Naru Island.

12:30 p.m. 18th Banem 1092.

Naru Island was one of the thirteen islands south of Rosendun which the Maggots had been working on. It was one of the smaller islands, mostly occupied by a dense forest, and beautiful, sandy beach fronts. Many Edo-period Japanese style buildings had been erected close to the beach, eating into the forest's edge.

Naru Island was designed to serve as both a wildlife reserve and a beachfront. Guests to the island could pay for exclusive tours through the forests, getting a chance to witness many of these proud beasts in their natural climate. The resort was not aimed toward actual gamers who spend 90% of their time slaying every creature they came across, but toward regular people who have always wanted to go to a reserve but lacked either the time, money or opportunity.

Paths had been cleared through the forest, allowing for easy travel. Several workers walked along the paths, burying bones and faeces along their edges to ward off the local wildlife. Suddenly, the workers paused their work, looking up to see a small group walking down the path towards the beach.

"Good Afternoon, Silver-san, Stryke-san, Hope the day's been good?" greeted a worker as the group neared.

"Afternoon, Byron-san," Stryke politely greeted with a toothy grin. He then added as he patted JWSilver's back. "We were just checking to make sure we'd taken care of all the bosses. Luckily, it seems there's none left, so you guys can work in pea—"

Grooowl!

Stryke paused and looked to his left, eyes wide as a large, tiger-like beast walked out of the bushes. The tiger's gaze travelled from Stryke, to the workers, and finally rested on the edge of the road. It took a step forward, but then stopped as it smelled an unfamiliar, but powerful stench.

The tiger bent down to sniff the road but instantly reeled back afterward. It rubbed its nose with its paw and once again glanced at the road in confusion. It then looked at the workers and let out a low roar, and pawed at the ground in frustration.

JWSilver raised a brow, surprised at the beast's behavior. Scratching his head, he turned to Stryke and asked, "Any idea why it's acting that way?"

"I'm not sure, but I think we blocked off its path," Stryke answered with a frown as he scratched his mane. The warrior made eye contact with the tiger and motioned with his hand, "This way. Come this way." As he spoke, he slowly walked down the path. Luckily, it seemed the tiger understood, as it actually followed along the path's edge.

Stryke finally stopped at the end of the path and pointed at the ground. "Safe. You can pass through here."

The tiger frowned as it slowly inched forward and then sniffed the ground. Thankfully, the foul, repulsive, scary stench was no longer present. As a result, the tiger could cross unimpeded. The proud beast looked over its shoulder and chuffed at Stryke before it disappeared into the thickets at the other side.

Stryke rubbed his snout as he embarrassingly said, "It was nothing. Have a good day now." With that, he waved goodbye to the tiger and returned to JWSilver. "We have to leave some room every couple of meters for the wildlife to pass through. We don't want to disrupt the ecosystem too much."

JWSilver nodded, "Yeah, you're right. I was too concerned with the visitors' safety that I forgot about the wildlife."

"Safety won't be an issue as long as they have a guard with them," Stryke explained as he said, "The monsters here are around level 80. Hire a few level 100 and above guards to escort the guests, and the monsters would not dare to attack. They are too sensitive to the power imbalance."

"Thanks for the insight," JWSilver said with an appreciative nod. "I'll remember to use that when designing the paths for the other islands."

"No problem," Stryke said with a laugh and then pointed toward the beach. "Let's go. We've still got nine more islands to inspect." With those words, he and JWSilver walked toward the beach where a boat awaited them.

Surprisingly, however, they saw a daeben sitting on their boat, sketching on what looked like a notepad. The daeben's long, messy hair covered most of his face from view, but he was dressed in a pair of black sleeveless shirt and pants.

Stryke instantly recognized the messy hair and excitedly called out as he ran toward the daeben, "Kashi!"

The daeben lifted his head and turned to look at Stryke, revealing a pair of red eyes that definitely belonged to the guildmaster of the Hopeful Maggots. Kashi chuckled and raised his hand as he greeted, "Yo! It's been a while."

Stryke jumped and slapped Kashi's hand in an exaggerated high-five. "Of course, it's been a while. You're always busy with some dastardly plan."

"Hey! My plans are not dastardly!" Kashi protested. He then reached out and pulled on Stryke's cheeks, proclaiming as he did, "Didn't really have the opportunity to appreciate this last time, but you've really changed, huh? It's permanent?"

