During the final day before his scheduled departure, Cain decided to create rewards for the Guild. A book of [Sundering Lightning] and one of [Noble Steed], both at Ancient Quality, were quickly assembled and passed to Misha.
When and where to give them out was left up to her, but the decision among the Guild Officers was that making them a seasonal award would be best, so members could fully appreciate such a high-powered skill earned through hard work.
Giving them monthly would cheapen the reward, Cid insisted, making them too easy to get. Plus, if Cain were going to be gone for a while, there would be a significant gap before they could obtain more.
Not that the members were unhappy with the quest rewards that they were getting, the system was being very generous with the bonus rewards, but this was a special gift directly from the Guild Master who everyone looked up to as a symbol of power, or perhaps benevolence, depending on how long they had spent around Cyrene.
Cyrene was getting better and better at public speaking and relating to others compared to the mess she was when she first got her sight back. Her Devotion hadn't weakened at all though.
If anything, her increased social skills made her even more determined to have the whole continent see the Darklight Host as the good guys. People you could trust and those you turned to when you needed something righteous accomplished.
The hospitals that they set up in Landis, as well as the capital of Skyview, had been big hits. High-level clerics always have better things to do than wait on the thousands of systemless locals with various ailments and very little money.
Being the only ones offering the charity service full time and not just a few days a month made them a household name, and Cyrene rapidly learned that loyalty was just as important to the Guild's well being as power.
When the local gangs were going to move against the Landis Clinic, not realizing that the cute clerics working as nurses were almost all summons, the local bartender tipped them off before any actions were taken.
The attempt to abduct the sweet faced young clerics was a complete and utter disaster, leading to the survivors and all other members of the active gangs being run out of town. Not only did nobody want to risk the Wrath of the Seraphim Inquisition, but the residents also protected the Darklight Host.
The same was true in Skyview though in this region they were recognized as the wandering helpers. The members have been traveling from village to village, helping out however they can and leading groups of guard trainees and farmers through the local dungeons using high-level summons.
Every territory needed to send recruits for the army, and having a guild going around leveling up prospects for free was very popular with the Nobles. They complained a little that Cain rarely attended court but in general they were happy to accept Svetlana as his substitute since she was doing all the work.
The fact she was a beautiful Kitsune didn't hurt either, especially among the Beastkin Nobles.
Even King James didn't mind the physical absence since Gwen could ask Cain questions anytime she wanted. But these days, his waking hours were full of trying to balance official duties and keeping so many women happy that he didn't have time for such minor concerns.
After all, his own firstborn was only a few months away, and there would have to be banquets, international envoys received, and then a long line of marriage alliance deals that would need working out.
Nila managed to get everything that Cain and the Queen Rose could need for a journey to the southern continent ready the first day that Cain announced his intentions, so the next day was spent just going over the ship's condition and making sure that the Puppets created to crew her hadn't forgotten their training.
But puppets don't forget, so that was mostly redundant, and now that they are Cain's full level, they will be even better at their jobs than the last time she set sail with them.
Cain spent that last bit of time getting to know some of the Guild members better, especially the Bears, who were all specialists of their Clan's strongest aspect. They had a large amount of knowledge on random subjects, and Cain thought they might actually be excellent school teachers.
One thing the Good doesn't really have is an academy. They have a training program for new members, but that is personalized and limited. If they are doing outreach work, and already have hospitals, having an academy here in Long Fang Valley would be a great way to build bonds with others.
Cain suggests the idea to a number of the Bear Kin as well as Cyrene and Misha, who all agree that it is a wonderful plan, and enlist the help of a number of assistants, as well as Princess Manila, who volunteered to design the actual architecture of the campus.
At first Cain thinks they might be going overboard, designating over a hundred unworkable acres in the valley to be the site of the campus, but with the main building, plus dorms, training fields, sports facilities and an amphitheater for others to come watch shows and games, the Gnome assures him that the space will fill up quickly.
Planning all of that with the intention to make it an architectural marvel renowned all over the continent will take months, and finding enough teachers might take even longer. While the Guild Members can lead a department teaching their subject, everyone expects thousands of students to be enrolled once word spreads.
That many children will require them to bring in more hired staff, and expand the actual Long Fang City to accommodate the increase in residents and visitors.
It seems Cain don't need to worry about Misha getting bored while he is gone, there is simply too much to do, and they haven't even gotten in to how they might incorporate the local design philosophy of 'food everywhere'.
That only strengthens Cain's decision to leave half the Companions behind. A few different and trusted subordinates to look after house and home is never a bad thing after all, and the Echoes still haven't quite gotten enough Fae forms to awaken Nila.
The more they explore the enormous Fae dungeon the closer they get though. A few more days might be enough to put them over the top and give Cain a third Mythic companion, as well as reaching level 300.
Once that finishes, they have instructions to explore the various known giant based dungeons. Though Cain is visiting the Southern Continent first, the Western Continent is also supposed to have large awakened areas that will be of great benefit both to Cain and to the Guild's materials supply.
Cain and the Companions set out for the docks with a large entourage of well wishers, stopping in the garden to receive Aggron and Princess Manila, who have just arrived in person to see the location and begin the planning.
Cain suspects much of the motivation was Aggramor finding reasons to not have to watch his grandparents fawning over each other, since he was the one to tell them about the plan when it was relayed to him by Neffie, who he was having lunch with at the time.
It has been days since they were reunited, and the two were still so over each other like teenaged newlyweds. Though, given the amount of time they were apart, that description of their relationship might be fairly accurate.
Once they reach the docks, Cain unwinds Cyrene from around his waist and wraps her around Misha.
"Take good care of her while I go out working, alright? I won't be gone for too long, probably only a few months, and I'll come back with a new class and check on your progress with the outreach program and building the academy. I have already heard many wonderful things about the Guild, so keep up the good work." Cain instructs the Lamia, who gives him a happy Salute.
"Got it, boss. You won't be disappointed. By the time you return, Darklight Host will be a household name all over the continent." Cyrene declares, thinking of the recently unearthed dungeons they have dug up in the desert and the ones the Guild has moved to secure in the former Niman Territory.
At Ancient Quality, and using her Bonded Forces, Nila doesn't even need Cain to Summon anyone to help with the wind and water spells to move the ship through the canal and out to the ocean, carefully maneuvering to stay in the middle with their heavily laden ship.
The Wave Riders visiting Port Nefheim mentioned that the south was short on mines, so they always wanted rare crafting materials and paid top dollar for them. They had an entire gravel pit full of ore at this point, so Nila loaded up the Queen Rose before they left, doing double duty for the Guild.
Seeing the loaded ship moving deep in the water made Cain realize just how much wealth they had accumulated, so he requested that more warehouses be constructed as they expanded the Port area of the city, and made sure that they had at least a few members worth of summons on guard duty around the ore pile at all times.
That was already taken care of, so all that was left was to enjoy the scenery and to wave to the locals they passed.
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