Augmented Aspects: Chapter 213 COIs - How to Mix Business With Pleasure (Patreon)

Chapter 213

COIs – How to Mix Business With Pleasure

To say that the world has strict rules against one person, let alone a regressor being inserted to lead not one but two different guilds was a problem that was immediately noted and patched within the first few months of the world going live.

Basically, at first it made sense to give power to the one or two individuals who proved themselves truly capable in one or more fields.

The only problem with this is the fact that as time went on and the number of spots available began to dwindle did people realize that there might be times where people could take advantage of having multiple guild leadership positions.

Another factor to consider is that for building out a city, there needs to be a checks and balance system. The easiest way to easily balance a corrupt dictator was to have it so the leaders of the guilds could levy sanctions against said corrupt dictator and lower their overall effectiveness as a leader.

That is the power that guild leaders have over a given area.

Now if you begin to make it so that one person controls the government as a dictator and another person ends up controlling all of the guilds as an auxiliary dictator in charge, then corruption and abuses can be constantly met out.

Thus the guilds ratified an equality charter where it stated that one person could only be registered to lead one particular guild branch, in one city. While that person was capable of transferring their leadership to another city, they would forever be linked to that one guild office, and position.

Which was why I wanted to track down my Simulacrum who apparently signed me up as the defacto leader of the Thieves Guild here.

New Quest Accepted: Establishing a Thieves Guild Foothold within newly identified territories (Ongoing): You have been identified by the Thieves Guild as not only the most powerful member still in good standing with the Thieves Guild, but also the one in highest standing, while also hosting the highest completion percentage of tasks accepted. Previous Accomplishments: Highest Thieves Guild Ranking: Deputy Leader. Grand Master Spymaster. Current completion percentage: 99.94%. Highest overall heist: Over 10 Million in credits, with over 100,000 in stolen experience. Your current task, either accept leadership as the defacto leader of the soon to be established Thieves Guild or find someone to take your place. Rewards: Experience, New Title, New Gear, New Skills, variable.

Time remaining to either find someone to take your place or be declared the permanent Thieves Guild leader: 22 Hours, 15 minutes, 12 seconds…

Note: Unable to accept position as another Guild Leader while this title is active. Cannot ever let it be known that you are the leader of the Thieves Guild to anyone not related to the Thieves guild.

Yes, it was a complete setup, especially with the fact that it seemed to offer skills that I would likely be very interested in getting. Honestly when it first popped up, I had been given the option to resist the quest, but it would come with severe penalties.

Warning: Failure to accept this quest will result in the dropping of guild rank.

I should have seen it for what it was, a trap. I even saw the glowing strands of energy rising, as if it was a trap. Meaning I knew it was a trap, yet I assumed I knew which type of trap it was.

Sadly, I had been mistaken. For now, the glowing strands of golden energy sprang up around me and seemed to threaten to oust me all of the sudden.

Fortunately for me, Mallory was also a member of the Thieves guild, albeit one in low standing due to the long time since she last completed a guild mission. But she was one nonetheless, meaning that when I told her mentally, I didn’t break the geas that had been part of this new guild position. See unlike all of the other guild leaders, the leader of the thieves guild is supposed to be unknown. Though honestly they almost all seem extremely noticeable, as Lucky Lenny was the leader of the gambling hall that was right next door to the Mage’s guild on Floor two of Arcanarus Tower.

Thinking back, that was likely the reason why I was chosen for this position at all. At the time I had been a level 20 something healer, but I had been invaluable with identifying activities happening in and around the guild hall. I could even tell when hits were conducted, when items were stolen successfully and if anyone was suspicious of a would-be thief. Basically, I made it so the Thieves guild could continue to operate openly in front of everyone, without anyone being the wiser.

Given that track record, I can see why I would be chosen for this position here. As I make a perfect representative for the Thieves Guild. Someone who seemingly checks all of the boxes. Someone out in the open, like Lucky Lenny did. I am the head professor of magic at the local SVC college, a noted pacifist, and also someone who is known to operate a bit outside of the law when necessary. Basically, I offer just enough hints for anyone willing to actually look.

That said, I remember myself as that scraggly little dark elf just trying to find a nice warm place to sleep for the night. The Thieves guild was that place of refuge for me. I always told myself that if I was a Thieves guild leader, I would make sure to offer that same level of safety to other children. Children that would also be offered the chance to learn skills that would not only make them stronger, but smarter, faster, and more able to adapt to the world around them.

I am in the middle of having these own personal thoughts, when Mallory who I am still talking to via Telepathy asks, “Aren’t you already the Mage Guild Leader for the Second Floor of the Arcanarus Tower?”

With that I pause, but then clarify. “I am, but that is my avatar of the former Mage Guild leader.”

“And it is official, you are the new leader for the Thieves Guild here?” She asks.

Suddenly I wonder if I am about to break my geas and end up with the failed version of this quest where I am later hunted by future Thieves Guild members who attempt to come here in the future.