"Ow!" Stryke cried but did not attempt to push Kashi away. Luckily, the daeben released him, and then, scratching his sore cheeks, he answered, "Yeah, it's permanent. It's a complete race change. It has its perks, though. Like I can vaguely understand animals for one. Really helps with this resort building job—Ah! " Stryke's eyes widened as he realized he forgot something.

Stryke rushed over to JWSilver and dragged him to the boat. "Kashi, meet JW. He's the brains behind this whole operation. Dude is scary smart." He then pointed at Kashi and said, "JW, this is Kashi, the Maggots' guildmaster. He's scary strong, so be careful."

"What are you talking about?" Kashi protested. "I'm not scary."

Stryke just looked at Kashi, not bothering to deign that claim with a response.

Kashi, realizing Stryke was not taking any of his bullshit, coughed and turned his attention to JWSilver. He held out his hand as he said, "Leila told me about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."

"That honor is mine," JWSilver laughed and shook Kashi's hand as he revealed, "There are dozens of forums online dedicated to you alone. I feel like I already know you despite this being the first time we've met."

Kashi nervously laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Dozens?"

"A low estimate," JWSilver replied with a shrug. "You're pretty popular online."

Kashi sighed, burying his head in his hands as he lamented, "How did this happen?"

"I see it as a huge plus, though," JWSilver stated as he looked over his shoulder at the beachfront hotels. "In essence, you are a brand name now. Everything you touch will be introduced to and then dissected by the public eye. When the time comes, we won't have to advertise much. Just let the world know this place is partly owned by Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots, and they will come flocking in to see if it's any good."

Kashi's brow rose as he gave JWSilver a once over. With a teasing smile, he asked, "You wouldn't happen to know Miote, would you?"

"Only by reputation," admitted the teenager with a confused expression. "All my proposals have to be approved by him before the work can begin. Why're you asking?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kashi placated. "I just feel like the two of you would get along."

"Haha, I don't know about that," JWSilver nervously laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Miote is, you know... He's too awesome for someone like me."

Pa!

"Ow!" screamed JWSilver as he rubbed his forehead and looked at the daeben in shock.

Kashi dropped his hand, a smile on his face as he said, "No one's greater or smaller than anyone else." He mimed a gun with his right hand and pointed it at his head. "We all die all the same if we lose our brains." The daeben stretched out his hand and tapped the teenager's chest, "Don't ever put yourself down. I don't."

JWSilver paused, eyes wide as he looked at Kashi. He then nodded and replied with a smile, "I can see why Stryke worships the ground you walk on."

"Hey!" Stryke shouted, turning red as he jumped and clamped his hand over JWSilver's mouth. "Why're you talking about that?" The sphinx turned to Kashi, desperation on his face as he quickly asked, "So, Kashi, what brings you here, anyway?" After a pause, he added, "No. More like, how'd you get here?"

Kashi chuckled but chose not to expose the little raid leader. "I'm here to pick you up. We have an important meeting to attend. And I took a boat from Norcha to get here. Leila told me where you'd be."

"Ah, that daily check-in actually paid off," Stryke muttered as he released JWSilver. "Wait. You said a meeting? Where?"

"At Serisis," Kashi revealed. "We're having a meeting for the kings of Serisis, Rosendun, and Aygorzi. After that, we'll also have a meeting among the Maggots' division heads." The daeben looked at JWSilver and said, "You can come too if you want. Who knows, you might see something that interests you."

"I'd love to, but I can't," JWSilver lamented, "Someone has to watch over all this. Every second matters."

"I understand," said Kashi with a regretful sigh. "We're lucky to have someone like you helping us. When this is done, let me know if you need help with anything."

JWSilver nodded and then said as he walked toward the beach houses. "I'll definitely take you up on that."

Kashi added the teenager to his friends' list and then turned to Stryke. "Alright, Stryke. It's time. We've got to go."

"Wait. What about my friends?" Stryke asked. He had left his raid squad behind to carry out this inspection.

"Unfortunately, only division heads this time," Kashi replied. "We can't take everyone, or it might come off as a show of force when we get to Serisis."

"Ohhh," Stryke murmured as understanding dawned. After a moment, however, he looked at Kashi with a teasing grin, "Is that you or Leila talking?"

"I've learned a thing or two too," Kashi replied with a snort and then said as a portal appeared in front of him. "Get in already."

Stryke's eyes went wide as he shouted, "Since when can you open portals!?"

"A lot's changed since we last met," Kashi replied with a playful smug grin. "You'll understand when you go in."

