After all that Inscription, it's time to eat, so Cain leads Vala and Evangeline to a wharf front restaurant to try their fish fry. He also needs to check over the Queen Rose today and make sure everything is in good order since he'll be heading out soon, so eating by the water saves an extra trip.
"Welcome, Sir Cain. It's good to have you at our establishment. I can find you a booth if you would prefer more privacy." The manager greets them once they find a seat at a table in the crowded restaurant.
"No need, wings and booths don't mix well. But we'll get the daily special and a round of ale."
"Have you been playing up the Mafia thing when we weren't around? Everyone has been bowing to you, and the shopkeeper is way too nice." Evangeline says quietly, and the sailor at the table beside theirs laughs.
"Guess you wouldn't recognize them. They're from the non-Guild members your boss released after the castle battle. The docks were the only work most could get. Kill a couple of thousand people in a day, and nobody would want to get on your bad side either, Missie."
Vala laughs at that, and the man gives her a grin, missing half these teeth. "She was there. She is just bad with faces. You've probably heard more about the battle than we have at this point, but Evangeline here is the Commander of the Darklight Host's Seraphim."
That comment made the room fall silent as everyone turned to look at them. Very few recognized Evangeline, despite having seen the Seraphim. Her youthful look made them think she was just another Guild Member or associate of Cain's.
"Shouldn't she be wearing the red bracelet as well? Surely someone that terrifying isn't under level 200 in power?" One of the locals says, pointing to the warning label of a city entry pass he wears. Cain has gotten used to keeping his on like a piece of jewelry, totally forgetting that they serve a functional purpose.
"We will go update our rankings today. Since we have a house here, we haven't had to update our entry passes." Cain explains.
That makes sense to the locals; when you live here, you don't often go through the city gates or the customs dock. Even if you head out to do a dungeon, your resident pass is good for six months before it needs renewal. Many stories have been going around about how fast Cain and his Guild have grown in power and influence, leading others to think they've got an experience-based Guild Skill.
Other than Cain himself and a few others, they've just been very organized about their grinding. Maximizing benefit with organized groups while pushing hard daily instead of slacking. They've also got the money to keep buying high-end gear made by the Guild Artisans to equip the lower levels instead of having the higher level crafters sell it on the open market. It makes a huge difference to the advancement of their newer members.
Where most succumb to greed, in the Darklight Host the combat types farm the materials for the crafters to use while the higher-level members pay for anything else they need out of the windfall wealth they've gotten from various dungeons.
They are an oddity among Guild structures, with almost every other Guild being focused on a level range and area, with members coming and going as they level.
After an hour of trading stories with the sailors, the locals have finished lunch and gotten back to work and Cain decides it's time to get productive. He pays the bill and brings Vala and Evangeline to the customs dock to update their score.
"Greetings, gentlemen. Our scores have gotten a bit outdated, so we will need to update our city passes." He greets the two uniformed guards.
"Certainly, sir. I see you're a red pass already, so I'll have to call for a manager if you can wait just a moment." He activates a token dangling from his pocket and speaks into it, explaining the situation and whoever is on the other end. They promise to send someone right away, and the pass goes dark again just as the sound of jogging feet comes from the pier.
"Great timing. We were inspecting the pier structure, so we're here to help." Earl RhickJaymz calls when he comes into sight, Arial at his side.
"Perfect, that saves me coming to see you. I had a chance to catch up with Red earlier at the library."
Arial begins to laugh at that. "Yes, we heard. He's gone down the coast to try out his new camping equipment already, and it's barely lunchtime."
The customs officers have gotten the equipment all set up for the measurement, which attracts a small crowd of curious onlookers and former bandits who are now working the docks.
"First up, we'll start with the young angel. If you place your hand here, Miss, we can begin." The Customs official says with a big smile. RhickJaymz is about to stop him, as he knows they're Summoned Helpers and not transfers, but Cain waves him off, letting the locals enjoy the show.
