She smiled to herself. She had manufactured this situation. The other Experts she had contacted willingly supported her with the promise of positions and resources. Other Experts didn’t want to get involved and took a neutral stance but none of them dared to stand up to her.
The rebuilding is rough, but with the help of a few Journeymen builders, it will be more suitable.
The woman leading them opened a door for them into a meeting room. The heads of the other associations were there.
The Fighter’s Association head sat there with a bored look on his face. The Alchemist Association head looked perfectly relaxed. The Formation Guild, Crafter’s Association, and Healer’s Association all had confident looks on their faces. They had all brought Expert-level crafters with them; the Fighter’s Association head hadn’t brought anyone with him and the Alchemist Association had the deputy head with her.
They looked over at their entrance while the Expert-level crafters who had tagged along rose and cupped their fists to Zhen Fu.
“Please, please take your seats.” She smiled, already taking the momentum of the meeting away from the lonely looking Hiao Xen, who sat facing the associations.
Zhen Fu’s eyebrow rose. Although Hiao Xen looked tired, he didn’t look broken yet. When you return to the Blue Lotus, I will turn you and your family into my playthings. Otherwise, wouldn’t others think me weak?
She sat down on the main seat, forcing Nadia to sit in the aide’s seat, making herself the head of the table.
“So, what is this meeting about?”
“Banishment.” A voice came from Hiao Xen and an illusion spell dissolved behind him, revealing two chairs. One was empty; the other showed a man sitting back in it, holding up his head with his hand.
To his side, there was a wolf with fur that looked like moving flames. It was lying down but it was as tall as the man’s chair.
You dare to sit there and stare down on me! He must be one of the city lords.
“I don’t think that Hiao Xen deserves that. He was in over his head. The crafter’s council will, of course, be willing to make sure that the crafters and Vuzgal continue to develop seamlessly.” She smiled, unaffected by the theatrics.
“Ugh—talking. Sometimes it’s just so useless,” the man said, a bored look on his face.
Her eyes thinned dangerously. “The council is the only group that can return order and prosperity to Vuzgal,” she said.
“Silence.” The mana in the room stilled under the man’s command.
A spell enveloped her. A silence restriction fell on her body, making her unable to talk. The talismans and enchantments written into her robes tried to fight the restriction but they didn’t have the power to break the spell. The man sat there, looking at her as he poured out a seemingly inexhaustible amount of mana.
“You dare attack—”
“Too much talk,” Rugrat said, using a silencing spell on the other Expert-level crafters in the room. “Don’t you find it interesting that the troublemakers in my Vuzgal show up to this meeting? It seems I will need to add Lang Bo to the list.”
How is he able to cast Silence on all of us? It is a simple spell and doesn’t take much mana, but all five Expert-level crafters are restrained by him.
“What do you mean by this?” the head of the Healer’s Association stood and demanded.
“I mean to run Vuzgal,” the city lord said simply as he pulled out some documents and wrote something down.
Hiao Xen looked at him in question as well.
I will tear you apart! I will take Vuzgal from you, and I will make you watch from the pillar as it grows in strength and I become its queen!
Zhen Fu’s anger had reached its limit as her last defensive talisman failed, the silence spell keeping her restrained.
***
Nadia wasn’t sure what she was seeing as Zhen Fu gripped her armrests, her nails digging into the wood.
“By attacking our crafters! I thought what I heard in the streets wasn’t true. It seems I was mistaken,” the Healer’s Association head said in a derisive tone.
“Congratulations, another winner on a one-way ticket.” The man wrote down another name and stood, clapping his hands.
“Now, seems some of you have forgotten the agreements we made. You were supposed to supply guard forces that were to aid in dealing with the security issues of Vuzgal. You were allowed to use the services of Vuzgal freely, as anyone in Vuzgal is allowed. Vuzgal is a sovereign land and you’re all renting a plot of it. Seems that you thought this meant you owned it or something.” The man laughed as if it were a rich joke. “You also agreed to punish your people in a way we agreed upon if they created trouble. I’ll be waiting to hear from your headquarters on how they deal with the troublemakers who have appeared in my city.”
“Who do you think you are!” the Formation Guild head demanded.
“I’m fucking Rugrat and this is MY CITY!”
The mana in the room was no longer still as Rugrat’s voice filled the room and spread to the city. A pressure came from him that restrained the very mana in their veins and made it feel as if they stood in the presence of a war god. His voice turned deeper as he looked at them all, his eyes glowing with power.
“Vuzgal will remain a place free for all to visit, no matter your sect or your association. Those who create trouble or go against our laws will be punished.”
Nadia realized that his voice was ringing through the entirety of Vuzgal.
“To those who wish to spend their idle time stopping people from getting to the dungeons, from being able to work, trying to oppress others with their actions and words, disrupting Vuzgal and its residents’ lives...” The man dropped the papers he had been working on and added another name—the name of the Formation Guild head.