Stryke looked at Kashi and chuckled. "Nothing's ever constant with you, is it?" The sphinx took a step towards the portal but stopped just before entering. He looked at Kashi and asked, "This meeting. What are the chances that something will crash the party?"

"Don't jinx it!" Kashi shouted and booted Stryke into the portal. The daeben chuckled as the portal closed behind the screaming sphinx. The daeben laughed as he pulled out a scroll depicting a street in the capital city of Rosendun, Riven.

Kashi ripped the painting and then jokingly said as he was consumed by a pillar of blinding light, "Next stop on the Kashi Express..."

Riven, Rosendun.

1:02 p.m. 18th Banem, 1092.

Riven had experienced a meteoric rise ever since it was reclaimed in the famous Battle of Riven. Despite the monstrous damage the city incurred, its citizens were all too happy to offer their services to restore it to its former glory.

Thanks to the citizens' tireless efforts, Riven now stood as a shining beacon for all of Rosendun. Its streets were as clean as they were busy, filled with thousands of adventurers, traders, and common folk going about their day. The city was also home to the largest Mages' Guild in Rosendun, which drew countless potentials from around the country and beyond.

Recently, there were rumors of a new academy being built close to the Royal Castle. It was said this academy would dwarf the Mages' Guild in size. It would also cover a vast range of topics, from common subjects like the common tongue to specialized subjects like magic, combat arts, and much more.

The most exciting part about the academy, however, was its low cost of entry. It only cost about 1000 Syros per year, which was more than affordable for even the low-income families. Thousands of young men and women had thus traveled to Riven, waiting for the academy to open its doors in hopes of getting chosen. After all, this was probably the only way a poor son of a farmer could make a name for himself in this cutthroat world.

The massive influx of hopeful students congested the streets. Still, they were a large boon for the inns and restaurants as they brought big businesses with them.

"Ouch!" A hooded daeben cursed after getting stomped on by a woman's heeled boot. Kashi turned around and watched the little Masonian woman rushing somewhere, completely oblivious to what just transpired. "Wow. The city really is busy," he muttered and then pulled his hood tighter over his head as he pushed his way up the streets and headed to the castle.

After about thirty minutes, the daeben finally cut through the crowd and reached the castle gates. Kashi looked up at the massive gates with a slight smile. The last time he was here, he ran along the walls at night to open the gates for Absalon's army. Now, he got to walk through the front gates. How times have changed.

"Halt!" called a guard donned in Rosen's pinkish-red ceremonial armor. He was one of three guards assigned to stand at the gate to ward off tourists. The real guards stood atop the wall with arrows trained at the daeben. However, the battlements shielded them from sight, so passersby were unaware of the constant danger they were in. The guard was pleased to see Kashi stop of his own accord. More tourists than he'd like tended to push their luck. "Identify yourself."

"I am Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots," said Kashi as he removed the hood, revealing his face. He took out an identification badge and handed it to the guard. "That's my guild badge."

The guard accepted the badge with a skeptical look. "You are Kashi?" he asked as he examined the badge. Satisfied, he handed it back and said with a relaxed smile, "I thought you'd be taller."

"I haven't stopped growing." Kashi laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Might add a few inches soon."

"We'll see," the guard said with a chuckle and then asked, "So, for documentation sake, I must ask why you're here. Hope you understand?"

Kashi nodded as he waved his hand, "I understand, don't worry. I'm here to see King Parissius. He should be expecting me."

The guard nodded appreciatively and then took out a rink. He turned his back to the daeben as he communicated with his supervisor. Moments later, he turned around to look at Kashi and then said, "Are you alone? It says you were expected with a large party."

"Oh, yeah. It's probably better to let them out here," Kashi replied, and then turned around and raised his hand before the guard could ask what he meant. A portal opened in front of him, and out stepped the Maggots followed by King Xafier and three ministers.

"Kashi!" Stryke roared with excitement as he rushed up to the daeben. "You have an entire world!?" He frantically patted down the daeben and pulled on Kashi's cheeks as he asked, "Are you still human?"

"Technically, I was never human," Kashi laughed as he grasped Stryke's hands and pushed them off his face. "But, yeah, I'm still me. Nothing's changed." Kashi felt a heavy gaze on the side of his face and turned to see King Xafier staring at him. The daeben let out a weak smile as he questioned, "Is something the matter, Your Highness?"

King Xafier shook his head. "I was just thinking; our decision to ally with you put us on the right side of history. I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be to be an enemy of yours."

"What are you talking about?" Kashi retorted with an embarrassed smile. "I'm the one who's been lucky to meet you guys." Without waiting for the king's response, he immediately turned around and said to the guard, "So, these are my companions. Do I need to identify everyone?"

