"Dynasties Online has two faces."
"One is a face of light."
A face of beautiful castles, ceremonies full of pomp and pageantry and the promise of a new, more prosperous life."
"The other is of darkness."
"A face of corruption, exploitation, greed, hopelessness, poverty and war."
"Few see that the darkness hidden behind the beautiful light."
"But one walk through the slums of the city shows the hidden darkness hidden by the parades of the nobility and the righteous debates of scholars.
Carter Morris, Friend of Reginald Coulan and head of House Morrindia.
….
Only 30 minutes later, Flintorus and Railius came out of the imposing bank, still wearing their hooded cloaks, which were still wrapped tightly around them, obscuring their identity from onlookers.
Anyone familiar with the bank and how they did things would be surprised by the short amount of time that the two cloaked figures spent inside the bank, as usually, it took an hour or two after going through stringent checks to confirm the identity of the people registering there.
A few people who had seen the two enter and leave were gobsmacked at the service. It was evident that the background of these two people was not to be underestimated.
However, like all things in the world, there were exceptions to this rule. As soon as Flintorus took out the token of the crown prince when they were in a room alone with only a representative for the company, Railius was double-timed through the system with the bank manager dealing with them directly, saying how much of an honour it was to serve the crown prince.
Railius even used the name of his soon-to-be company, 'Quintens Quality Wares' or QQW for short, as after leaving the bank, they immediately went to register Railius' company with the merchant's guild.
Do not underestimate the power of royalty for while their power is limited in the modern world. In the medieval world of Dynasties Online, they represent the peak of power. Even if a skilled assassin could kill many rulers, the fact that such a death could result in armies being despatched deters even the most ambitious of people, as wars had been fought for less than the death of a ruler.
This also applies to the banks. While they have lots of money to bankroll different nobles if the king wants them out of a kingdom, there is little they can do about it and losing all the business within a kingdom when the king orders the nobles to seize these locked mountains of treasure.
Who would dare to defy the king's orders and refuse such a big payday?
No one would!
The more righteous of the nobles would execute the royal order out of loyalty regardless of the monetary incentive, while the more morally corrupt ones would drool at the prospect of gaining thousands of gold for them to use in various ways. The most prominent branches would likely even have millions of gold coins in them, which could be utilised to instantly turn someone into one of the most powerful entities within the kingdom.
This is why, despite knowing how much power they held, this bank still had to be careful around royalty and powerful nobles who would not hesitate to use their political power to suppress and eradicate them from the kingdom entirely.
This is all because of one reason.
These nobles held all the military power within the nation, and if they banded together with the royal family, then even an army of 400,000 men may not be enough to defeat them as usually all the best military commanders and experts were controlled by these influential people so even if a bank could buy a large army, they would be smashed when faced with such circumstances.
Either way, within an hour, everything Railius needed to be registered was registered, and Flintorus began to leave now that he had completed the crown prince's orders.
"See you around, Quinten. I hope you take his highnesses offer seriously as it was serious, and it is unlikely that you will find a better lord to serve out there."
"But take your time. I'll wait for your message and will look forward to working with you in the future."
Flintorus said casually as if it were a foregone conclusion that Railius would join Nathia and throw his lot in with the crown prince.
Even though he looked just as tired as before, Railius would no longer underestimate this man, for even with a bad hangover and seemingly half asleep, he still managed to pick up on the critical parts of the conversation between the crown prince of Nathia and himself.
'One really can't afford to underestimate these NPCs."
Railius reminded himself, having to do it repeatedly over his time playing DO because players were used to running around these pieces of code again and again, using all kinds of exploits and out-of-game knowledge of their habits to play around with them as he watched Flintorus leave.
This could not be done as much in Dynasties Online as there was no guarantee that you would face the same boss person or attack variation multiple times, and on top of this, NPCs are as likely as any player to improve over time.
Now that he had used the crown prince to make his company official, he needed to find someone who could be the face of it.
Because of his sensitive identity and the want to have his company used by his enemies so he will know what they are doing, Railius could not be seen as the face of it.
This is because, sooner or later, he will socialise with the upper echelons of the world of DO. Heck, just his actions during the Dynasty History System alone had attracted the attention of one of these powerhouses, let alone what he will get up to now that the game is essentially a medieval sandbox where he can become whatever he wishes.
So he began the search for this helper, deciding to look around the worst parts of the capital city where it would be more likely to find people down on their luck.
