When OP entered the Throne Room, the House of Lords was in attendance. The Queen wore an emerald-colored gown, her blonde hair combed over one shoulder, and a silver crown firmly on her head.
"The Honorable Representatives of the One Problem Guild." A booming male voice announced their arrival as they were quickly ushered to the throne.
"Breeze, empty the container." QJ gestured toward an open space between the throne and a large balcony.
A sudden silence covered the room as the brilliance of the rare metal reflected the sunlight into the room. Dozens of Lords began speaking at once.
"Is that Mithiril?"
"Where did this come from?"
"Is this the from the [Red Player] mission?
Queen Lilianna held up a hand to silence the court before turning to her spymaster and nodding.
Dixie approached the large stack of mithril bricks. The reflected brilliance shone in her amber-colored eyes. "As agreed, the split will be 50/50 across the board; this includes the mithril and the Patriot Points."
"The crown requires Patriot points also?" Ringo asked.
Dixie nodded. "Individual points will stay with the hero, but the crown will take their portion of the Guild points.
[System Message] OP has been given the Patriot Points catalog for the Berg Continent.
All five members of OP had their HUD's buzz at the same time.
[OP: Ringo] Let's look later; my personal messages are scrolling like crazy.
QJ noted that he had a half dozen friend requests and several unsolicited messages.
[OP: QJ] I'll send a copy to Wu.
"May I see the Embassy agreement?" Dixie asked.
Ringo approached and handed the Queen's spymaster the document.
Dixie approached the throne, speaking in low tones while pointing out several points.
[OP: Ringo] I never thought the elves would agree to an Embassy...
[OP: Sato] What does that mean for us?
[OP: QJ] Something fun... I have an idea.
Dixie returned the document to Ringo. "Activating this will cause a second embassy to be built within the Elven Capital City of Murial. It's an instant build, mirrored construction."
Queen Lilianna rose gracefully, her serene face holding the hint of a smile. "The crown will supply 100 paladins as Embassy guards. OP will provide ten heroes to be stationed in Murial. An open portal between OPC and Murial will connect the two worlds."
[OP: Sato] What?
[OP: Breeze] That's bad. Right?
QJ and Ringo exchanged glances. It would be a good deal if they were a larger, more established guild.
"We'll hold off on construction until we've had a chance to make plans," QJ smiled when Lilliana accepted his arm as she returned to the throne.
"Of course," Lillianna agreed. "I'll continue to rely on my friends at OP."
[OP: Sato] Let's make the 2nd years do it! Didn't Damon used to play Iron Mount?
[OP: Ringo] He did. However, his class still needs to be awarded characters.
[OP: QJ] We'll figure something long-term, but we'll have to rely on Striker Bands for now. I'll take care of it.
After discussing a few minor items, the group ported to OPC.
[OP: Ringo] We kicked the hornet's nest, but OP isn't overly vulnerable. We should utilize more defensive measures for OPC.
[OP: QJ] Put Dessi on high alert. With the added security here, Basara has become the weak link. I'll find a way to shore up OPC against invasion.
[OP: Enju] We could set up a fake raid. Something elaborate to lure the [Red Player] crowd into a trap.
[OP: QJ] That's a Great idea. Start working on it, and we'll sit down and share some ideas.
[OP: Enju] Me?
[OP: QJ] Yeah. Don't worry, I'll give you a hand.
[OP: Ringo] I'll talk with Damon and get his two cents.
[OP: Breeze] Visit the house, Enju. I'll send you our info.
[OP: Enju] Really? Okay!
[OP: QJ] Gonna log a bit and grab something to eat. Remember, we're wrapping up Sam's Quest today.
With the group heading in several directions, QJ found himself walking alone as he exited the GnG platform.
[System Message] You have received a friend request from Bianca Ito.
QJ was about to reject the request when he remembered the name Ito, the last name of one of the Ingles board members Wu had supplied him with. QJ approved the request and immediately looked at the image of a young Asian woman. "Bianca Ito? You're one of three Ingles board members with accounts."