“No wait, I just got the notification. It turns out you are in fact the new Guild Leader that I am to eventually report to about my delinquent status. Congratulations by the way.” Mallory states, though I can already feel her mind working through out mental connection.

Then after reading her mind. I go from immediately flustered and about to try to take over the P.A. systems to keep my name from being uttered by these two Mage guild representatives. Representatives that I forget the name of currently, though I do remember using them as an example of seduction. Seduction that was of course pulled off by me, while I was acting as the aforementioned Mage Guild leader from floor two of the Arcanarus Tower. Then after seeing her mind work, I immediately relax.

Well I relax at the fact that I momentarily avoided a catastrophe.

“Today we have signed into existence a charter that allows a new Mage’s Guild building to be established out here. Aided by resources from the only Magic and Cultivation accredited school in the world, we would be a fool to not allow a facility to be built here…”

The more they spoke, the more I realized I did not like how quickly the topics of this speech were going, as I only had moments to do this correctly. Looking around, I once again found myself looking for my lost Simulacrum. If I could find that annoying creature who put me into this situation to begin with, I would be fine.

Of course, it seemed that the world was not going to be so kind.

Scanning around for familiar energy signatures, I found everyone begin to spark to life like Christmas lights that flashed and pulsed brightly.

To my right was Gwen, who quite honestly would be perfect for the task that Mallory had identified. Unfortunately, she was too visible. As a matter of fact, I too was too visible at this moment as I had been the last person to appear, meaning that most people were occasionally looking at me, even now.

Given that I was the obvious choice for this position as the Mage Guild’s leader for the Mage Guild that would be built within our Guild’s territory, everyone no doubt expected me to both be appointed and for me to accept the position of Mage Guild leader.

That said, I couldn’t do this.

Penelope was another one that seemed like she would have been able to easily adapt to this, but she was also in attendance. Worse, she was surrounded by hundreds of other people. In fact, looking around I saw most of my students were all here. I was about to point out that not one of them was out practicing, when I realized that one of my students was doing exactly that.

Seeing the person who even now was taking time to continue to practice with the Outsourcer-6000, rather than attend a mandatory meeting, I couldn’t help but fall in love with that crazy boy’s dedication once again.

Telepathy.

“Gods I love you.” I say, mentally, as I connect his mind to our two way conversation.

“Huh? What?” The mental voice of Johnny spoke.

Unknown to him and to everyone I opened a tiny pocket-sized portal in space and quickly sent my finger through the tiny Spatial Rift.

That was it, all that was needed to start the process of change that was about to happen.

“Hey, wait, what is happening? Why am I growing boobs?” Johnny asked, and rightfully so, but I had to get him to stop as it was about time for Mallory to take control of this trainwreck of a city building venture.

“SHH! Can’t talk right now, just be ready to come on stage and accept whatever Mallory tells you to.” I reply back mentally.

Mallory for her part must have learned from our earlier communications and either learned to segment her thoughts, or learned not to talk into what was effectively the open communications channels of our minds.

Realizing this growth on her part, I couldn’t help but feel proud that she learned from her earlier mistakes.

My how times have changed. The last time she was close to breaking cover was when we were fighting Pomeranian Princess dragon protectors, and now we were trying to keep our chance of getting our home accredited as a viable city. Progress.

“But also to have the illustrious position filled by a verified Doctoral graduate of the Arcanarus University, well we were left with no choice but to expedite this process and immediately accept this petition above all others. It is for that reason that we are here today to welcome the newest Guild Master…” the ditsy woman began to say, and just before calamity struck. Just before the golden threads of unavoidable chaos wrapped around me and began strangling the life from me, Mallory broke in with her superhuman speed and acumen.

“I Present to you Dr. Octavia De’Arcaneri, the original curer of the Blight, and someone who I am proud to admit is also my future daughter-in-law.” Mallory spoke.

As she began to speak, I instantly began creating a second but much larger Spatial Rift that showed a bewildered Johnny in an altered form of a female avatar of Octavia staring blankly forward in bewildered shock and surprise.

“Go on, this is your moment. Remember what we said, accept whatever Mallory tells you.” I say, mentally pushing Johnny, who is currently wearing the avatar of Octavia, forward.

“You suck.” Johnny replies back mentally, though even his words are beginning to sound softer, the same way Octavia’s would.

“Come on, don’t be shy Dr. De’Arcaneri, this is a giant step forward for us as a community as it shows our commitment to unity with the Deolar Empire. With you being the leader of the Mage’s Guild it will help promote equality and patience between our two blending nations.” Mallory stated, her words cutting off any form of protest that the two Mage Guild representatives might have had.

“Wait, I thought you said it was a doctor?” The other Mage Guild auditor asked.

“She is, she is a famous graduate of the Arcanarus University.” Mallory noted.

“She will need to prove this,” the first Mage Guild Auditor pressed, as she turned to me with a slight scowl on her face.

“In your pocket, just pull it out. It should be soul bound to the avatar.” I tell Johnny mentally.

