After inspecting Crassus's purchases as well as Andrew and Kai's gifts, Dom had a welcoming feast arranged for his new arrivals. Andrew's Mercenaries were supplied with barrels of wine and beer, as well as some food. Crassus arranged for the Mercenaries a couple of new Manor's that were on the outer rim of Riverside as a temporary home, whilst Andrew and Kai themselves were given a small Manor each in the Heroes district.
"The Manor is great, our group will be extremely happy that we have a space designated for us. I was expecting a large barn if we were lucky." Andrew laughed as they had some of the beer from Peruda's Brewery in the Sabre Tooth Tavern. There was a dark and tanned skinned singer performing tonight, singing some songs from her distant home. Andrew nudged Dom as they both looked at Kai who was watching her with clouded eyes.
"I think someone has fallen in love at first sight." Crassus smiled, sat at the table with them and Xun Yu. Dom realised that Crassus and Xun Yu were his in game friends, where as Andrew and Kai his real ones and it was nice to have them all together.
"He doesn't hold his alcohol very well." Dom agreed, before pointing towards Kai's neck, "You can always tell when he's been drinking, his neck starts to go red."
"It's a genetic intolerance they say." Andrew commented, before looking towards Xun Yu that had a similar flare on his own neck.
"I never had these issues at home!" Xun Yu stated when he caught Andrew's eyes, before laughing himself.
"They say that all of the Beauties in Riverside are the Lord's, so your friend shouldn't get too attached." Crassus explained, as Andrew looked at Dom with a raised eyebrow.
"It was a throw away comment that seems to have stuck! I have two wives and that is it." Dom replied in defence.
"Two wives is still a lot of wives." Crassus stated, "A Wife and a Mistress is a different story."
"There is nothing wrong with having more than one wife." Xun Yu laughed, whilst Andrew shook his head as he laughed along. "You have an interesting group of people around you."
"They have very different backgrounds, but they all have an adventurous spirit." Andrew replied as he saw that Xun Yu's tone had just changed slightly, seemingly he and Crassus had been speaking about Andrews Mercenary group during the evening.
"The Lord has vouched for you both, and we will be lenient, but if any of them are suspicious that leniency will go." Xun Yu stated clearly, still with friendliness in his voice. "This may be an adventure for you and your Mercenaries, but this is our home."
"We understand that." Kai explained, turning his face towards them as the singer stepped away from the stage for a break. "Lord Lazarus is our brother, we wouldn't have brought people here who could sabotage what he has built, and what we intend to continue building with him."
"If any of them cause an issue, we'll get rid of them ourselves." Andrew stated bluntly, much to the happiness of Xun Yu who smiled at his response.
"He says that, but I doubt he could take down the Blacksmith Brothers." Dom laughed, "I've seen him fight and that is not his ideal opponent."
"Or the Archer Jade, she is probably the strongest out of everyone." Kai replied honestly, "She has the most experience and seems to move around a fight as if she is seeing things a few steps ahead."
"A true Warrior then." Crassus agreed, before finishing his cup. "I think it is time I depart, I have a lot to organise tomorrow for your return, assuming you all return together?"
"That should be the case." Dom replied as he looked at Crassus who had an understanding look in his eyes.
"We'll make sure the ships and the Warriors are ready." Xun Yu agreed, as he also finished his cup and stood up, with guards instantly reacting at a nearby table to protect their individual leaders on their returns home.
"It's probably best we all get ready to go, I want to inspect my new manor before I log out! I am hoping there will be a Kitten there waiting for me?" Andrew laughed, whilst Kai just shook his head, before turning and longingly looking towards the stage again.
"I've not seen this side of you before Kai." Dom laughed as he stood up and patted his friend on the back.
"You have two wives, Andrew has many situations and I spend my time concentrating on my studies and my future. Maybe it is time for me to enjoy the game for what it is as well." Kai replied seriously, in a slightly overly drunk manor.
"It's probably best that you continue staying as Kai." Andrew laughed as he also patted his friend on the back, "But I am sure Dom can set you up on a date or two."
"I can't but my wife Meritamen can introduce you to some bachelorettes?" Dom asked him, as Kai turned pale and quickly emptied his stomach on the side of the path outside of the Tavern.
After drinking with his friends, Dom headed back to the quiet Palace, his two wives asleep. He realised he hadn't really introduced his friends to them properly and had a thought that he had a lot of relationships to juggle in the game now that they had arrived. Soon he headed up to his own room and after getting undressed, he lay down and logged out.
.....
Dom awoke in his bed back at Central University, his head slightly sore from his in game time. He had a quick shower and got changed, before heading downstairs to see Andrew and Kai's real reactions to their journey around the edges of the Lazarus Kingdom and through to Riverside. He opened his bedroom door, and wasn't surprised to see that Andrew was waiting for him with a large grin.
