World Sphere - 178 - Guildmaster Problems (Patreon)

Chapter 178 Dungeon Academy

Leaving the gnome to work alone was a little unnerving with the perceived dangers. The Wolfsguard would ensure he wouldn’t steal anything, but he could destroy the Spire with a mistake. While Toblin was working on the archmage’s arcane lock, I thought it might be best to evacuate the Black Spire. I reached my apartment with the cats and started running a hot bath. A good soak, and then I could get some sleep. Even with the cleanliness shell, I still enjoyed a good swim or bath.

Adrial protested the bath with a low growl. “Fine, you can eat now.” I pulled two bowls from my dimensional closet and put them on the floor of the bathroom. Adrial attacked her meal loudly and messily while Kiara lapped up chunks gracefully and chewed. Two different personalities. Adrial was more primal, while Kiara was more civilized.

I relaxed into the hot water and promptly fell asleep. A splash and body weight on top of me woke me. Aelyn had joined me in the tub, “Can you heat the water?” She asked, getting comfortable.

I looked disappointingly at the cats, “You could have warned me there was an intruder in the room.” Aelyn elbowed me playfully, and I realized I should have set my alarm spell rather than trust the cats to protect me. I used my thermostatic aura to heat the water. It just took a lot more time to heat the water than it did to heat the air. Aelyn relaxed back into me, and I wrapped my arms around her.

“I am going to move everyone to the Shiny Platinum while the gnome works. Can you take care of it?” I asked while she handed me some scented shampoo.

“Can’t Isla handle that? I want to test Maerlyn in the dungeon.” I worked the shampoo in her hair.

“Isla has enough to worry about. I asked you to do it. Please ensure Freya and Sana are settled into the Shiny Platinum.” I insisted rather than requested.

Aeyln didn’t object, “Since you asked so nicely. I wanted to talk with Sana about some new spells anyway.”

“You consumed the essence?” I asked, surprised.

“Of course. A few hours after you gave it to me. It settled, and now I plan to learn a tier four spell,” she said smugly.

“Really? You couldn’t utilize such a spell effectively with your low aether pool.” I was said pragmatically. As the power of the spells doubled with each tier, so did their relative cost.

“I will have you know my aether core is up to 15. Plus, I can find someone to buy me a core expander after I learn the spell,” she said, giggling. We both knew that would be me.

A knock came at the door, and one of the tower attendants announced it. “General Callem Dregella is in the reception chamber. Shall I  tell him he has to wait?”

I pushed Aelyn forward and got out of the tub to dress, “No, I am on the way.”

I walked out to see a much thinner old man than I remembered. He used to work on his farm every day, and now he works at a desk most of the day. His pristine uniform and perfect posture greeted me with a smile. “Storme, glad to see you are back safe.” We clasped wrists, and I pulled him into a half-hug. He was now the closest thing I had to a living father. We talked a little about my adventures and his work on rebuilding the Skyholme Navy with Admiral Sebastian.

“What does Loriel need of me now? I know she wouldn’t ask it herself. Is it skyship artificing?” I guessed. I am waiting for Callem’s reply now that the pleasantries are done.

Callem tensed slightly, “No. It is something more in line with your prowess as a captain. Not every city in the Sphere has portals. She wants to open trade with the Sandmire Kingdom. She needs an envoy brought to them.”

“And the Maelstrom is the fastest way to get the envoy there? How far away is it?” I inquired, but I already planned to decline the request.

“About 120,000 miles,” Callem replied. “Their dungeons have valuable lumber for skyship construction.” I nodded as I knew Sebastian was still pushing to increase the number of skyships as fast as the budget would allow. The limiting factor was platinum for artificing and aether crystals to power the ships, not wood for framing and sheathing the ships.

“What is the true purpose of the envoy?” I asked skeptically.

“We do need more quality lumber, but we also need trade partners for the goods our dungeons produce in the islands. We are making a lot in fees of visiting skyships but our exports have been lagging. The Sandmire Kingdom, according to the Adventure’s Guild trade folio, is our best partner.” Callem noted like he had been schooled by Loriel. “Also, the envoy is Bylura, and I think Loriel just wants to make sure she arrives safely.”

