?Although Kaizen had no desire for an official post or anything like that in any of the major human kingdoms, he was inevitably now seen as an authority figure not only by the NPCs, since he was a kind of hero in their view, but also by most of the human players in all three major kingdoms.
After meeting Quincy Coyle, the head of Mibothen's royal guard, Kaizen found out that there would be a meeting with the leaders of the major local guilds and those from other kingdoms, so that they could distribute the jobs.
Kaizen knew how complicated a meeting with so many individuals with strong personalities could be, even more so for an NPC to coordinate, so he asked Quincy if he could attend. Quincy seemed more than honored by this request and allowed it without hesitation.
So Kaizen waited patiently in the camp's central tent for the meeting to take place, listening to the questions and requests of some of the players.
The sounds of hammers, wooden saws and engaged voices filled the air even at dusk.
And leaning on the large sturdy table with the map, Kaizen gave a few minor commands to those who were willing to help the kingdom. New people were arriving in the city all the time, so it was necessary to set up a kind of blockade, after all, if a city in pieces had to deal with so many new people, it would end up lacking water and food for so much labor. So, however many wanted to help, it was impossible to accept everyone.
Kaizen pondered the need for a balanced approach between restoring structures and ensuring the city's safety. His eyes fixed on the map spread out before him, especially on the main avenue that connected the camp to the city's main entrance. If they could fix it quickly, everything else would be easier. While pondering this and talking to Quincy, Kaizen was interrupted by the sound of the tent's canvas opening.
He turned back and saw a woman in armor with red hair, both almost the same shade. She looked at him, smiled and asked:
"Hey, big guy, are you ready for the meeting?"
Kaizen looked at her with a serious but warm expression and a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Now that you're here, sure."
Then Kaizen left the tent with Bloody Lily and they started walking together towards the meeting place.
"You took your time showing up." Kaizen said and waved to some workers who passed him carrying a thick wooden beam.
She took a deep breath, as if she too wished she'd gotten in earlier. "Yeah, but my department coordinator asked me to give a lesson to my colleagues, and I couldn't ignore it. Anyway, I knew you'd be here when I came in," said Bloody Lily, looking at him and then at the hand beside him.
For a moment, she thought about taking his hand, but backed away because they were in the middle of everyone, except that Kaizen was thinking the same thing and he didn't hesitate. When her fingers intertwined with his, Kaizen turned his neck towards her and saw her face completely red, which made him let out a hearty laugh.
Kaizen and Bloody Lily made their way through the camp, their footsteps echoing on the uneven ground, while dusk tinged the sky with shades of orange and pink. The smell of freshly cut wood and the sounds of hammers echoed in the air.
Blood Lily, with her shining armor and red hair that stood out, was walking alongside Kaizen, and seeing them together like this was comforting for her friends, like Klank, who saw them from afar as he lifted a rock to help some royal guards.
"The main avenue is crucial for reconstruction. If we can open a safe path to the entrance of the city, it will facilitate access for supplies and workers. Let's focus on that at the meeting," suggested Bloody Lily.
Kaizen looked at her in surprise for a moment, and she noticed.
"What? Is that a simplistic view of things?"
Immediately, he denied it with his head. "Of course not. I was only surprised because talking about it was exactly my plan. If we can sort this out, the rest will flow more easily. I was also thinking of organizing night patrols to ensure security while we work. We don't know who else might be hanging around."
"What do you mean?"
Kaizen looked around to make sure no one was listening and moved a little closer to Lily's ear to answer. "I spoke to Charles Richards earlier and he said that the Evolved will want to get in touch. Although I doubt they'll approach me while I'm in this city surrounded by NPCs, players and consequently cameras, it's better to be safe."
Blood Lily seemed to agree, but her expression seemed a little lost as Kaizen explained, as if her mind was elsewhere.
Kaizen frowned and asked:
"What is it? Is there something I should be worried about?"
Bloody Lily nodded. "I'm just thinking about something Surtr said to me just before I crossed the road back to Midgard."
"And what did he say? By the way, you seemed a bit closed off yesterday, so I didn't ask about it, but what happened back in hell?"
"Surtr seemed surprisingly calm and receptive. I guess he still didn't know about the death of his demons, or didn't care. Anyway, as a form of entertainment for him, he put me through ten challenges, physical and mental, only when I finally finished, he told me about the other Gods."
"Gods?" Kaizen stopped walking.
"Yes, Gods, as well as Surtr himself. He wasn't a monster like I expected, he was quite rational, wise and, of course, powerful... He told me to be careful, because the Aesir Gods were dangerous and would try to get in touch sooner or later."
This new information gave Kaizen a lot to think about, except that a part of him was excited, because if the Evolved were as powerful as Gods and if Gods really existed, it meant that even for the Evolved like him there were story missions.