While at first glance, the Quest is simple enough with the hype we've got going, the Iron-Tier Difficulty Rating has me worried. Keeping players coming in and sales going out will be a fairly simple matter, but that rating alone tells me there's something hiding underneath the surface.

Thinking it through, my answer rears it's ugly, gaudy head: Geronil.

I somehow doubt that he's going to take a turn of fortunes for Henna lying down after spending years using his influence and money trying to push her out of business. And when he finds out the person responsible for bringing in all these customers he has no control over is a certain Silva errand boy he has an active hit on, he is going to explode.

Not literally, of course. I could only have such luck.

If he can't control the customers there's a few things he can do:

• Further obstruct Henna's supply of materials by leaning on her suppliers
• Try to get to me or Henna through his thugs
• Give up all pretense and just burn down Stone Arsenal or something

Personally, with how pissed off he'll be, I favour option 2 as the likely response. As arrogant as he might be, roughing up the smiths through disreputable proxies will be far less public than destroying a shop and he won't risk that kind of attention.

"One thing, though. Please try to avoid going anywhere without me for the time being. This is definitely going to attract the wrong kind of attention, and though I don't doubt you can look after yourself, there's no need to put yourself at risk," I tell her, concern plainly visible.

Henna's fist clenches and that strange, depressive aura returns to her presence, "No promises."

I sigh, feeling guilty, "At the risk of repeating myself, I don't mean to offend. Truly."

She doesn't respond, but I can still feel her agitation like a stinging barrier in the air between us.

With what time remains, I burn through another pile of materials in expectation of tomorrow's clamouring crowds, this time focusing on creating Beginner's Bronze Shortswords and Shields in as close to even pairs as I can, only to be down one shield. All together, though, I create 20 sword and shield pairs before it gets dark, finally pushing up to 3-Star Novice half-way through.

If I want to, I can start putting together Donation Crates for Bronze Reinforced Leather Caps now, after getting the Schematic for it from Henna. However, getting the different types of leather, the tacks, fur lining and plates together would obliterate my inventory space and run me a pretty penny to even attempt. In short, not worth it.

On the subject of Henna, her mood has only gotten worse since then, and I'm unsure of what, if anything, I can do. In the end, I decided that the best option I have available is to proceed with the Quest and hope for the best. High Charisma and Affinity aren't omnipotent in the end - they can only help me knock on the door a little louder, so to speak.

Leaving the equipment with her, I take in the night air on my way over to The Golem.

Main Hall, Gaming Sanctuary

I spot a uniformed Sherry spinning in one of the deskchairs with an expression of utter boredom and decide to approach her.

Seeing me, the chair's spinning halts, and the boredom shifts to ambivalence, "What?"

I blink, "Just thought to say hello before I left. I'm not expecting any answers on the Guild quite yet."

"Well, hello. Goodbye," She resumes spinning.

I sigh, "What exactly have I done to earn this hostility?"

"I gotta have a reason?"

I raise my hands in defeat, "I'm really not eager to get into this conversation twice in one day."

She stops and fixes me with a pointed stare, "Then why the hell'd you ask in the first place? Fuck."

I stare off to the ceiling, "Alright, that's a fair point well made."

"Also, the first time you asked. Whaddya mean 'twice'?" Sherry waves dismissively.

"Never mind. Something I want to try and get to the bottom of myself," I shake my head, "Have either of you decided on a schedule for when you're playing AR yet?"

"Winfrey's flight is the day after tomorrow, so she's going to be packing up and saying goodbye to folks. Dunno how long it'll be before she has access again, but her Uncle has a Capsule back at their house he bought for her Sweet 16. Licence expired after she came here, though and he's already paying for the flight back," Sherry explains, looking a little depressed, "Me though? Ehh. Depends on how my shifts and classes work out. I'm technically free tomorrow night but I'll be at her farewell party."

"Understandable. I'll give her call before she leaves, then," I mention aloud, "I'll be spending the next couple of days raising my fame and funds through artificial scarcity anyhow, so I don't have much for either of you to do anyway."

Sherry's face scrunches in confusion, "You're what?"

I take a mental step back, "You remember the set I made for Winfrey and the weird looks we were getting from players in the city?"

"Yyyeahhh?"

"Basically, I'm the only one in the city who has the proficiency and funds to reliably make it. Near as I can tell. So with all these desperate Newborn running around in the sub-copper tier trash getting violently dismembered by the enemies in Ujax that the Pioneer's Alliance is sending them into nine levels too early, there's a severe shortage of decent gear, even for the people that figured out it's a mug's game and started going through Farmer's Folly for inferior Copper-Tier gear..."

After properly explaining the rough plan, a hint of greed flares in Sherry's eyes, "I see. So you've got thousands of people over a barrel, eating out of your hands?"

I let a small smirk leak out, "More or less. It's a balancing act, though. I can't push too hard or the whole thing implodes and sucks my reputation down the drain, but if I don't take the initiative to exploit it, other people will and I'll get a fraction of the profit."

Her eyes narrow, "I want in on this."

I tilt my head, "If you can come up with a way to contribute that doesn't change the goal, I don't see why not."

