As evening approached, Loughshinny led the players and the operators from the Venus down to Lungmen Airport. From there, they made their way to Tomorrow's Development's base camp in the Lower District.
Felix finally met the Brotherhood members who had been providing support behind the scenes, quietly aiding Tomorrow's Development all along. Aside from a few who had logged out to eat or shower, nearly everyone was present. Felix looked at each of them in turn, his gaze passing over every face as though he intended to engrave their appearances deep into his memory.
"Mr. Han, Shroud, Raph. You three have worked hard."
Felix patted their shoulders, his tone warm and gentle. The three players were filled with emotion. Who was he, and who were they? To be treated so personally by the leader of a major power, a king in all but name, stirred something profound in them. A warrior would die for one who truly understood him.
"I know that for the Brotherhood's adventurers, surviving on Ursus soil has been extraordinarily difficult," Felix continued. "But those days of hardship are over. From now on, you will join Tomorrow's Development as members of this greater family."
He went on, "That said, I believe we can preserve the Brotherhood as an organization. Terra is vast, and while Tomorrow's Development is a rising star in the field, it is also an official force of Kazdel. I believe I should grant adventurers greater rights, one step further than before."
"In the future, adventurers may assemble freely and form groups as they wish. Outside of wartime, they may establish their own guilds and organizations, invite others to join, and apply to Tomorrow's Development for development funding based on their numbers."
This declaration effectively brought player guilds and assemblies into the open. Felix understood that players preferred to game alongside those close to them. After all, he was one of them.
Previously, players had guilds of their own, but none were recognized by the system. There was no true guild system, only a corporate one. Until now, professional teams managed their organizations by breaking responsibilities down to individual executors, who then relayed commands to affiliated groups.
This new system, however, was equivalent to granting players the right to establish subsidiary companies. The parent company would still be Tomorrow's Development, holding the majority of shares and absolute authority, while maintaining an independent and complete corporate management structure. These subsidiaries would enjoy considerable autonomy and flexibility in operations. Naturally, all player-run subsidiaries would still be subject to Tomorrow's Development's oversight and must comply with its overall strategy and interests.
Mr. Han listened with only partial understanding. Raph scratched his head. Shroud, however, grasped it immediately, his eyes shining with fervor. This was encouragement for players to go all in and build something grand. Tomorrow's Development truly lived up to its name. Only an organization like this could win players' hearts so completely. The freedom it offered was unparalleled.
"If anything is unclear, you can ask Mountain," Felix said with a smile.
At the same time, his words were released as an official announcement on Tomorrow's Development's faction bulletin.
At first, many players did not quite understand it. But once a few veterans with workplace experience explained it, the reaction exploded.
"What… does this mean?"
Yanfei stared at the announcement, puzzled. She turned to her close friends beside her. "Xi Yiye, do you get this?"
Xi Yiye seemed to realize something and let out an impressed sigh. "As expected of the Pioneer."
"Go on," Yanfei said, gesturing for her to explain.
She cleared her throat. "Our affiliated guild is called Yanyu Pavilion, right? Every time we organize or gather, it's a hassle. We act under that name, but within the game it doesn't actually mean anything."
"What the King of Dawn is saying is that we can establish a subsidiary company named Yanyu Pavilion and pull all our affiliated guild members into it. Management and planning would become much easier. And from the looks of it, the King of Dawn wants to give us more freedom. That also means we can operate more activities as a company, like selling goods or other commercial ventures."
"So as long as it doesn't conflict with the parent company, Tomorrow's Development, we can do it?"
955 leaned on her massive shield. "I'll ask Mountain later. I've got a pretty good rapport with him."
"Then I'll ask Brother Felix… ahem, I mean, the King of Dawn."
Yanfei's cheeks flushed slightly as she coughed. Her affinity with Felix was indeed high, nearly forty already. At that point, could they be considered friends?
With the chatter done, Yanfei returned to her decisive demeanor as team leader. "I'll log out later and inform the coach. He can contact the leaders of the affiliated guilds and have them assemble people to establish the subsidiary as soon as possible. As for the company's location, I think that deserves careful discussion."