Bylura was the runt white Wolfsguard that had been Loriel’s companion growing up. Bylura was intelligent and had been raised to prominence since Loriel had taken over Skyholme from the Triumvirate. “Does Prince Consort Antioch know about his?”

“Yes, part of the delegation has members from the Sadians. Five delegates in total. I understand if you are not willing to go. Where your Maelstrom can make the trip in two days, our fastest Wasp with escorts will take two weeks, exposing them to more danger.”

I pulled a book from my dimensional closet and paged to the Sandmire Kingdom. It was a relatively short entry, as most were. The Kingdom was a long strip of land in the Sphere with six prominent cities. The population was mostly humans and dwarves. Exports were listed as dungeon metals and lumber.

“What about using a portal to Sandmire and hiring a skyship for the final leg?” I asked while trying to picture the location in my head from where I had already traveled within the Sphere.

Callem, seeing my indecisiveness, added, “Admiral Sebastian worked up such a plan with Navy logistics. It would still take over a week, and there is uncertainty.” He added, “If we sent them with Skyholme skyships, we would have to pull three Wasps from duty to escort them, which would weaken Skyholme for the four weeks they were gone. They also declined an invitation to visit Skyholme.”

Callem had been revitalized, and his cynicism for the rulers of Skyholme had been turned into a fervor of patriotism. He now saw the possibilities of a Skyholme that served its people and was connected to the rest of the Sphere. Now, he thought everyone should be on board as well. I supported Skyholme, probably more than any single person, but there was a limit.

“No. I can not take them. I have contracted a mage to work at the Spire and cannot leave until he finishes. I am working on a number of projects as well. And I have been putting off my hunting of the Black Mauraders.” I told him after pretending to consider his request.

“Understood. I told Loriel as much, but she thought the request coming from me might sway you.” Callem was disappointed but gave me a friendly smile, clasped wrists with me, and left.

Aeyln entered with wet hair and casual clothes. “Four days. Doesn’t seem like a big request. You could have Cilia and Leda take them on the Maelstrom.”

I huffed a little indignantly, “The Maelstrom is not a pawn to be used by the rulers of Skyholme. If they want such a ship, they can invest two million gold and build one themselves.” I dried her hair with the cleanliness spell. “Also, if I never said no, they would ask me nonstop for these small favors.”

I did some calculations in my head, “And this is not a small favor. If the Navy needed to send three Wasps on a 240,000 mile trip, it would cost them around twelve thousand gold and platinum for runic replenishment after the trip, and that does not even count paying the crews for a month. I am guessing Loriel saw me as a way to save Skyholme time and more than a little coin.”

Aelyn shrugged. She had her own problems with the Triumvirate in the past, but Loriel had been working hard to gain her favor in the last year. I guess you could consider them sort of friends. A knock at the door had me getting it with the cats positioned themselves on either side of me. It was Talia who stumbled seeing Aelyn in casual dress, “I saw General Callem leave and thought you might have time.”

“Come in! I was going to find you after a nap. Did Sana find you?” I moved aside, and she entered, giving Adrial a long stroke on her rich black fur.

Aelyn quipped, “He already had a nap, and Callem made him cranky.”

Talia ignored the play back and forth, “I wanted to go over dungeon harvests with you and see if you could deal with the Guildmaster in the capital. He is still pressuring us to control the Progenitor Dungeon. We have had to source all the frost mead ingredients through other delving guilds.”

“Still? Didn’t Gareth work a go-a-round for you?” I asked. Maybe I would have to look into getting the Guildmaster replaced. The problem was that the Adventurer’s Guild was the only organization that spanned the entire Sphere and had more power than anyone else. The only place to be free of them was on one of the twenty-three moons.

“Gareth isn’t here and didn’t return with you,” Talia reminded me.