The guard's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he stared at the daeben in shock. He swallowed hard and then barely managed to stutter, "Y-y-yes. If it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all," Kashi placated and then went on to introduce the entire group, "Stryke, Yuhi Jade, Syèl Rifatora, Shokō, Absalon, Lunette Falsetto..." Kashi frowned and then shouted, "Show yourself, Sha—"

"I'm here."

"Fuck!" Kashi drew a deep breath as he glared at the assassin and then continued, "The asshat's Shadow Falsetto. The golden chesch is Miote, and last but definitely not least among the Maggots is our vice-guild master and someone you're definitely familiar with, Leila Lightwood."

The guard nodded as he saluted Leila, "Good to see you again, ma'am."

"How's the baby?" Leila asked, though her expression remained cold.

"She's doing great. The missus asked me to thank you for your help with the priest."

"It's fine," Leila replied. "Soon, you won't need to rely on someone like me to get proper healthcare for your child."

Kashi, seeing the exchange was over, gestured over at King Xafier and said, "This is King Xafier, ruler of Aygorzi in Merriheim, and the three behind him are his ministers."

The guard once again saluted. As a guard of Rosendun, he could not bow to another nation's king, especially in the Royal Capital, but he still had to show respect. "It is an honor, Your Highness. I pray your stay is as fruitful as it is peaceful. May Rosen's Petals Blossom Your Path."

"The honor is mine," King Xafier stated with a smile. "I have always wanted to meet Rosen's King."

"Ah, I shouldn't keep a king waiting," the guard exclaimed as he signaled to the men on the wall. As the gates slowly opened behind him, the guard turned to Leila with a pleading gaze, "Please, could you explain the procedure?"

Leila nodded, understanding the guard's fear. He did not want to offend this collection of powerful and influential people. She turned to Kashi and said, "Guests cannot carry weapons into the Royal Chamber. We have to leave all weapons out here." Kashi was about to speak when she said, "We also have to show our inventory to prove we don't have anything stored there."

"Oh. Wow, that's thorough," Kashi exclaimed, but it did not really affect him either way because his weapons were in Orez. It was faster to summon them than pick them from the inventory.

Leila led by example, opening her inventory and removing her collection of bows and arrows. Several guards with large bags walked out from beyond the open gate and began carefully storing the weapons. Their methodical movements proved just how experienced they were with Summoneds' insane storage capacity.

Following Leila's lead, the others unsheathed their weapons and emptied their inventory. As expected of Summoned, each of them had a significant pile-up by the time they were done.

*Clatter* *Clatter*

However, no one came close to Stryke, who appeared to be a walking armory. Sword after sword, axe after axe; several shields and spears clattered to the ground forming a small mountain in front of him. The guards and maggots stared at the embarrassed tora at a loss for words.

Stryke stroked his chin, letting out a nervous laugh as he explained, "As a raid leader, I have to hold on to the loot until I get a chance to turn it in at HQ. It's not like I use them all."

The guard sweated as his colleagues bagged and labeled the weapons, so there was no confusion afterward. He then did a quick check of the Summoneds' inventory and politely patted down the dwarven Residents. After he was sure no one had weapons on them, he said, "This way, please."

As the guard led Kashi's delegation to the palace, unbeknownst to him, one of the soldiers atop the wall picked up his rink and contacted someone. "The daeben is entering the castle," he reported, sharp eyes narrowing as he glared at Kashi's back.

Kashi, oblivious to the attention on him, chatted with the guard as he led them into and through the palace until they reached a massive door with a giant rose mural emblazoned into it. "This is new," commented the daeben as he admired the beautiful pink rose. The last time he was here, murals of trees occupied the door. It seemed the new king had changed his mind, so the chamber doors reflected the nation's flag.

As if sensing their presence, the doors slowly slid open, allowing Kashi and his party to get a full view of the royal chamber. To their surprise, it seemed a session was in full swing as several ministers and wise men of the court were in attendance. A pink carpet that ran from the door to a few meters from the throne divided the group into two.

Leila eyed Kashi, and the daeben reluctantly led the way. A chamberlain announced their identities to the court as each Maggot crossed the threshold. The solemn propriety of it all caused the daeben to feel uncomfortable.

Kashi sensed a lot of hostility oozing off the ministers as he walked toward the throne. He could not understand the cause, but he was thankful as their hatred calmed his nerves. The daeben turned his attention to the throne, where a broadly grinning King Parissius sat. The excited king trembled with excitement, but Leila's harsh gaze forced him to remain in his seat.