Xi Yiye added, "To support both a pro team and a guild, only a commercial-type company would really be sustainable, right?"
Yanfei nodded. "I'll make that clear to the coach."
With that, she logged out.
The camp erupted into chaos. Players rushed about spreading the news, calling out to one another in excitement. Small guilds banded together, preparing to establish modest companies of their own. Medium-sized guilds began debating whether to recruit more players, reasoning that greater numbers meant greater strength. The least perturbed were the professional team players. Their teams already had affiliated guilds, albeit unofficial ones. Now, it was merely a matter of adding a formal title.
A single piece of news had shaken the players to their core. In no time at all, a crowd gathered around Anthony. Felix had already shared similar ideas with him before, and discussions had taken place among the upper ranks, so Anthony was mentally prepared for this moment.
The adventurers were in complete disarray. The children from Chernobog and Lungmen watched the lively scene unfold. Some thought of homes they could never return to and silently wept, while others grew sullen and withdrawn. Such things were unavoidable. For children who grew up too early, maturity was always accompanied by pain.
"The Ursus authorities are planning to build a New Chernobog near the original site?"
Felix looked at Loughshinny. "That news came rather quickly, didn't it?"
"Our reconnaissance team noticed signs this morning," Loughshinny replied. "Based on their assessment, construction may begin by the end of this year. Ursus has gone through so much turmoil, yet Reunion, which should have become the target of universal condemnation, managed to reach Lungmen successfully."
She sighed softly. "The cities Talulah chose to strike were all precise targets. Both the old and new noble mobile cities were attacked, though some suffered only limited damage. This has led the two noble factions, who were previously locked in fierce conflict, to start watching each other's misfortune instead."
"And Talulah herself? How has she been these past two days?" Felix asked.
"She's calmed down," Loughshinny said. "She wants to see Alina, and she's also requested to meet you."
Her voice softened, and she let out another sigh. "I never imagined there would still be another Draco in this world."
"Are you certain?" Felix asked.
"Yes. When Folinic examined her body, she detected abnormal energy. It's different from Originium Arts. While Talulah was unconscious, I sensed and tested it myself. Her flames are not Arts, but fire that exists as part of her body."
Seeing that no one else was around, Loughshinny quietly leaned against Felix's shoulder.
"My sister's only true rival is you," she murmured. "And given Talulah's temperament, forcing her to become some kind of king would be more painful to her than killing her."
Felix gently patted Loughshinny's head. "Once this matter is settled, it will be time for us to head to Victoria and bring things to a conclusion."
"But… I'm worried my sister might act against you," Loughshinny said softly. Her eyes glistened with moisture. "My sister has always been decisive, ambitious. I…"
"I don't care about the throne of Victoria," Felix said with a smile, reassuring her. "If she wants to fight for it, then let her. Besides, we still have the rightful successor of the former Victorian king, Siege, and you as well, another Draco."
"I… I don't really care about the throne either," Loughshinny whispered.
"If you became queen, you would be a gentle ruler, a wise one," Felix said warmly. "Perhaps Victoria is precisely lacking such a king."
Loughshinny lightly pecked Felix on the cheek, then quickly stepped away. She still had matters to attend to, and Felix's words left her heart brimming with sweetness.
As the leader of a major faction, Felix scarcely had a moment of freedom. The next instant, guests from Rhodes Island arrived. Seeing Amiya running toward him, Felix crouched down and opened his arms, lifting her up into a hug.
"Hehe, did you miss me, Brother Felix?" Amiya asked cheerfully.
"Of course. Amiya is so cute and well-behaved," Felix replied with a smile.
He gently stroked her head. Amiya let out a soft, contented hum, her ears drooping lazily.
The Doctor stepped forward, seemingly intending to join in for a hug as well, but halted under Kal'tsit's merciless gaze.
After rubbing Amiya's ears once more, Felix set her down. "You've worked hard. These past few days haven't been easy, have they?"