Rugrat placed his hand on the thick bundle of papers. “I banish you from Vuzgal. You will never again be allowed to step onto Vuzgal’s territory. Crafters, traders, fighters, people from all walks of life are allowed to visit, but troublemakers, those who disrupt others or the running of the city, will be banished. I banish those listed as disturbing the peace in Vuzgal. This is effective immediately.”
With Rugrat’s voice dying down, a light flashed through the documents under his hand. The heads of the Healer’s Association and Formation Guild as well as Zhen Fu and the other Experts stood and started to run out of the city. A flood of people who had been doing their bidding fled as well.
A city lord’s compulsion. This is why city lords are called gods on their own land. If they are in a war, they can’t do anything, and if they are given the city by a higher power, like a sect, king, or an association, then they can’t banish anyone sent down by that higher power. To do this against the associations, and to tell everyone in Vuzgal about it publicly...
Nadia was rooted to her seat. People only had a few choices when they were being banished: which direction to run, and to use a totem or not.
This was one of the benefits that the Ten Realms gave to city lords. This alone was a powerful draw.
“I am sorry about these disturbances that have been going on the last few days,” Rugrat said sincerely. His voice no longer echoed over the city as he looked at the remaining people around the table.
“Vuzgal hopes that with time we will be able to restore your confidence in us. We invite you all to come tomorrow, when we will be allowing people to come to view our workspaces within the castle as a preview of the workshops we are building in the city and as a friendly exchange between crafters. Also, I was wondering if the Fighter’s Association would assist us in building a Battle Arena, a place for people to trade pointers and to have weekly tournaments.”
With Rugrat’s words, the remaining groups perked up. With one hand, he offered banishment; with the other, he finally revealed the strength of Vuzgal and offered a way to grow together.
The Fighter’s Association head, who had been interested in the Experts being kicked out, showed a smile on his face. “Some
one who is straightforward—are you sure you’re not a person from the Fighter’s Association?”
“I wish it was as easy being the city lord as it was fighting.” Rugrat smiled.
Nadia was having a hard time matching the man before to the man now. The two of them seemed to be different sides of the same coin. Vuzgal is not simple, but what will the blowback from this all be? Just who did they banish?
“I know that you all have a lot to attend to. I hope to see you tomorrow, if possible. Vuzgal should have returned to its regular operation then.” Rugrat smiled as they stood and made to leave. Then he stopped and looked at Nadia.
“Tell Elder Lu that City Lord West is in seclusion, working to create the concoction he is looking for. Tell him that I am getting tired of dealing with Blue Lotus issues.”
Nadia’s body trembled. She knew that the Blue Lotus was in the wrong here. She had heard that Elder Lu had visited in the past, but she didn’t think that it was the Elder Lu who commanded the Blue Lotus in the Fourth Realm.
She made sure to cup her fists and bow to him.
He nodded and headed off.
She breathed a sigh of relief before she left, marching toward her carriage, her face pale as she rushed to see what state the Blue Lotus was in.
***
Rugrat let out a breath and slumped to the ground, a few steps down the corridor from the meeting room.
Hiao Xen moved to grab and support him. The mana usage had been heavy as he restrained Expert crafters and then used a sound amplification scroll he had activated earlier, as well as his mana domain to stun the remainder and pass on his message.
“Just lower me down. None of them should see me here,” Rugrat said.
George padded over. At his full height, he looked down at his master.
“Damn, that sucked,” Rugrat said from the ground. “Don’t worry—just need to recover my mana.”
George looked at his slumped master and yawned, heading down the corridor.
“Some solidarity would be nice!”
George let out a yowl.
“Do you only think about food?”
George’s yowls came from the hallway he was walking down.
“Are you sure that banishing them is the right idea?” Hiao Xen asked Rugrat, squatting down next to him.
“First, it shows our strength. Second, it shows our neutrality. Third, we’ve set a precedence for anyone who tries to disrupt Vuzgal, or step on our heads with their rank. We don’t care who you are or your backing; Vuzgal will continue to operate. If they want to try to get back at Vuzgal, what can they do? They can stand in front of all the totems, checking where people are going? If they send people to cause trouble, you just banish them as well. Then, instead of us wasting resources, they’ll be running into a wall. The associations have contracts with us; if they break them, then they’re just letting people from the other sects and independent forces take their spots at the workshops and the Crafting trial dungeon. We can also frame it to show their real feelings, how they made a contract but are unwilling to follow through. Looks bad on them and people won’t trust them as much. Even if they block us in the short-term, the amount it will cost in the long-term will only mount.
“With time, we can raise Expert-level crafters or hire them. I have faith in this. So what is kicking out a few Experts who are trying to take over the city? There are more to be found. Maybe you should make sure that the other crafters know this. As long as they don’t cross our line, then they can craft to their heart’s content.”
“Okay.” Hiao Xen was a bit shocked by how far Rugrat had thought ahead.
“Even if it comes back on us, it was worth seeing their pissed-off expressions. Some people are just pricks.” Rugrat laughed as he pushed himself up onto his arms and started to get up.
