open, you’ll deliver the shipments of ore, mana crystals, or whatever else you want to trade there and collect your money at the bank,” Huey explained.

“Don’t forget the contract stipulates the consortium guarantees to pay the market rate,” Thaddeus reminded him.

“As long as you stick to the agreement you don’t have to worry about us,” Huey said confidently.

“Well, what’s next for you?” Thaddeus asked.

“I’m going back to Redwood, to clean up the mess you made. Mend some bridges, the fact you joined the guild will go a long way to help. I’m also supervising the construction of new siege equipment. The main guild finds all kinds of specialty blueprints or alchemy recipes that Vulcan is tasked to construct, forge, or mix. That’s on top of the hundreds of MP and HP potions we must make every month,” Huey explained.

“And what about you Thad, what are you going to do? Are you going to grow this sleepy village into a city?” Huey asked.

“No, I want to raise this village to a town, but that’s it. Feel free to tell your guild about the Spider Dungeon or the dragon?” Thaddeus reminded him.

“Dragon?” Huey asked shocked.

“Didn’t Earl von Calvin tell you? He threatened to expose there is a dragon in the mountains and overrun my village with disorderly players,” Thaddeus explained.

“No, he never told me that,” Huey said pensively.

“I’ll let the guild leader know at my next meeting. I imagine the first guild to kill a dragon would get at least legendary loot. Thad, take care of yourself,” Huey said standing up to leave.

“You too, hopefully, we see each other again soon,” Thaddeus said shaking Huey’s hand.

Finally, with the threat of war behind him, he could return his focus to developing the village. He opened his Civilization Window ready to start but stopped when he saw his notification window flashing.

Unknown to him, Brand and the other villagers carefully noticed the way he skillfully managed diplomacy. Over the past few days, the villagers watched as their lord calmly dealt with the declaration of war and were flustered by the opposing parties. He was correct, there wasn’t any need for them to gather as a mob. When that arrogant Lord Calvin learned of his loss, they watched him, and his soldiers ride away without causing any damage. He seemed afraid of something. They also saw their lord and the Traveler develop a friendship. When they watched the Traveler Guild that arrived as enemies, leave on horseback as friends, they knew everything was okay. The villagers' respect for Thaddeus soared.

System Message:

Congratulations, your Leadership skill reached Level 2. Reward: villagers are 5% more efficient, +5 additional villagers

Thaddeus read the message while he was moving a roof truss in place, and wondered, “Why did my leadership skill increase to Level 2 all of a sudden.”

Later that evening, he sat in the inn drinking a beer. He was relaxing after a hard day's work. As he sipped his beer, he saw a second flashing notification. He saw Phillip, Phoebe, and Kelly stand up in quiet shock. He quickly checked his notifications and to his surprise, he read:

Global Announcement:

The first player auction is scheduled for July 1st. Players must have more than 250 gold to qualify. Private booths are only awarded to players with more than 1,000 gold. Players who meet the requirement will automatically be transported to the auction house.