---Viktor's POV---
I smiled calmly.
"That's not necessarily the case. The talents and flaws of a god-created race are always tied to the god themselves. For example, the Dragon God is famously short-tempered, the God of Life exudes a 'stay away' vibe, and the flaws of sirens, those have to be traced back to the God of Sea. This is the inevitability of fate."
The power the God of Sea used to create sirens largely came from the shared authority of the Water Goddess. Naturally, her "love-struck personality," ahem, traits were passed down to the sirens. A fact I found both amusing and occasionally useful when dealing with their kind.
"Alright, enough idle chatter," I clapped my hands, signaling the daydreaming players to snap back to reality.
"Fortunately, the one attacking you was an adolescent siren, and your immediate countermeasures were effective enough. Otherwise, it's hard to say if I could've brought all of you back in one piece. Keep this in mind next time."
Even an adolescent siren had the combat strength of an intermediate magician. If it hadn't been on land, where its defensive capabilities were weaker, there was no way four rookie players could have overpowered it. I'd have to intervene directly, and that would have been... complicated.
Garble made an "OK" gesture casually.
"Don't worry, Lord Viktor. We treated it like we were fighting you, absolutely foolproof! The captives are probably doomed. We delivered the message, and here's what we found regarding Edgar's whereabouts!" NeverShowOff handed over the materials for three mission handovers.
I reviewed them while nodding, my eyes seemingly fixed on the documents but actually skimming the cached data from the sub-server over the past four days. The four players had performed admirably, and the rewards would be distributed accordingly. Not that I'd tell them how impressed I actually was.
After some thought, he added, "By the way, we reserved a dimensional crystal from the Ship-Carriage Guild. Can you let us go fetch it?"
"Yeah, yeah, we're willing to contribute it to the teleportation array!" Garble chimed in.
I raised my head. "…Do I look that gullible?"
Their schemes were practically written all over their faces. Did they really think I couldn't see through such an obvious ploy?
"Ahem!" NeverShowOff coughed awkwardly, his gaze drifting skyward. "Well…we did pay a deposit…"
Before he could finish, I interrupted, "I could let you go, but that crystal still has about 73 uses left. Not just you. I could take at least 25 people along with you."
From the experiences of the four pioneer players, the defense and personnel search efforts in Nary Town weren't as strict as I had anticipated. The danger remained within controllable limits.
Although there were covert siren forces present, sirens, despite their strength, shared the common flaw of all highly magic-affined species: difficulty reproducing.
And being far from the coast, the number of sirens lurking in Nary Town likely wouldn't exceed ten.
For players, numbers posed a greater threat than individual combat prowess. Significant combat strength differences might kill players, but they wouldn't limit their actions. Thus, the plan to let players out was feasible. They'd need the experience anyway.
"Really?" Voices filled with surprise rose one after another.
I glanced toward the door.
Good grief!
When had more than ten players gathered outside, eavesdropping? These sneaky little...
Once they realized they'd been discovered, the players simply gave up hiding and rushed in one after another.
"Lord Viktor! Count me in!"
"Me too!"
"I knew waiting outside would pay off!"
The dozen or so players chattered like a noisy flock of ducks, giving me a splitting headache. Managing players was like herding cats sometimes.
"There will be conditions for selecting participants."
As the crowd gradually quieted, I continued, "50 slots will go to the top contributors in clearing the Blackrock Toad hatchery."
Over the past few days, while the Blackrock Toad eggs had grown increasingly powerful, the players' enthusiasm for dungeon runs had also surged. With growing experience, they were clearing the hatchery faster and faster. What I had initially estimated to take at least half a month would be finished in five days tops. Their efficiency, at least, was commendable.
"Seven slots will go to players with the highest contribution to the town."
Beyond combat-focused players exploring the wilderness, lifestyle players also played a vital role. Their efforts in transporting Earth technologies significantly boosted Honeyvale Town's construction efficiency. Their contributions were indispensable. Sending them to experience the real culture of Aeltia would be a great reward. And perhaps they'd bring back something useful.
"Four slots will go to the highest-level member."
Strength was a must when venturing out. I couldn't risk losing players to simple encounters.