The king understood that he could not break protocol, even for Kashi. Especially because many were displeased with how much power Kashi and the Hopeful Maggots unofficially wielded. The treasury favored Kashi's projects. The army was unofficially at the beck and call of Absalon, a general of the Hopeful Maggots. It was no surprise then that these ministers seeking power in the embryonic stages of Rosendun's development saw the daeben as an eyesore.

Kashi stopped at the end of the carpet and then humbly bowed his head. The daeben then moved to the side, allowing the rest of his party to follow his lead. The Maggots split to the left and right as they approached, by the end of which, Kashi, Leila, Lunette, Shadow, and Absalon stood on one side, while Stryke, Miote, Jade, Syèl, and Shokō stood at the other end with their heads bowed. Following behind the Maggots were King Xafier's ministers, who briefly bowed to show their respects then stood to the side.

Unlike the Hopeful Maggots, the ministers could not continuously bow in the presence of their own King.

King Parissius was ever-so-glad to see the dwarven king as it finally gave him a good reason to get up off his seat. He had felt uncomfortable from the first moment Kashi bowed like a wall had been erected between them. This was the last thing he wanted.

As a King, there were very few people King Parissius could trust enough to call friends. Aside from Narkis and Alex, who were always by his side, most of his friends were constantly out of reach. Leila and Kashi were the only people outside the palace he could be himself with. He did not want to lose that friendship because of some crown.

However, protocol came first.

"King Xafier!" King Parissius greeted with a wide grin as he stepped down from the throne and approached the dwarven king. "It is an honor to finally meet you! I have heard only great things about you and Aygorzi, the land blessed by the gods."

"The honor is mine," King Xafier returned with a bright smile. "The flowers of Rosen have bloomed far and wide, beautifying a dying world. I am most thankful for your aid in restoring my people's land."

"Nonsense!" King Parissius retorted and took the opportunity to drag Kashi into the conversation, "None of this would have been possible were it not for the brave efforts of the Hopeful Maggots. Such heroes they are. Please, raise your heads, lest the gods punish my arrogance."

"The gods are aware of Your Highness' kindness and virtues," Leila said as she raised her head. "Only blessings and rewards await you, I'm afraid."

Kashi, meanwhile, just raised a brow as he looked at Leila. He was not getting involved in this glorified brownnosing. Mostly cause he would certainly suck at it. He did not want to put his foot in his mouth, so it was better to let someone familiar with court etiquette handle it.

"Haha, thank you for the kind words, Ms. Lightwood," King Parissius replied with a kind smile. A king should neither be too arrogant nor too humble. When complimented, he should have the skill to accept it without coming off as one extreme or the other. The Rosen King turned to King Xafier as he pointed at his throne. "Come, sit. A king should not stand in the presence of subjects."

King Xafier accepted King Parissius' invitation, joining the latter as they ascended to the top. King Parissius sat on the throne while the dwarven king sat on an ornate chair placed next to the throne.

With the dwarven king seated, King Parissius turned his attention to Kashi. "It may have been too long since this palace has been graced by the legendary Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots, but your exploits have been discussed every day without fail. Pray tell. What brings the famed leader of the Hopeful Maggots all this way, with a king in tow no less?"

Kashi cursed underneath his breath, wanting to go up there and strangle King Parissius for good measure. A perfectly functioning Leila was right there. Why was he bringing the daeben into this? Luckily, however, Kashi's amused irritation did not show as he took a step forward, placed his hand on his chest in salute, and said, "Your Highness, I wish to propose a meeting among the three kingdoms of Rosendun, Merriheim, and Serisis to discuss the fu—"

"What gall!" A voice loudly and rudely interrupted, causing an intense silence to fall upon the room. Several heads turned at once to an old, skinny minister with sharp eyes and a long beard. "A mere Summoned dare interfere with matters of state! Who are you to dictate what the mighty King of Rosendun does!"

Before Kashi could respond, another minister once again interrupted, "How impertinent and traitorous! The court has heard of your secret trains and skyships. You used the capital's funds to start a private business. How dare you!"

"Yeah! Traitor!"

"Who does he think he is!?"

"Once a daeben, always a daeben!"

Kashi remained silent as the shouts rained on. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Stryke staring at him with a bemused expression as the tora mouthed, "Told you so."

"Ah, fuck..." Kashi lightly cursed as the shouts and curses reigned supreme in the rowdy court.