"If we're all done here, I should get back to the farm. You said the boy Gerald wanted to become the defender of the local village, so I will talk to him when I get back, and then I have to look for more suitable candidates to run for Guardian in the other cities in the region.
If they succeed, you will have friends in high places, so you can get what you need. No, on second thought, I'm going to ask to buy the farm from the old man I'm renting it from. Then I can make it a Guild House and you will be able to access the Guild Bank. We have locations on two other continents, so you should be able to get anything you need from the Guild, and you can just pay the crafters." Cain informed Prana as he sent a mental message to the Companions to meet him at the Inn and get ready to leave.
There were already Hunters arriving with their morning catch, having hurried here from the farm to meet with the witches. They seemed a little reluctant to believe that these were the infamous coven of questionable potion makers though. Everyone on the Southern Continent knew what the curses and potions did to a Witch's body over time, and these young women looked nothing at all like Witches. Did they perhaps get an illusion spell that would hide their true appearance?
What nobody other than the Witches themselves knew was that the side effects weren't innate to the Class. It was simply that at lower levels they didn't have a 100 percent success rate, so the creation and spell casting often backfired on them, leading to the mutations. Now that they were well-trained elders of the Coven, they would have far fewer incidents, and they could maintain these appearances for decades before beginning to show signs of disfigurement again.
Those who were less active, running the business side of things and casting fewer spells, might not ever return to something resembling their original appearance.
"Duke Cain agreed to make us beautiful in exchange for our assistance. We have a collection of storage bags to distribute, with one caveat. There are two types of bags. One with the mark of the Witches on them, to save you space in your inventory so you can carry as much as a cart without using up your storage, and a second sealed one. We won't send those out often, but they are to go directly to the destination Coven without being tampered with. We will pay you a flat fee to carry them, but be warned, the contents will be volatile. If they are opened prematurely, we won't be responsible for any damages that might occur."
That sounded quite fair to the hunters. Like a messenger carrying a sealed letter, opening your delivery was strictly against the rules. As long as the Covens paid there was no downside, plus they got the big storage bags to carry their trade goods.
"Agreed, where do we sign up?" The leader of the group declared, waving to Prana and Cain as they headed towards the gate.
"So what's the grand plan? If you are going to bring Guardians and merchants under your control, are you trying to become King of the Southern Continent?" Prana asks quietly once they reach an open area outside the city gates.
"Oh no, that is way too much work. You should see how tired King James of Skyview is all the time. My plan is to become the power in the background. Like the multinational corporations from my past life that can do anything they like with just their power and influence." Cain informs her with a wink, leaving the Demon Dryad a bit confused.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I think I get the concept. You don't want to be in charge, you want to have enough power that you don't have to be, right?" That's not far off from the truth, so Cain just gave her a wink and grabbed Nemu into his arms.
"We will be flying back to the farm now, you know how to get ahold of me if it's an emergency."
Cain led the group for a much more leisurely flight this time, passing over the main roads between cities to sweep for more dangerous monsters or larger groups that might mess with the merchant Hunters as they were trying to build the trust of the people.
For centuries, the farmers had brought goods directly to the cities, with the assistance of the Guard patrols. Having the process switched up was going to be a big adjustment for people. Even a new server at their favorite restaurant was a big adjustment for some, and this was the equivalent of every shop in town having either new management or all new staff.
The city closest to the farm was the third that they passed over that morning and the only one that was still looking to be in good shape. The patrols didn't go out as far anymore, certainly not to the village near where Cain stayed, which was formerly the end of their route and a multiple-day journey. Now, they were only going to the first few farming villages daily, making sure they were alright and surviving off what they had to offer.
The variety in the market was way down, but unlike the others that had lost a lot of their farms, the hunting activities of the refugees at the farm had kept the villages on that side of the city completely intact. With the villages intact, fewer hunters fled, more quests got filled, and some semblance of order was maintained, keeping the nearby villages on the other sides of town safe as well.
They were still looking for a Guardian though, and the city guards seemed more than a little disappointed that Cain wasn't intending to take up the post. The offer to personally vet and assist a candidate went over incredibly well though. Cain's local fame might be limited, but after his few exploits in the area and the farm full of refugees, he was well known to the guards at the very least.
The Echoes had warned the people at the farm about the Guardian recruitment before Cain arrived, and the hopefuls were busy helping out and showing off their capabilities. The sight was a bit comical, trying to get attention without looking like they were arrogant or needy made them look a bit silly, but the Echoes already knew all the gossip and had a few people in mind.
Cain would, of course, be vetting them based on two important categories. Personality and fluffiness. No, that was Laura sticking thoughts in his mind. Personality and versatility. Fighting wasn't the only thing that a Guardian needed to do, just one of the most important ones. Once Cain brought them into the Guild, they would gain some versatility, but being able to do something beyond fighting was essential.
It didn't matter if it was politics, like the Crusaders that couldn't be lied to, healing, crafting, agriculture, just something to add value to their position in the city.
[Boss, we have gathered Gerald, the Squirrel Kin who wanted to guard the village, as well as Larry and Moe who we think might be good as Guardians.] Victor the Echo informed Cain once the boss had managed to get through the initial crowd of well-wishers welcoming him home.
[Bring them all to the house and we can chat.] Cain informs the Echo, then settles in on the couch in the small living room of the farmhouse to wait for his guests.
"Welcome everyone, I am sure you can guess why I have brought you here. Each of you has been reported to have a specialty skillset that would make you a good candidate for Guardian. But more importantly, each of you has been reported to be a good person, worthy of being entrusted with the position. To me, that is the most important part, as I am trying to build a network of Guardians who are willing to not just work to protect their cities but work together to make the whole region safer and keep the cities residents in a decent quality of life.
That will be the hard part, due to the number of refugees, including those freed from the vortexes. This is why being versatile has become so important.
Sneaky Squirrel has been doing an excellent job of keeping the area around the farm safe, so I'm willing to help him out a little with an upgrade using my skills. Larry and Moe, you're both Epic Demons already, and quite powerful, but I'm told you lack a little something to help you stand out. Why don't you take a moment and think about what might be best for you personally while I talk to Gerald?"
Cain's proposition was more than they could have hoped for. The echoes have been telling them stories of all the things that the Darklight Host has done on the other continents, and the prospect is very appealing to them all. Becoming a Guild Member is practically the same as gaining a Noble Title to the residents of the farm after interacting with the Echoes for so long, and they haven't even been introduced to the "Outreach Training" that Cyrene has introduced to the Central Continent.
If they knew the exact extent that the adherents of Cyrene's training would go to in order to defend the Guild, they might be concerned, but the way the Echoes tell the story, they are more like a militant group of Good Samaritans, selflessly helping others.