"Mhm… ACE has been leading the newly joined adventurers and operators around to familiarize them with the terrain," Amiya said. "Scout and his reconnaissance team have had it the hardest. Their routes are the longest and most demanding."
She added, "The Doctor helped a lot too. There were several times when ACE's squad encountered Reunion's infected units, and it was the Doctor who coordinated the response."
At that, the Doctor straightened proudly.
"The Doctor truly has a talent for command," Felix said with a smile.
Kal'tsit's brow twitched subtly upon hearing this. She quietly studied Felix's expression, aware that such words might carry hidden implications.
Unfortunately for her, she discerned nothing at all.
She sighed inwardly. At some point unknown to her, Felix had grown into a man she could no longer fully see through. It was unexpected, and a quiet reminder of how unpredictable the world could be.
"Since you're here, enjoy the New Year," Felix said with a smile. He gently patted Amiya on the head, then crouched down and pointed in the direction where W and the others were. "They're over there."
"Okay! See you later, Brother Felix!"
Amiya left happily with several operators in tow. The Doctor glanced around, then sat down at a table, preparing to act like a clay statue. Being in an unfamiliar place, she preferred instant noodles in her own room to awkward socializing.
"Doctor, you're not going to chat with them?" Felix asked.
The Doctor blinked at him. "Uh… I'm not very familiar with them."
"No one starts out familiar," Felix said. "You could try talking to some of the younger operators."
He gestured toward Siege, who was chatting with Instructor Dobermann and several others.
The Doctor froze at the sight of Dobermann, as if she had just seen a ferocious beast. No matter what, she refused to go over.
"…?"
Felix looked at the Doctor in surprise. After losing her memory, why was the Doctor both socially anxious and gloomy? Could there really be Bocchi-chan hiding under that mask? No way. Seriously, was the amnesia that bad?
"…Felix, I need to talk to you," Kal'tsit said.
"About business, or…?"
"Business."
Felix glanced at the Doctor, then nodded to Kal'tsit. "Let's talk outside."
Once the two of them left, the Doctor finally relaxed. She slumped shamelessly in her chair. Kal'tsit felt like a mom to her, and Felix… a dad? No, no, that was impossible. A boyfriend would make more sense, if anything, hehe...
Felix and Kal'tsit walked down the stone steps together, their gazes directed toward Lungmen's city district that night. On the final day of the festival, the upper administration had lifted the curfew. People filled the streets, savoring a rare and hard-won holiday.
"Business… what exactly do you mean?" Felix asked.
"The equipment used by Rhodes Island's action teams is still too outdated," Kal'tsit replied. "We'd like to purchase some of the surplus or unused items from Tomorrow's Developments."
"We only have obsolete products, never defective ones," Felix said calmly. "If it's a business matter, you can speak with Mountain."
His eyes shifted slightly. "If I remember correctly, Rhodes Island doesn't have much spare capital to spend on equipment right now, does it?"
"…So you already know," Kal'tsit said.
"As one of your shareholders, how could I not?" Felix shrugged. "As for why you called me out here, I'm not sure whether you truly wanted to discuss this, or whether you were trying to keep me away from the Doctor. I'm inclined to believe it's the latter. After all, with the Doctor's amnesia… who knows?"
Kal'tsit bit her lower lip.
"As a Teekaz now, how much do you know about the previous civilization?" she asked.
"A civilization long since destroyed," Felix replied. "Some chose to preserve it, others passed their will on to future generations. We are merely pieces placed upon a board, not moved according to our own wishes. But now that the previous civilization is gone, how those pieces move should depend on their own will, shouldn't it?"
He smiled faintly. "The past is the past. It's nothing more than background setting. I care only about the future. Doctor Kal'tsit, I don't care about your past, nor do I intend to pry into the conflict raging in your mind right now. What I hope is that we can walk forward together, no matter how it ends."
"Rhodes Island and Tomorrow's Developments are already inseparable strategic partners," Kal'tsit said calmly.
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