"Shit... You're well informed." The woman's close-shaven hair gave her an almost gangster appearance. Her sleeveless shirt and full-arm tattoos did little to discourage the idea. "I'm the Guild Leader of Yucatan. Thanks to you, that secret is in jeopardy."
"It's a bit self-serving to blame me. Did I invite you to Junebug to ambush a bunch of Exodus cadets? Or did you invite yourselves?"
Bianca laughed unexpectedly. "Fine... We had it coming. I'd like a favor."
"Not likely," QJ waited for the request.
"Keep my secret. My identity is a personal matter, separate from gaming."
"I'm okay with that," QJ responded.
"Wait... What? Not going to ask for anything?"
"We're professionals," QJ grinned at her shocked look. "I'll have our Information Broker erase your name from the feeds."
"I owe you one, QJ."
"Save it. I've no interest in being pals." QJ cut coms and logged out.
QJ exited the VR chamber a few moments later, smiling at the sleeping wolf pup curled up in his pillow. "I have to contact Nanna about you."
Wu was sitting at the kitchen island sipping coffee from his favorite mug. "I'm about to post the feeds from Iron Mount."
"The Yucatan Guild Leader asked that we not expose her character name. Do me a favor and scrub it from the feeds."
Wu nodded. "You're being generous. I don't blame you.
QJ removed leftovers from the fridge and grabbed a Coke before sitting down. "What does that mean?
"Bianca Ito is a beautiful woman."
"What?" QJ flashed a grin. "I wouldn't go that far."
"Really?" Wu brought up the island HUD and scrolled to a picture of Bianca Ito.
QJ studied the picture for a moment; it definitely wasn't the person he talked to in Exodus. "She barely looks Asian."
Wu nodded in agreement. "Her Grandfather was half Japanese, that makes her... an eighth?"
"Check if Miss Ito also holds a Martial Law account."
Wu brought up another hud and had the answer within a few seconds. "She has two gaming accounts, one in Iron Mount and the other in Martial Law. Isn't that odd?"
"I have two, too, TAP and GnG." QJ leaned back in his chair. "Order us some Chicago-style pizza for tonight."
"Breeze said she was paying," Wu smiled. "Her money is no good here?"
"Correct, charge it to my account." QJ opened his HUD, smiling at his Dad's face when it popped up. "Is that Chilimac?"
"It was, but now it's gone." Quinn sipped the iced tea in front of him. "How did the Iron Mount raid go?"
"Smooth, we saved the Consort and emptied the mithril from the Dwarf King's vault."
"What did you ask the elves for?"
"An embassy," QJ replied. "That's why I'm calling. I need ten strikers to be present at our embassy in Muriel."
"The elves agreed?" Quinn's smile widened considerably. "How long do you want the strikers?"
"One year," QJ did the math in his head. The cost of ten striker bracelets was acceptable compared to the mithril haul. You still have striker friends."
"No need... I'll call up Zephyr. Those bastards have had it too easy lately."
"Did Fora receive [Red-Player] Tokens?"
Quinn nodded. "You need some?"
"No... What would you say to an off-the-books [Red-Player] mission to Martial Law? Three of your choice, along with me and Ringo."
"Co-op between Fora and OP? Can we do that under the new [Red-Player] rules?" Quinn looked over his shoulder before lowering his voice. "I'm having Anna read through it so I don't have to."
"Of course you are," QJ snorted. "I'll look into it, be ready to go."
Quinn nodded. "I'll make it happen."
Wu waited until QJ closed his HUD before speaking. "Joint missions are allowed; you'll have to ally with Fora just like you did with the Muriel elves."
"Cake... I have a few things to do, but I'll be back. Let's plan for pizza at 7 p.m." QJ headed towards his room, pausing when he arrived at the doorway. "Find out which Martial Law guild Bianca Ito is associated with."
Wu gave QJ the thumbs up. "Got it, boss."