“Did you just think of all those reasons after you banished them?” Hiao Xen asked, coughing as he realized what he’d just asked.
“Yup!” Rugrat laughed. “Got to think quick on your feet when a gunny asks just what the fuck you’re doing. Bullshit on the fly one-o-one!”
Hiao Xen started to massage his temples, trying to lessen the building headache.
Chapter: Holy Land of Fighters and Crafters
Nadia didn’t sleep well. She hadn’t slept at all. She had spent the night with Blue Lotus personnel, demanding answers. People were outraged and calling for them to go against Vuzgal. Then everything had gone silent as Elder Lu’s rage cleansed these naysayers from the Blue Lotus.
People were scared stiff as it was clear that the Blue Lotus’s connection to Vuzgal was not a simple one.
She received a message from the headquarters that said that she was now the head of the Vuzgal Blue Lotus until someone else was sent over.
With it came a new transfer, the sub-commander of her guard. Olivia Gray was the leader of the Tareng guards and had been the person to fight beside the Vuzgal leadership against the Blood Demon sect army. She had been dismissed from her duties after remedial training and punishment she was being sent to Vuzgal. She had seen Erik and Rugrat from up close as well as their forces. While she had stepped over the line, she did it out of frustration and anger, lashing out at anyone in her way.
She was still a powerful fighter and a good commander, who had previous experience with the Vuzgal leadership, making her a useful asset. Still she was under strict orders, if she stepped out of line then her previous punishments would feel like nothing more than a walk in the park.
She would arrive in a few days. Nadia was hoping that she could get some more information from her to understand these new city lords.
The message indicated that she was also to talk to Hiao Xen and make sure that he and Rugrat knew the Blue Lotus was determined to work together with them in the future in an equal partnership.
So she now found herself with a group of crafters who had not been banished from Vuzgal going to the castle.
The different carriages went through a side entrance that was much larger than the main entrance into the castle.
Her mind relaxed as they entered.
“The mana density is much higher here than in the rest of Vuzgal. With this concentration of mana, all of the mana in the city must be concentrated here,” Kaeso said with approval.
“With a higher mana concentration, people will find it easier to focus their mind and remove distractions and won’t be as fatigued,” Nadia said.
“Yes, Miss Shriver.” Kaeso smiled. He was an Expert-level woodworker but had remained neutral in what had happened in Vuzgal and Zhen Fu had overlooked him. He was an older man, late to become an Expert-level crafter, and his resources were much less than others in the Blue Lotus. He didn’t mind and lived a simple life teaching others woodworking and improving his own craft.
Although he was an older Expert crafter, he had seen a lot more of the Ten Realms than others and had a wealth of experience.
He was also the highest ranking crafter from the Blue Lotus remaining in the city, to show that the Blue Lotus wasn’t slighting the Vuzgal city lord’s invitation.
“There are isolating formations and mana gathering formations set up across the area, removing the outside noises so that people won’t be distracted from their work. This was made by someone who has worked with other crafters before,” Kaeso said as they passed the outer area, which had different workshops built up among multi-story buildings that were simple but elegant.
They reached an inner area, which was divided up into regions. There was a large library broken into several different lecture halls, with people rushing from class to class.
There was another area with several warehouses where people were taking out their daily resources.
Then there were workshops, ranging from Apprentice to Expert.
Classes were being conducted in these different workshops. It wasn’t filled, but there were still hundreds of people who had applied. Vuzgal’s population had exploded and there was no less than two hundred thousand people in
the city, with a large portion of transient people who would come to trade or see the city, stay for a short period and then leave.
Still, Vuzgal had held onto a great amount of the property, developing it themselves or releasing it in batches. The landowner’s house had turned into an auction house when spots opened up; the price of land simply increased too quickly.
The land would simply be too expensive for any small trading group. It would need a conglomerate or at least a mid-level sect to buy out even some small plot. Though those who dedicate themselves to Vuzgal can get lands paid for as long as they carry out their duties. They can also increase their levels and skills. I was blinded by Zhen Fu’s actions, but with that removed and if Vuzgal is allowed to develop, then their strength will only grow. Yes, it might take time, but even Expert crafters are willing to offer lessons and tips if the conditions are right.
“The Apprentice to Expert-level workshops are all grouped together. Wouldn’t the Expert-level crafters be annoyed by the distractions?” she asked Crafter Kaeso.
“It might be annoying to some crafters, but to those who want to teach others, this is the ideal situation as people can watch what they are doing and they can watch others in turn. I am more interested in how all of the facilities, no matter the crafting skill, are all together. Most sects and even the associations will group people based on the skill that they’re trying to learn and make sure they all focus and discuss only their craft. In sects or associations that focus on one particular craft, their resources are dedicated to those who increase their ability with Alchemy or formations, as with the Alchemy Association and the Formation Guild. Here, everyone seems to be equal.” Kaeso laughed, as if he discovered something as their carriage came to a stop.
The Fifth Realm Page 17