“Okay, where exactly are her pockets?” Johnny asked, feeling over his clothes that had been altered slightly to be feminine in shape and color, meaning they had what appeared to be pockets, but said pockets couldn’t hold anything.

“Yeah, you never had to deal with the problems of being a female,” Mallory cuts in mentally, as now everyone is staring at Johnny awkwardly grope himself for a spot where he can find a supposedly soul bound item.

That’s when I have a eureka moment. “Check in between your boobs.”

“What in the?” Johnny hissed out angrily, but then found his tone changing as he seemed to grab ahold of something, while from between his exceptionally ample cleavage, “Wait, it was there?”

Then holding up the requested document, it quickly unfolded to reveal it to be the very document requested by the two auditors.

ARCANARUS UNIVERSITY

Fiona Griner School of Weather Magic

The University Board of Trustees, by virtue of the authority vested in it,

and on the recommendation of the University Facility has conferred on

Octavia J. De’Arcaneri

The degree of

Doctor of Weather Magic Management

With all the Rights and Privileges appertaining to that degree…

Pausing for a moment, I made sure to use that moment to cancel the Spatial Rift, and instead showed a blown up copy of the very degree being shown to the auditors.

Only at this time did I realize I could have likely presented my own degree as Octavia’s by using the Double Layered Permanent Illusionary Text ability I mastered earlier. So many uses of magic that could work on every day actions like this, on trying to forge fake documents to become a legitimate guild leader.

Though in this case I think it might be better that we showed the actual documents, from the fake avatar wielder of Octavia. That one seemed like there were too many discrepancies that might need to be worked through. This way we just had the one partial problem, namely the fact that we had a male drag surfing in a female avatar of an elven princess.

Yeah, one of these days I am going to get an easy quest where it is just be yourself and cross the road. At least that is the plan, though I don’t think that will be the case.

The two Mage Guild Auditors seem to be lost in thought for a moment. Clearly, they were thrown for a loop, and I can see Mallory being called over to talk to the two.

If I was pressed, I am pretty sure I could ride in either Mallory’s mind or in Johnny’s mind to listen in on the conversation. As it is, I have a fairly good handle on what is actually happening.

The two auditors are asking why there was a sudden change in leadership. Mallory for her part is likely explaining it away as a way to avoid potential political backlash by having only Midnight Hunter Guild members present, that by incorporating Deolarian Royalty into the mix it shows a much stronger and more unified front to the whole ordeal.

For the most part the two auditors seem to be buying it, despite constantly turning to look at me.

I almost want to tell them what, but then realize they likely remember me but I have gone through quite a few changes since they last saw me. For one, last time I didn’t have the wings, or the Legendary Bloodline evolution thing going. Meaning I didn’t have the third eye and that my hair was a different color, that that I really know what color my hair was, especially as I can’t quite tell what color my hair currently is, all I really know is that I have hair and that apparently many people think it is pretty to stare at.

Perhaps that is also why these two auditors also take every chance they can to stare at me. I am pretty, and just enough of a Déjà vu feel to my appearance that they can’t help but look back at me.

Last time I saw them, I was acting as the Guild leader, while I allowed one of my Simulacrums, well the only one at the time, to act as me. During which time my Simulacrum somehow managed to get me a raise and better working conditions.

Wow, where does the time go. Seems like just yesterday I was trying to avoid getting caught with millions worth of stolen products, now I was being chosen as the new leader for the new Thieves guild that was going to be established here.

Before I can get too caught up in where my new secret lair and the obvious entrance for the thieves guild would be, Johnny breaks me free of my thoughts by his own concern.

“All right, can you open back up a portal for me to leave here? I don’t think I can continue to walk in these heels.” Johnny asks. He now has his degree back, which he is in the process of folding up, and then pauses before he can manage to place it back where he got it from, clearly embarrassed about having to grab it from there in the first place.

Chuckle.

At this Mallory laughs first, which almost causes me to break character as well. Fortunately, I manage to quickly open another Spatial Rift for Johnny, who still looks like Octavia, to once again walk through. As he does his but and hips rock from side to side as he is clearly focusing all of his newly learned balance and cultivation techniques to stay upright while walking on heels through a magical portal.

Seeing the degree of trouble he is having while walking in heels, I state excitedly, “well I know what our next balance class is going to involve.”

“Please, no.” Johnny protests, and just when I want to twist the knife a bit more and watch him squirm, he asks, “can I ask what that was all about?”

Hearing that, I decide to go to an alternate tactic of being quiet. “I could tell you what that was about, but then you would have to stay like this indefinitely.”

“Nope, never mind, forget I ever asked. Please just change me back so my clothes can have working pockets again.”

Chuckle.

At that Mallory once again breaks into our conversation by providing nothing more than her own laughter to the mix.

“In that case, your change is coming right up.” I state, really glad that Johnny would do anything I ask without any prompting, even if it meant dressing up and being a woman for a particular time.

And like that one major crisis was over, while I still needed to find and stop my Simulacrum from getting me into any more irreconcilable activities.