Murmurs rapidly spread amongst the few Natives present, as well as the players who had no idea who Prince Nalafein was. The person concerned walked a few steps forward, giving a slight bow to everyone in the room, before presenting himself.
"Good morning to all of you, ruling force of Stellar Woodlands. I am Prince Nalafein Uuthli'vlos, rightful heir to the Ash Elf kingdom and its crown. I am grateful for being allowed to be present in your meetings, and being treated with a deference I haven't had in a long time."
Heads nodded, and whispers abounded, as some officers started trying to guess why Prince Nalafein wasn't in his kingdom anymore. But Astaroth raised a hand and silence came back almost instantly.
"Prince Nalafein. I am happy to see you are still in good health and good spirits, after all this time that has passed for you. I was apprised of the situation and have come into possession of something that can be the start of your return home if you want it."
The prince looked at Astaroth with anticipation.
"But," Astaroth started speaking again, "Before I give it to you, we must discuss what kind of support I can give to you so that you don't go back with just this, and no way to advance your cause any further."
Prince Nalafein's brow rose, wondering what he meant.
But Astaroth wasn't going to keep him waiting, as he kept talking immediately after.
"Phoenix and I have thought about many ways we could support you from this end of the continent. Our own forces are limited, and we can't send either Native troops or Abnormals either.
"Our next option was to bind some small Abnormal guilds to your cause, through contracts of mutual interests. But the possible dissidence of multiple forces working together made us reticent to go through with this.
"Our next thought is to have a larger force of Abnormals join your cause, but that also comes with inherent risks, if not implanted correctly. But we still both think it is the safest bet."
Phoenix nodded her head in agreement at his words. Prince Nalafein let Astaroth keep his flow, keeping the many questions that were rising inside him for after he had finished speaking.
"And so we are here to discuss which guild we can send to your side that would both help you, and keep in line with our interests as well. Now, I have no clue who Phoenix thinks about, when she imagines such a group, but I have only one person in mind that can fulfill this, and I would like to call them here, if you don't mind."
Phoenix frowned. This wasn't what they had discussed.
She rapidly sent a private message to Astaroth.
*I thought we were going to discuss potential candidates with everyone here before making any other move. Why are you suddenly changing your pace?*
Astaroth was quick to respond.
*I think we can't wait much longer to put this in motion, and I am also sure my choice will align with some of your thoughts. I have already messaged him, and he is on his way here right now, with a small delegation.*
Phoenix wasn't sure she agreed with him suddenly deciding things on his own, but she was also curious who Astaroth called, that he thought would fit the mould so perfectly that he superseded her thoughts.
"While we wait for them to arrive, which could take up to an hour, given I contacted them out of the blue, let us talk about what Stellar Woodlands can concretely do for you, Prince Nalafein."
Astaroth gestured to the prince to sit at the other end of the table. Nalafein nodded, taking a seat, with Gelum'vire walking to his side, flanking him as he always did.
With him seated, they started talking about how their alliance could help each other, in the short, medium, and long term. Talks of economic help, military assistance when possible, and even political backing ensued, taking the better part of a half hour.
Astaroth made sure Brienne, their notary, took notes of everything they discussed, so they could draft a legitimate contract later, when the discussion was over. Astaroth insisted on being present when they assaulted the palace.
He didn't mind not being present for the rest, and leaving all the glory to the prince, but on that last part, he vehemently insisted. He wanted to get his revenge on the damned infiltrator.
Prince Nalafein wondered why Astaroth was being so obstinate on that point, but he didn't press for answers. He would take any help at that step anyway, since he knew that would be the toughest moment of his takeover.
As they spoke of economic help that Stellar Woodlands could offer, Mr. Herman leading this portion of the discussion, Astaroth received a message from the person he invited.
*I have arrived in your kingdom. I should be there soon. By the way, was the escort really necessary?*
Astaroth chuckled internally.
*Yes. You'll understand once you get here. Not everyone gets to come inside the palace these days. Consider yourself lucky.*
No response came back, and he knew the person was most likely denigrating him in his mind. Even if they both respected each other, they stayed rivals, in a technical sense.
***
Near the teleporter, the person Astaroth had exchanged messages with, was looking at the four guards flanking him and his delegation of two players, feeling like it was unnecessary to take these precautions.
Even if he wanted to cause chaos here, he doubted he would do much with just him and two other players. As for them getting attacked, he also doubted this would happen if they travelled alone.
But it wasn't his call to make, as he was just a guest.
He looked up at the gigantic tree over the walls of the inner city, walls he had seen not so long ago, and sighed.
'This place has already grown to this point. How are we supposed to become the biggest guild if every step he takes is the step of a giant?' the man thought, glancing at the outer city around him, which extended farther than his eyes could see in every direction.
He only hoped Astaroth had invited him over with more than just 'a good offer', as he had said in his message. His time was valuable since the update had hit, after all.
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