“Screw it, have Remy contract out the honey and queen sacs. Set up ten-year or so long-term contracts at a twenty percent premium over current prices. However, make sure the failure to fulfill the contract has steep penalties. If they are giving us problems, we will not delve the Frost Vault.” Talia did not look happy at my decision.

“Storme, most of our recruiting efforts are done through the Delving Academy in Aegis City. If we stop delving the two dungeons there, we may lose potential Delvers. Plus this is kinda of playing into what the Guildmaster wants.” Talia noted.

Talia better understood the situation than me, so I assumed she was right. “Are there any other Dungeon Academies opening on Skyholme?” I asked, as there had been whispers of lowland investors.

“Just a second dungeon Academy outside of Aegis city, sponsored by the Adventurers Guild,” Talia said, my eyebrows shooting up. “Nothing official, but there is talk. The Adventurers Guild just about runs the Delving Academy in the capital now, but Aegis City is self-sustaining. My guess is they plan to run it out of business in a few years.” I nodded, this was why I dealt primarily with the Academy in Aegis City. I had a great relationship with a lot of the instructors there, and they had made a lot of trips out to the Spire to teach me privately.

A stupid plan formed in my head. It would mean I would have to talk to Loriel. I couldn’t control the Frost Vault Dungeon in Aegis City, but I could control the Dungeon Academy, as it was technically owned and run by Skyholme. However, this particular Academy was self-sustaining. Talia and Aelyn were talking as my mind churned, and I  tuned them out. One thing was for sure, with Loriel, everything was for sale. It would almost be guaranteed that the Adventuer’s Guild would build a competing Academy if I took over the current one.

I focused on the pair when I heard Maerlyn’s name. “I want to take Maerlyn to the Progenitor Dungeon soon,” Aelyn was saying.

“Aelyn, I actually have another plan for Maerlyn. She needs to go to the Duskhunters Guild Hall and work with them on seeding the Progenitor Dungeon. I want to help it evolve and grow as rapidly as possible.” I stated.

They both looked at me like I was crazy. Talia warmed me, “Evolving a dungeon is dangerous. It is how Delvers die as unknown factors come into play. You could also suddenly lose valuable resources it was producing. And if a dungeon evolves with Delvers in it, they will all most likely perish.”

“That is my plan. We have low-tier dungeons on the islands. Useless by lowland standards. The auction in Myththorne proved that. Drop Relik’s name and see if he will come and advise us for a fee. I know he wanted to take a vacation, and Lorae should be at their Guild Fort near the dungeon.” I probably couldn’t afford to hire the Duskhunters to evolve the Progenitor Dungeon. It would also probably violate my contract with them as they used it as a training dungeon.

Talia was frustrated and dropped a folder on my table. Paper slid out, and I could see the reports she had prepared while I was gone. “Why don’t you take a break and go see your grandmother? She should be with Freya at the Shiny Platinum. I am headed there now.”

We were all soon on board the Maelstrom and heading to Titan’s Shield Island. The sky between the islands was busier than I had ever seen. Approaching Aegis City, there was now a two-hundred-foot-tall navigation towering over the docks. The docks were also packed with a myriad of different skyships from across the Sphere, loading and unloading cargo. Thankfully, I didn’t need to deal with the mess below us as I swung the Maelstrom over the plaza facing the depiction of the massive hydra on the side of the warehouse. Dozens of cart vendors dotted the plaza as sailors took lunch at them. There was a long line outside the Shiny Platinum as well. A tower flagger recognized me and permitted me to dock inside my hanger on the backside of the Shiny Platinum. Rank has its privileges.

The guards at the station opened the massive doors, and I guided the Maelstrom in, and they closed them behind me. The warehouse was quiet, and Adrial bolted down the ramp to hunt rats. Of course, there were going to be none. Remy had anti-vermin wards placed, but she didn’t seem to care as she patrolled the crates, lumber, and every corner. Kiara seemed to know her sister was wasting her effort. We went up to the apartments first.

I could hear the Delvers up in the practice room. Talia explained, “Probably those that are still enrolled in the Academy.” I nodded as I figured all my Delvers would be at the Black Spire since we could only delve into my dungeon. My apartment was empty, and my communication stone buzzed.