"You sir, are a man that can keep a secret!" Andrew teased, before heading down with Dom close behind him.
"It has been very difficult!" Dom replied in a less than serious tone.
"I would almost have believed you, if not for the giant grin on your face." Andrew laughed, before opening the fridge to grab something small to eat whilst they waited for Kai. "Crassus and your ships was shock enough, let alone the variations of Warriors that were lined up! How many do you have?"
"At least six thousand, spread across the different fronts. Most are in the south which you haven't seen yet." Dom explained as he went to open up Golden Sun's Blog.
"It felt different to the other cities I had visited, whilst the game has a lot of life to it, the characters in Riverside seemed to have a lot of hope." Andrew explained, as they both looked to the stairs as Kai walked down them holding his head.
"I don't understand how I can get a hangover from a game!" Kai complained as he sat beside Dom.
"It will be your senses trying to differentiate between reality and your subconscious. It will clear up soon!" Andrew reassured him, before winking at Dom who was confused by Andrew's new found knowledge.
"I suppose you are right. We definitely made the right choice heading south!" Kai stated, before turning to Dom with worry in his eyes. "Alice is going to kill you when she arrives."
"I'd like to see her try!" Andrew laughed, "You saw those Batavi Guards!"
"I think she already suspects something, at an Auction I may have gifted her a Halberd. She gave me the 'I know that's you' look." Dom explained, with them both laughing at him in response.
"On a serious matter, how are we going to actually be able to help you, you don't need our help." Andrew asked him as he sat down on the opposite side of the breakfast bar.
"I do need your help, we game so we can play together, now we can." Dom explained seriously, "Between the three of us, four when Alice arrives, we can make the Lazarus Kingdom the best in the game."
"I expect it already is from a Player perspective." Kai agreed, "At least I won't need to fight now, you have enough Warriors."
"I won't, I was actually hoping you could join the Government, using your brain to bring some modern thinking and ideas to the table." Dom proposed, "Hatshepsut is an excellent Hero who could really be helped with some modern thoughts on City Planning. Crassus is a genius with commerce, but he is two thousand years out of date. There are other Heroes like Cicero, Umako, Xun Yu and even the Prime Minister Shang Yang who could all be used better with some of your knowledge."
"I can find out the issues, research here and then return and help them." Kai agreed with greedy eyes. "I have a team, under Arvin, that can help with growing Riverside and your other Cities. I genuinely think that we need a lot more people so that we can spread out across the Kingdom and help in all of the locations. The small team we have created won't be enough."
"That is my constant problem, whilst my Military is growing, the Civil side is constantly on catch up." Dom replied honestly, "We have more Towns we are about to spawn, as well as potentially incorporating one of our southern neighbours in to us after a large battle took place recently. I intend to concentrate on our internal growth after the Battle of Mycale."
"Then what am I going to do?" Andrew asked with a mouth full of food that he had found.
"We are going to explore an underground network in the North West. My General Tomyris is stationed there with a large hidden force. Our intention was to track down the Type 3 Human's start point, as well as raid and gather as many resources as we can." Dom explained to Andrew.
"Raiding and Pillaging doesn't seem the style of Lord Lazarus." Andrew laughed in response, "But I get it, it's a game and that's the fastest way to grow. That sounds like something I can get involved in after Mycale. Or exploring further down the Southern Coast with your Navy."
"I am sure that Fritz will be excited to do that!" Kai agreed with a nod.
"The other option is for you to explore further inland on the River. My General Ling Tong looks after our River Fleet and we have a lot to explore that way as well. He is linking up with General Tomyris to explore that North West direction, whilst General Tomoe, Zhao Yun and Liao Hua are exploring the West and South West." Dom explained to them both.
"Are you just name dropping people?" Kai asked seriously, "Do you realise how many Heroes you just mentioned that are actually well known and probably high grades. Most Lord Class players have struggled to get unknown Heroes, and you are here with Zhao Yun and Ling Tong? You also have Gan Ning, Sun Ce and the two Xun's. Have you had a secret mission in the Three Kingdoms Era?"
"Two actually, have you heard of Golden Token's? They spawn a personal quest which is based in a time zone, we have had a few of them so far, which is how we have gained as many Heroes as we do. Actually it is the reason our army is so big, as we have gained a lot of forces from these quests." Dom explained to them both.
"You have had some good luck." Andrew agreed with Kai. "I am looking forward to logging back in and doing the Battle of Mycale now!"
"As am I, I just can't believe that we start our lessons tomorrow!" Dom replied as the three of them shared a knowing look.
"We won't have as much time to game will we?" Kai stated, the one who normally played the least out of the three of them.
"Possibly, but we may get given work that we can do inside the Game. I have read some notes that some Universities are using the time difference for additional studies." Andrew said with a shoulder shrug, "So we can be hopeful!"