"There we are; I'll take the reading now. Evangeline, your average level equivalent is 217. You'll need a red pass, please keep it on your wrist while inside the city."
Evangeline smiles at the young Officer, and turns her Aura up a notch, making him blush before Vala softly flicks the back of her head. And steps forward for her measurement.
"Vala, average level equivalent is also 217. Please wear the red bracelet at all times within city limits."
Arial is studying Evangeline with interest, getting close to sniffing at the Seraphim.
"Might I ask what you're doing?" She giggles when the Dragon's breath ruffles the feathers of her wings.
"I wanted to know if it was a skill you're using or a natural pheromone that is getting the poor official all flustered. You don't smell like an aphrodisiac, so it must be a skill."
"It's called [Grace of the Seraphim], an always active innate skill that makes people like us. Don't worry; it's quite harmless." Evangeline explains, and Arial nods in acceptance.
"Next up, Duke Cain. We've got most of your information on file already, so we need to update your average level equivalent, and we will be good to go."
"You'll need to update the species section as well. A new Skill changed me from Human to Ancient, as you'll see when I activate the globe."
"We could skip it and give you the hazard striped bracelet now? I'm well aware that your reading will be deceptive at best, given your exploits." RhickJaymz suggests.
"Get it ready anyhow. How high can this thing read?" Cain laughs, pointing at the measurement device.
"It's calibrated up to level 300. Do you think you'll be beyond that?" The Customs official asks incredulously, having just measured his Companions.
"I've gained a lot of levels recently, plus some high-ranked skills. So I wouldn't be surprised."
"That's fine; if we see over level on the reading, we'll just give you the striped hazard bracelet and call it good." The young man agrees.
Cain reaches out and places his hand on the device, immediately making it flash red and yellow instead of the glowing red that the others turned it.
"Over 300 for sure, but that's expected. We created these new striped bracelets for folks like you and the Knight Commander of Landis, who score so high that the red bracelet is an understatement. A few high-level ship Captains might get one, but we don't get many visitors that high level; our market prices aren't high enough." Arial explains, and Cain realizes that he's still got four Legendary Seraphim Inquisitors merged with him.
Forget staying under level 300 equivalent; he was likely close to that even without the Mergers.
"Here is your new bracelet, please take care of it, as it is no more durable than the old one. Have an excellent day, Duke, Ladies." The official politely bowed and returned to his work, leaving them with Arial and RhickJaymz.
"Big plans for today? I haven't seen you at the docks since you got back, but I've been checking up on your ship regularly." The Black Dragon looks very eager to get fresh gossip; things must have been dull here. Or she's tired of getting it all secondhand from the people he sent away from the castle with empty pockets and no gear.
"I've built up a pretty significant defense force for the Castle and the Guild Houses, so I'm going to be taking a few members with me on vacation. We're thinking of sailing down through Landis and on to the Sarrah Woods in the far south to visit the Elves and on to the western side of the continent for a little adventure."
"Will the castle be fine with you gone so long? Seeing you sail away might encourage the disgruntled to attack again." RhickJaymz says softly, to not be overheard.
"If they need, the defense force can call dozens of Epic Elementals, plus hundreds of Spiders and a Thousand Seraphim defense force. And that's before any extra Guild Members show up to help out. They should be fine, I think." Cain says it louder so curious ears can hear, and Arial smirks at his tactic.
"As long as I don't need to worry about you going on a rampage when you return, it's enough for me. I don't recall spiders in the stories of the attack, though."
Vala answers before Cain can come up with a good story. "They're assigned to the inside of the castle grounds. Nobody made it over the walls last time, so they didn't get a chance to meet the Spider Queen and her brood. They're into the thousands now, if you count all the swarm-type spiders. They're low level, but with so many of them and the poison, they can be a real menace."
When the Spider Queen was level 105, and they first arrived in the desert, the little ones were just squishy nuisances to most desert bandits. But now that she's level 180, they're a legitimate threat to many transfers in the early stages of the First Advancement.