When I activated it, Freya’s voice came over it, “We went up to the roof when we saw you landing!” She was beyond excited, and I assumed Sana had already given her the spell matrix enhancer. I gave the signal to the cats to stay in the room.

We walked the stairs, passing the training room with half a dozen people in it. Talia paused, eyes narrowing, “I will catch up. Two of those people are not members of Shiny Platinum Delving.”

We reached the roof gardens, and Freya launched into me, giving me a massive hug. Monty barked and ran circles around me, just as happy to see me. “Good to see you too. I was not gone that long, Freya. How is mother?”

She released me and made a sour face. “Uncle Dominic keeps visiting her in her shop, and Cousin Alfie asks Marcellus for a job at the Shiny Platinum every day.” I nodded in understanding, but my mother said she could handle herself. However, I still made a mental note to ask her if she wanted me to intervene.

“So, has Sana talked to you about your gift?” I asked with a smirk.

Freya’s smile split her face, “I want to learn a tier-five spell!” Sana rolled her eyes at the young woman. She stuck out her tongue jokingly at Sana, which she returned, followed by a stream of multi-colored bubbles that popped on her face.

Sana told us both, “We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of such a spell before purchasing the spellbook and making an effort to imprint it. It took Storme almost six months to learn his tier-five spell. Do you have the patience and focus to study one spell every day for over a year?” Sana was setting her up, but Freya missed the point.

Freya’s eyes went wide, “You imprinted the lightning elemental spell! Show me!” She begged.

“Not here and not now. Maybe later,” she tried her puppy dog eyes with Monty following suit. I was not going to be swayed. I addressed Sana, “Aelyn also wants help deciding on a spell, too.” Maybe watching the process with Aelyn would help Freya. “I also wanted to ask you if you knew anything about running a Dungeon Academy.”

Sana’s eyes looked contemplative, “You are thinking of building your own Academy at the Spire? Interesting. I have taught at a few in my time.”

“Well, no. I was thinking of trying to take ownership of the Aegis City Dungeon Academy. The Adventurer’s Guild is giving me headaches.” I explained.

“You don’t want to go against the Guild, Storme. If you anger them, you could find yourself not welcomed anywhere in the Sphere,” she cautioned me.

“It is just the new Guildmaster they sent to oversee the islands. He is leveraging me to give him access to the Progenitor Dungeon.” I said, exasperated.

Sana laughed. “Guildmasters are like politicians more than administrators. My guess is he has six people behind him lobbying for access to your dungeon. I have some friends high up in the Guild. I will see what I can do,” she smiled slyly.  “As for running a Delver Academy…I will talk with Mage Neelan to feel things out. But I can not guarantee how long I will be around. How are you going to acquire the Academy.”

“I plan to negotiate with Loriel. She has a task for me, and I think I can barter to control the Academy. Maybe put a satellite campus at the Black Spire as you suggested.” Sana suddenly looked very intrigued until Talia interrupted.

“He is planning to seed the dungeon and force its evolution.” Talia thought it would cause Sana to become upset. Instead, she just nodded.

“Six months. I will stay at least six months but want to participate in the research and seeding. It will not be cheap, and you will need a few experts.” Her eyes had that dangerous curiosity in them, “I know just the person! It may solve two of your problems in one blow. He is a regional dungeon overseer for the Guild. We are not in his region, but he would be very interested in your seeding project. Just know that there is a good chance you could completely destroy your dungeon with your efforts.”

“Good. Can you go to the Duskhunters with Talia and get them on board? I have a contract with them for delving into the Progenitor Dungeon, and I think I would be violating the contract if I seeded it.” Sana looked amused.

Soon, we were all on board the Maelstrom, heading to the Progenitor Dungeon. The Duskhunters Guild Fort was a short distance away. I dropped them off with Freya, who would visit Lorae and her cats. I left them as I flew the Maelstrom toward Skyhold to negotiate with Loriel.