She rocks her head back and forth, "Are there any places to mine copper and tin near Meteo City?"

"There are a few copper nodes about an hour's walk west-ish. No such luck for tin, however," I shake my head.

"Can you buy tin in the City though?" She isn't about to let this go.

I think about it, "Should be able to. I'll ask Henna about it if it's not in the market. Are you offering to make the Bronze Ingots?"

Sherry nods, "Yup. I'll do it at market price for copper and tin per bar, plus 20 Stone Silver a day."

I run the numbers quickly, then nod, "If you can come in the day after tomorrow and the days after until the finale. You've got a deal."

She pulls a face, "I'll see what I can do. Oh, but I'll need an advance to buy some more inventory space so I can cut down on trips."

I deny her, "That shouldn't be necessary. Copper Ores stack to 150 as well, and I don't need -that- much. When patch day is imminent, that's when stockpiling that much will be useful. Without a place to store it all, it'd be pointless though, and I'm not willing to invest in a Warehouse without a Guild to make proper use of it. Ambition is good, unchecked greed is self-destructive."

She looks disappointed that her attempt to milk more money out of me fell flat, but offers a handshake regardless, "Deal, then. Cheapskate."

"Despite appearances, I don't have a whole lot of money," I laugh sadly, engaging in a firm, yet politely brief handshake, "The majority of the money I'm making needs to be reinvested to build up my Guild's foundation, after all."

"Speaking of, what's the deal with your Guild anyway? You never said what kind it was going to be."

"Because you hung up on me, you mean?" I raise a brow.

"Because you didn't say," She ignores her guilt on the matter.

"I basically already said, you realise. I want to take it to the top. I'm not looking to specialise in one thing over another, I'm looking to build an honest to goodness Empire," I emphasise the seriousness of my ambitions as emphatically as I can manage.

Whether due to my claim or the force of will embedded in it, she instinctively recoils a little, stunned.

I relax a little, and back away with a yawn threatening to escape, "I'm not just doing this for the sake of it. It's important to me, and I need skilled, sincere allies to get anywhere with it. I wouldn't have made the offer if I didn't think you or Winfrey were incapable, or unworthy of trust. So if you think me as untrustworthy or unpersonable because I hold true to this ambition and am constantly distracted by the enormity of it...please bear that in mind. Excuse me."

Leaving the contemplative woman behind, I leave the internet cafe heedless of the stares I'm receiving from the customers and staff with a slight hobble to my walk.

Sherry

"Well, that was something that just happened alright," I mumble under my breath.

One of my co-workers, a pretty, tall woman with curly black hair named Camille, walks over with a sort-of deer in headlights look, "Wow, who's the politician? What's his platform?"

"World fuckin' domination, apparently. That, Camille, was the Tour Guide for Astral Reckoning Win picked up," I explain, still a little taken aback.

"The one basically paying for my salary this month?" She leans on the edge of an unused station adjacent, "Mr Big Spender. That guy?"

"Uh huh. Real weirdo," I nod.

"You think so? I thought it was pretty cool. Wish my partner talked to me like that," Camille giggles.

I grimace, making fake vomiting noises, "Hard pass. Nuh uh, no fuckin' way, no how. Win's the one who's got a thing for him if anybody even can."

She shrugs, not entirely convinced, "Take your word for it. How's Winfrey holding up, by the way? Tried sending a message earlier but she's not responding."

"Win's doing a little better since our stint with AR and Tour Guide, but she still doesn't want to leave Paris. It's tough on her to leave us all behind," I put my hands behind my head, a bit of my own depression creeping in, "If I had to guess, she'll probably have gone to sleep early to try and align herself with the time over there. Mentioned it offhand a couple weeks back, I think?"

Camille flips a coin casually, "Makes sense. So, are you two still gonna play Astral Reckoning or whatever together? Since you mentioned timezones and all."

"We'll try, since she wants to. Henry's thinking about joining in with his girlfriend too. Less enthusiastic about playing with Tour Guide though," I grumble.

Flip goes the coin, "How'd you figure?"

I spin around in my chair, trilling my lips, "Explaining is hard. Don't wanna try."

Camille points at me, "You're being a little unfair, aren't you then?"

I snort, "Fuck 'em. Already catching shit from Win for it, don't you start on me as well Cammie. I don't wanna hear it."

She raises her arms in defeat, getting up to leave, "Alright, forget I asked. I'm off in ten, so see you at the party tomorrow."

"Mm."

Just like my thoughts, I keep on spinning around and round, the dizziness a counterclockwise balance to the swirling of my conscious mind. I can feel the alcohol cravings intensifying, but I need the money to book myself a capsule for a couple days. The sooner we can ditch him, the better. Useful or not.

An Empire? Don't make me laugh. Why are you so hellbent on this dying piece of shit mmo - the hell fucking shit is that confidence coming from? I just don't get it.

I stop myself with an outstretched leg catching the leg of one of the tables that make up the row of computer stations.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see what Win makes of this bullshitter's 'ambition'. As if I can't already predict the fucking answer, god damn it.

IdleFancy

A little hard to get done, this one. Still not entirely happy, but I'm done trying to revise it.