As compared to others their gratitude will lay a foundation of loyalty to House Aurellion.
No matter how prosperous a city was, there was always a district or part of it that was occupied by the poorest in the kingdom alongside the scum that thrived in these places of despair, decadence and corruption, feeding off these desperate people and turning them into beggars, thieves and thugs.
All sorts of people could be found here, from refugees with little to offer to merchants and nobles who had fallen so far into debt that this was the only place they could find shelter appeared here. Prayed upon by these vicious gangs who appeared even in the most orderly cities and provided a stark contrast to the large opulent mansions owned by the nobles and the magnificent royal palace that dominated the city, inspiring awe in the citizens who gazed upon it daily, standing as the representation of royal authority wealth and power.
The upper classes and even ordinary citizens looked down on these people as barely human; many did not care that these people were preyed upon because no one came to help them in their time of need, and, in many cases, were forced into their lives of crime as some businesses even refuse to hire them. It got so bad that everyone assumed that people who came from these places were born criminals!
If they were born criminals, then why should they help? Even slaves were better than them!
They never even thought these uneducated people had an iota of potential, but Railius, who had come from a modern world and was not bound by such prejudices, had a different opinion. He knew that talented people could be found even in the worst of places, and this was precisely why he was here to discover the face of his company among these unfortunate people, as they would have to rely on him while also making them grateful to him for getting them out of this hellhole which lessened the potential of any future betrayal substantially.
Despite his cold at times and very casual appearance of a man who could fight wars and send tens of thousands of people to die in battle, Railius was a rather sensitive soul who did not let the brutality of war wear down his compassion.
As he walked down these filthy cobblestone streets, the difference between them and the clean marble-floored bank could not be expressed in words. Railius had to cough slightly to get used to the dirty, pungent smell emanating from what could only be described as a slum.
Perfumed, scantily dressed women beckoned clients to play with them while beggars lay around lying against makeshift housing, their legs covered by whatever was found in the streets. Some of the houses did not even have a door or a proper roof. Railius had thought that because it was a game, such scenes would not be present, but when the game developers promised another fantasy medieval world, they really meant it!
Railius even sighed when he saw a player enter a room with one of these women of the night. The only reason he knew this person was a player was that he overheard the man saying NPC language that only players would use. It was as if the notion of blending in was foreign to him.
'Why is it some men think only with their cock?'
'Even in the virtual world, there is no escape from the horny simps.'
Railius thought to himself while sighing loudly, despairing at some of the moral degeneracy that seemed to plague society no matter how advanced or progressive it got.
There was one unfortunate truth about Dynasties Online. Not only would it replicate the stunning castles and pomp of the medieval world, but the vicious, barbaric side of it as well! The poverty, danger and squalid conditions of some people who lived in this world would make even some of the hardest individuals retch, let alone a university student like Railius.
Apart from the bloody wars that could scar someone for life, this was another reason for all the legal documents that had to be signed and the strict age restriction for players of the game.
Railius was walking with 3 armed men, each wearing a cloak with a hood. The huge Morningstar-wielding half-elf's imposing bearing helped ensure that no one but the most arrogant criminals stayed far away from them, not wanting to provoke the massive, spiked steel that could crack skulls with a single swing.
Walking down the streets, a child passed by only to be stopped by the ever-vigilant Jordis, who quickly grabbed the small girl softly by the arm. In the small hand of the now pale and shaking girl was a leather poach.
It was a coin purse and jingled slightly as the gold, silver and copper coins moved around the bag.
Railius' coin purse.
The child a little girl had a look of fear clear on its face as Jordis' vice-like grip grabbed her arm and she instinctively let out a small scream but no one came to help the little thief.
"Let her go!"
Railius said in an authoritative voice, ordering his man to stand down once he saw that it was a child that he was holding, surprising the small girl.
Usually, the people whom she tried to steal from and caught her beat her slightly before taking back their belongings and carrying on, usually not reporting her because this event was not worth their time. As a result, they forgot about the small street urchin or tried to rob them.
But this time, it was different, and she was surprised when the well-dressed young man, who had far more means than she did, slapped his friend's hand away and then knelt in the mud and squalor of the streets that were her unwilling home to get down to her level.
A kind smile was on his face, something she thought she would never see in this place.
"Are you ok? Why do you steal?"