"And four slots will go to the players with the highest favorability with me, Luminaris, Alyanne, and Hawkes."
Learning to follow the rules of this other world and act appropriately in front of Aeltian natives was also a skill players needed to master. Those who couldn't behave themselves would be more trouble than they were worth.
I watched as the fervent gaze of the crowd gradually cooled. Some looked visibly disappointed.
"Dang it. I just joined the game two days ago."
"Are there any conditions for newbie players?"
"Nope. Grind it out for half a month first, hehehe!"
I ignored the murmurs of quieter players. As I organized the conditions into a new event description, I continued explaining to the players.
"If anyone forfeits or duplicates their slot, it will be passed down to the next eligible member."
"Also, no member has killed a single monster yet."
At these words, the room fell silent. Everyone turned their fiery gazes toward me. I could practically feel the heat of their anticipation.
I gave a slight nod, confirming their thoughts.
"The first member to kill a monster will earn an additional slot for external exploration. This slot allows for team formation but is capped at ten members."
The crowd erupted in even more fervent cheers.
"New players can compete too?"
"Don't stop me, I'm going out to hunt monsters right now!"
"Good luck! Die early, respawn early!"
"Do Blackrock Toad count?"
"Hey, no betraying us to make the iron mine dungeon harder!"
I added the final condition, "Additionally, all participants in this event will automatically receive a main quest to search for Edgar and Claire."
Finding those two was critical, and I needed all the help I could get. But that was a concern for another time. For now, watching the players scatter with renewed purpose was enough satisfaction.
---Third POV---
Claire?
NeverShowOff froze slightly.
Such a familiar name, and it was appearing alongside Edgar's. Could it be that there was a new lead on Edgar's whereabouts?
Unfortunately, there were too many players nearby.
After delivering some motivational speeches, Viktor promptly shooed the players away, leaving NeverShowOff with no opportunity to ask questions.
Left with no choice, he followed the crowd out, deciding to find another chance to investigate later.
On the road, the original four-person exploratory team was discussing the 50 slots and Viktor's last words.
Garble thoughtfully propped his chin on his hand. "Claire… the woman from the same faction as us in the Claire expansion pack. Could the siren be connected to her?"
"Most likely," another chimed in.
NeverShowOff opened his game panel and messaged Hedgehog, who was still in Honeyvale Town, for information.
Hedgehog recounted a peculiar event from the day before, involving a thin, elderly NPC. Fortunately, he had eavesdropped on the entire scene, gathering intel that was even more detailed than the game's official update.
He forwarded it all to NeverShowOff, who then relayed it to the rest of the team.
Garble frowned as he translated the information. "So, Edgar has been missing all this time because another allied NPC, Claire, is trapped in Nary Town. And since the town houses high-level sirens, he can't save her but is unwilling to retreat either?"
NeverShowOff nodded. "Based on the current analysis, that's correct."
Lux munched on her salt-and-pepper potato, her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel's. "But… munch munch… didn't we already search all of Nary Town? There was nothing weird there."
"Idiot!" Child rolled his eyes disdainfully. "Of course shady dealings are going to be hidden. Do you expect them to just come out and announce they're colluding with the sirens?"
He spoke in a tone as if he'd been at the scene himself, concluding with an air of authority.
"There's definitely a chain of interests involved, something that goes against the Empire's usual standards!"
Though he couldn't pinpoint the specifics, it was clear they needed to investigate this further.
Garble nodded occasionally; he had similar thoughts. He proposed outright, "The importance of mainline quests should be obvious to everyone. Exploration and investigation missions are better with more people. We've worked well together so far, so how about continuing as a team?"
NeverShowOff snapped out of his thoughts and agreed. "We might add a few more people, but they're all veterans who'll definitely contribute."
There was no rush to claim slots for himself or Garble; as the top four in levels, they were guaranteed a place.
LootGoblin and Hedgehog should also have no problem securing slots.
But ProGamer_Daddy, who'd allocated his skill points incorrectly, might stay stuck in Honeyvale Town. That meant their team would be short a healer.
Child's combat skills were solid, and recruiting him would be a huge asset.
Lux immediately agreed. "Sure! I've got high favorability with Alyanne over there. Maybe I can snag a slot!"
