Brookie watched as the 7 leaders walked off without any consequences. Though he trusted Fae Sol, he was a bit confused as to why she would do such a thing.
"Aren't you going to do anything about them?" he asked.
Fae Sol turned to him and said, "Then have 1 week to gather the funds and pay up. If they don't, well... The interest will keep piling up, week after week. If they can't pay, I'm sending them back to level 0!"
Brookie wasn't quite sure how she'd manage to do that, but he believed she could if she tried. So he didn't ask any further questions. After all, though he wasn't level 5 yet, he was a Sun Dragon now.
---
Before the first item of the auction was introduced, Brookie decided to open a direct message with Fae Sol.
*>Brookie: I want to join you.*
*>Fae Sol: Oh? What do you mean?*
*>Brookie: I mean I want to join your guild when possible. I heard you need to be level 5 to join one. So when I hit level 5, let me in.*
*>Fae Sol: ... Aren't you highly ranked in your current guild? Are you sure you want to do this?*
*>Brookie: I've never been more sure.*
*>Fae Sol: So you'll listen to my orders? Even when they seem unreasonable?*
*>Brookie: Yes.*
*>Fae Sol: Alright... If you follow my orders until the auction ends, I'll let you in.*
*>Brookie: I'm prepared.*
*>Fae Sol: Okay! Leave your guild.*
*>Brookie: What?*
*>Fae Sol: You heard me. Leave your guild!*
He had expected some harsh orders, but Brookie never expected that the very first order he would receive from his new guild master would be to immediately betray his comrades. However, he was willing to do anything to join forces with someone with massive strength!
*>Brookie: ... Done.*
*>Fae Sol: Good. Now, you will not bid in this auction.*
*>Brookie: ... ugh...*
*>Fae Sol: Trust me, you don't want to. Or will you crumble on your second ever order?*
The second order was just as harsh. He definitely wanted to pick up an item or two at this auction, but the sole purpose of being here was now destroyed. But he had to comply.
*>Brookie: ... Yes ma'am.*
*>Fae Sol: Good!*
---
And as Brookie heard Fae Sol's words regarding the "debt" the org leaders had placed themselves in, he realized why she had ordered him not to bid.
According to Fae Sol, some of them owed her Silverium, and Hutian Crest even owed her Aurite. Not being a beta player, Brookie didn't even know what these denominations meant, but he was certain they were worth a lot.
He looked over at Jiel who was likely thinking the same thing as he was.
Fae Sol turned to Jiel and said, "You didn't bid, so here's your money back, plus a little extra. Buy yourself a nice meal, hm?" She gave him a sweet smile. "Our business here is done. If you want to keep me on your friends list, that's fine, but I'm not sure we'll meet again."
"... Alright. Thanks for everything. See you around."
Jiel sensed that she wanted them to leave, so he took his two clanmates and headed elsewhere.
And with Jiel gone, Fae Sol turned to Brookie.
"You actually did it, huh?" she asked.
"Yes," Brookie replied. He had successfully followed her orders until the end. No matter how nonsensical they had seemed at first, they made sense in the end.
"Haha, now you know what type of orders to expect from me. I've sent you a guild invite to the Sun Dragons. Join it as soon as you can!"
"Of course."
"Now, are you ready for another mission?"
Brookie almost sighed with exasperation but quickly caught himself.
*So this is the life I'll be leading from now, huh...*
If he told anyone else in his life that a hardened war veteran was taking orders from an underage girl, he was sure he'd be laughed at. But deep inside, he knew this would be the right decision. So he responded with zeal.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Very good."
*>+20 Bronzium*
Suddenly, a staggering amount of money was forced into Brookie's coin pouch. Though he didn't fully comprehend the value of 1 Bronzium, judging by the reaction of those in the auction, it wasn't a small amount. And yet, Fae Sol had casually dropped 20 on him!
"I assume I can trust you with this much?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Brookie replied as if he were addressing a commanding officer.
"Good. I'll be leaving Covan shortly, and I'll need you to use this amount to buy as many Starter items as you can from new players. You MUST make sure that you purchase STARTER items from level 0 players. Once they are level 1, the "Adroit" items will be useless. Let's see... 1 Bronzium for 100 Starter Pellets or 50 Copper for 1 Starter Stick should be the absolute minimum you should spend on them. I entrust you with this mission. Let me know once you've spent the whole thing! Of course, if you can get a good return, I'll reward you."
Another confusing order left Fae Sol's mouth.
1 Bronzium for 2 level 0 players' items seemed like overkill. What value did Starter items have? Brookie was sure they'd be losing tons of money on this trade. However...
"Yes, ma'am."
He wasn't going to disobey.
"Well, if you're ever near Orchid Town, I'll see you there," she said with a casual wave.
And that was the end of Brooks Alacai's first encounter with the enigmatic Fae Sol.