Railius asked, only to get silence from the frightened girl. Instead, she just looked at some dirty-looking thugs who were wielding what looked to be makeshift club weapons that they used to beat their victims into submission.
While he tried his best to keep a low profile, he was not heartless enough not to help a child in need. It did not take a rocket scientist to get the implied meaning of the gaze despite it being seemingly innocent on the child's part, whose eyes were pleading for help as she gazed at the thugs who just seemed to mind their own business for which thug would attack a man guarded by three armoured men for a small child?
It's not like they cared too much for her anyway, as there were hundreds of potential replacements, and there were always kids down on their luck willing to do such things for a bite to eat or shelter from the harsh elements.
Her clothes appeared to be nothing but ripped rags with patches sewn in on various fabrics to cover the rips, allowing the girl to blend in with the other vagabonds. It was apparent that she had nothing else to wear; however, looking closer, these ripped clothes did not look to be made out of the ripped, poorly sewn linen that the rest of the beggars and residents of the slum wore; instead, they seemed to be made of finer material speaking of a background that was out of the ordinary for the usual slum dweller.
"Jordis, what do you think of her clothes? They don't seem to have been made from cheap materials, at least originally."
Railius asked his friend, who quickly understood what the young lord meant; however, the child looked at the two with fear, realising that the help she usually received from the thugs was not coming as she couldn't even summon the courage to run.
'Do they want my clothes?'
'Why would someone like them want my clothes?'
The little girl thought as she looked at these men who seemed more concerned about her clothes than the person wearing them, worried that they may ask for them, not that they would be worth much in their current state as she had been wearing the same set of clothes for months by now as many others did in this god-awful place.
Railius came from a noble background, so it was not hard for him to notice these small details usually overlooked by others. However, the young player had already accessed several of his memories. Once accessed, unless he remembered them himself or another related thing came up that would make his character remember them, they would forever be sealed afterwards.
This system was in place so that the players could not just have their own encyclopaedia of information; instead, like they would in real life, each memory had to be remembered by the players themselves. As a result, it was not uncommon for some to be forgotten entirely due to the passage of time.
One year in Dynasties Online was like six years in real life. As a result, it would not be uncommon for humans who live for 70-80 years in a modern country to be able to play the game for 50 years, if not longer, depending on how old they were when they joined the game. That was equivalent to nearly 420-480 years of dynasty history within the game some countries have not even lasted that long.
It is almost impossible to expect anyone to remember events that happened over a 400-year period in-game while dealing with all their real-life issues, so it would be normal for players to forget certain things they had done and enemies they had made.
Because of this, he decided to ask Jordis, who had grown up with him and had the same educational standerds as he, about this fabric to confirm his suspicions.
"It is not something that someone without a decent background can afford."
Jordis said concisely after looking at it a bit more closely.
"Norfaelor, please deal with the onlookers. Try to be peaceful, but don't be afraid to use force if necessary. They are people who would threaten a family, after all!"
Railius said darkly, his eyes only glinting with killing intent for a moment, motioning his head to the few thugs who were still watching the situation unfold by leaning on a dilapidated makeshift slum house. Norfaelor nodded and grinned, throwing his large morningstar to Vegrif, who barely caught it, beginning to head towards the smug-looking thugs with a swagger fully in his element.
One look at the situation and frightened little girl who could not be more than ten years old was all he needed to figure out what was happening. Those men obviously came from a gang of some sort and were threatening the child and her family to steal for them, introducing them to a life of crime that few could ever escape.
Not only were children small and so it was easier for them to slip away, but even if they got caught, the most they would get is a slap on the wrist as few people would be cruel enough to call the guards on a desperate little girl allowing these gangs to make money from stealing from wealthy and influential people like Railius with few if any repercussions.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Are your parents around?"
Railius asked kindly, looking back at the child with the same kind expression before he looked over at those thugs. Even if this child had no family, after doing all this, the least he could do was get this child out of this shithole to prevent any potential backlash from happening to her.
He didn't even consider those thugs anymore. He trusted his subordinate to persuade or, more likely, in this case, beat up these gang members, ensuring that they would not be a problem for a few days.
"I-I have a father at home. He is sick….. I only took your money because I need it to buy him medicine. And those men promised to keep me safe for a cut of my earnings."
The girl began with a stutter before getting depressed at the mention of her sick father and looked down guiltily when talking about the reason for her actions, knowing that they were wrong even when done out of desperation or to save a loved one.