Child hesitated before slowly nodding. "There's only one new map, so I guess we'll have to focus on the mainline quest for now…"
He preferred solo play and was deeply curious about the Sea of Mist mentioned in the game's official materials. But with limited new maps available for exploration, he had no choice but to take things step by step.
He resolved to unlock more maps as quickly as possible. Fueled by this determination, his motivation burned brightly.
"Grinding dungeons is too slow. I'm going for the First Monster Kill achievement!"
With a wave, he turned and hurried off. Halfway there, his pace slowed, and his brows knitted tighter and tighter.
"Why does it feel like… I forgot something?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Anything worth forgetting couldn't be that important!
He continued toward the church, the busiest hub in the starter town. It was the best spot to set up shop or recruit team members.
---Viktor's POV---
"Ah… peace and quiet at last."
My whole body relaxed, like a weary old man savoring a break. The noisy players had been disrupting my much-needed recovery for far too long.
These 50 slots should be enough to reignite the players' motivation, turning them into my diligent "worker ants" once again. And, more importantly, it should reduce the number and duration of their visits to me. Sometimes I wondered if managing them was more exhausting than any dungeon raid.
Now, only one task remained.
I glanced toward the corner of the garden.
There, Gaeman stood, draped in long, deep blue hair down to his waist. Though his presence was unassuming, he hadn't left, quietly waiting with the patience that only comes from desperation or hope.
I turned and opened the doors to the drawing room.
"Come in. Let's talk, little stray siren."
Click!
Alyanne placed a fresh dish of food on the table. I watched her face as she observed the child devour it, counting quietly to herself.
"That's the sixth bowl…"
Shortly after the players had left, Alyanne, prompted by an NPC notification I'd sent, had delivered the meal. Even though I had warned her to bring plenty of food, she hadn't expected Gaeman's voracious appetite. I had, though. Starving sirens were legendary for their ability to pack away food.
At this rate, she might have to make two more trips. I made a mental note to compensate her properly for the extra work.
Sweetfruits and potatoes were supposed to be filling, yet Gaeman's stomach seemed bottomless, like that of a half-starved stray. Which, I supposed, he essentially was.
I watched Alyanne's eye twitch as Gaeman scarfed down another plate of potato pancakes with minced meat. She placed the last two dishes on the table and slipped out to check if the player-run apartments had prepared any new food. Smart girl, she'd learned to anticipate needs.
At the table, Gaeman clutched his knife and fork, shoveling food into his mouth. As he ate, he sobbed in siren tongue, a language I'd picked up over the years.
"Ughhh… this is food cooked over fire! It's so fragrant, so warm and soft! The little grains inside are delicious, so much better than bread! My tongue feels like it's exploding, it's amazing!"
I couldn't help but smile slightly. This was one of the players' latest culinary inventions, a creative twist on salted potatoes, born after they'd discovered spices to substitute for pepper and other seasonings in the forest.
The players' culinary progress was like a runaway train, producing new dishes daily. Now, their biggest motivation for leveling up and improving their combat power was hunting for meat. It was fascinating how food could drive people more effectively than any quest reward.
Most new recipes were well-received by the town's NPCs, who generally preferred sweet flavors and avoided spicy ones. Gaeman, however, was a rare exception. His first encounter with these greasy, salty, and spicy pancakes had left him completely enamored.
Perhaps it was because sirens, born of the salty sea, had naturally strong palates? It made sense from an evolutionary standpoint.
Suddenly, Gaeman choked and began coughing violently. I handed him a glass of water without hesitation.
"Slow down. There's no rush."
The more he coughed, the hotter his throat felt, tears welling in his eyes.
"What a strange seasoning… it's like some sort of pain-inducing weapon."
But he was finally full. I could see the change in his posture.
After nearly a month of fleeing the Sea of Fog, this was probably the first time he'd felt truly stuffed. The poor kid had been through hell.
Content, he put down his utensils and flung himself at me.
"Viktor, wahhh! I almost didn't make it to see you again!"
I caught him instinctively, feeling the tremor in his small frame. Whatever had happened during his escape, it had clearly traumatized him. But he was here now, safe in my manor, and that was what mattered.