Cole had just finished having dinner with his parents, or was it perhaps breakfast when he logged back in. This time he went straight to the third floor and showed up exactly where he had left off, in front of the pillar that had led him to the fourth floor. There was no fanfare or pizzazz with his arrival, though it still didn't take long for people to start noticing that he had returned.
The Glade was looking a lot better now, somehow there was now a ring of building surrounding dung the central pillar. Obviously there have to had been quite a lot of changes and Cole was more than happy to see what had been done. As it stands right now the best he could was do something else that would take his attention away from the hustle and bustle and wild ride that was the fourth floor. But more than that from then chaos that was his life.
"I see that you have decided to join us." A voice called from behind Cole as he smiled, she shook his head but still didn't turn around as he opened his mouth to reply.
"Farida, it is good to see you again. I see that you guys have done well In making sure the Glade is up and running. Would you mind filling me in on what has happened while I've been gone?" Cole asked as he still observed the entire area, there were a couple of new buildings being built on the edges of the Glade, but above that he could see some degree of planning had gone into it as there was a wide patch of land almost the size of the original Glade that had been left vacant, while the other buildings which to Cole was nothing more than the residential buildings where aspirants live were built from where the Glade had started it's expansion into the former forest that surrounded it.
"I very much mind Cole, especially considering the fact that we removed you from any sort leadership position the moment you ditched us. As it stands you have no say and no power here anymore. You're just a simple Aspirant now, which frankly speaking is what you wanted wasn't it. And don't ever tell me it's good to see me when you don't even have the balls to turn around and actually see me you ass!"
Cole winced as he heard her marching away, her steps heavy enough to let him stomach water. He sighed, it seems as if more and more he just kept on pissing off the women in his life. It that Farida held any sort of importance to him, or rather perhaps she did but it was not to the level that Tehilla held for him. But at the very least she could be considered a friend, and he in turn has been a shitty friend to her. He was not so deep into his bloody edge lord persona that he did not know when to reflect about his fuck ups, he has been a terrible person.
"Don't worry she'll get over it, she along with quite a few people here have been worried about you, especially since somehow the media got a hold of news that there had been an assassination attempt on your life and currently there was no information whether you were still alive or not. I have to admit you had me worried for a moment." Cassandra spoke as she too appeared out of nowhere and Cole signed wondering if they had all turned to Ninjas in the time that he has been gone.
"How are you and Razor holding up, did the Mining colony take you guys in. Last we spoke you told me that you guys have found yourself close to one and we're going to seek refuge amongst them." Cassandra stiffened, then she let out a sigh as she spoke to him.
Apparently the Colony is an offshore project of Highwater colony. They're pirates, or rather the original rule of the colony had been taken over by them and they're currently holding us for Ransom. Lucky enough the ship has not been breached but Raven is trying is hardest to get them to let us go. However since this act of his was unsanctioned by his family, there is not much resources he could bring to bear, the pirates are waiting for you to arrive knowing you would pay sizable sum for our release after they found out that Razor and I were important to you."
Cole raised an eyebrow at that, he was sure it was more than just the fact that they were important to him. He recently had a run in with the leader of the Highwater pirates so most definitely this was also a power play. But thankfully his name has bought them some time, they would be exiting hyper space soon enough as they locate the coordinates of the mining base. Cole nodded his head, then he gestured towards the Glade as he asked.
"So what's the story behind the Glade now, with so many houses popping up, though they look absolutely hideous I'd say there's almost a mad scramble for real estate." Cole said with a small chuckle as he sat on the ground, idly noticing that he was now sitting on a cobbled street.
"As a matter of fact there is a mad scramble, every piece of land within the Glade is up for purchase, we as the council don't have much control over that as it is set by the system. Heck even the very ground you're on had to be purchased from the system in order for the government of the Glade to have a modicum of control and believe me when I say this, it cost us quite the penny. We had to make sure the central area and control of the pillars remained within our control, if you'd notice all of the pillars now form a plaza of sorts which is the seat of the government and any system purchased or built buildings."
"Where is all the money going to then?" Cole asked, because as far as governments go this was not viable, it would mean that there was no circulation and the system would be draining every last penny out of the aspirants. Not everyone wanted to live their lives or for those of them who still think this is a game; would want to spend all their time questing and fighting in order to make a quick buck. And since the leadership of Glade Solitude was responsible for taking care of every single infrastructure within the Glade, they would be required to constantly sink money and resources in order to make these infrastructures are still working and that they can be upgraded.
"The system takes a 10% task from every purchase made through it, but ultimately the rest of it goes into the glades own account. So yeah everything comes right back to the system, the only worry we have right now is that there isn't someone who can raise enough money to pay for land where valuable resources are located, especially since Raven has been pushing every member of his guild and pressuring his family to sink in money that would let him buy the Darkling Nest. If he's able to do that every ore mined from there would be under his control, he would task you for mining and then still take a percentage of the profits from the sale of the ores, in no time at all he would probably end up being the richest bastard within the Glade and since it's now dawning on more and more people that all of these events would eventually turn out to be our reality, everyone is worried about what the future holds." Cassandra said as Cole rubbed a finger under his chin and said.
"You don't say." Cassandra's head snapped up immediately, with absolute shock all over her face. She had thrown in her lot with Cole, so even though he was no longer mayor, on some point she trusted him enough to let him in on the troubles that she and the council were facing. But there in lies the problem, Cole was and is very much a bigger villain than Raven could ever possibly be, plus Cassandra knew Cole never did anything if there was no profit to be gained from it. It's the very basis of their working relationship, profit and the mad grin on his face said it all.
"Cole no! Don't do it, how would you even manage it, you're barely here most of the time and that would make the council and the aspirants here hate you even more. Just ignore all of this and buy land in one corner and not be bothered about anything else." But all Cole could say to her about this was.
"Better me than him right?" and to that Cassandra did not have a single response, Cole was a greater evil, but perhaps he was a necessary one. Cassandra sighed and pointed towards one of the pillars.
"If you're going to buy land then, don't just buy the former Darkling Nest, not too far from it a small forest of renewable trees have grown. That's where the Glade gets most of it's wood resource from, you can also take that as well. The nest already gives stone and ore so you would probably have a monopoly over 70 to 85% of the entire Glade's resources. I guess it's poetic justice really, we vote you out as mayor and then you come and pull the rug right from under us…..Farida is going to flip…. But I guess she'll get over this too." The only response Cole gave her was a wide and sinister grin.
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