章 21: Incoming Danger
The guild master rose from his seat as he faced the map. "That's not good. Can you draw here the possible location of the giant's realm?"
Bryan complied as he approached the map. The golden light indicated the barrier was still illuminating but he ignored it as he pointed to the location on the map.
The guild master's reaction was unsightly as he estimated the location to be less than a million kilometers from the village.
"That's less than a month of travel with their physique to get from their lair to our village. We haven't recovered yet from that terrible beast tide. Now, we will have to deal with the giants this month. This is just probability. But we need prompt preparations by informing the village chief of your findings."
Langford exuded urgency from his reaction, a fact his brother expected as he was also alarmed by the probability.
"That's still a likely occurrence, brother. We don't know the exact target yet of the giants. There are other towns and cities within that radius." Bryan tried to pacify his brother with his assumption.
"But our village is closer within that radius. I know you don't want us to panic. And that's good. But we need to deliver this report immediately."
The guild master telepathically called his secretary.
After that, Roxie entered the office. "Sir?"
"Prepare the carriage. Also, inform Carlson to meet us in the Chief's office."
"Right away!"
Roxie hurriedly left to make arrangements.
"You're coming with me," Langford said to his brother in a commanding tone.
"No problem. I will have to meet with Brand anyway."
Bryan followed his brother as they exited the office.
The next day…
"Mr. Sigmund, it's a pleasure to have you again in my office." Langford's tall stature seemed to level with Sigmund. But the guild master briefly stooped as he greeted his preferred guest for the week.
"You may call me Sig. I believe we will see each other more often." Sigmund released a brief smile. Langford saw it as a well-intentioned gesture, though there was an underlying meaning to it.
Both gentlemen took their respective seats in the lounge area of the office, instead of the guild master's working table.
"When we first met, I heard from you about the property in ruins near the South Gate. It is also across my shops. I asked around about the incident, wondering why the rehabilitation did not take place. It has been over a month since the beast tide calamity, as I have learned. But there was no sign of recovery in that area yet. What's the village chief's objective on that matter?"
Langford was surprised about the long narration and inquisitive remark. He was about to respond when he was interrupted.
"Sorry gentlemen. Can I offer tea before we proceed with the discussion?" This time, Roxie approached that area, carrying a tray of tea cups and a teapot with freshly brewed spirit tea.
"That would be awesome. Thank you, Roxie." Sigmund bestowed his gratitude in a tone that somehow made the secretary blush.
Langford hid his reaction but he was confused about his secretary's gesture.
"You may join us here, Roxie. I think Sig would want you to write notes of our meeting." Langford informed his secretary to Sigmund's amusement.
Roxie complied as she took a nearby couch to sit at the same side as her boss after pouring the teacups with the liquid.
"I don't mind." Sigmund quipped as he continued. "As I was about to say, I intend to buy that property. If I need to buy all the ruined portion of that property or even that part of the South Gate, then I will. Looking at the ruins across my shop every day becomes more unsightly."
Sigmund grabbed a teacup with polished movement, a gesture that didn't escape the guild master and his secretary. They seemed to form an assumption that the gentleman before them was a noble who escaped from a kingdom and decided to settle in a backwater village.
What they did not know was that Sigmund's sophisticated movement was derived from the time when he was dealing with clients.
Though there were no rules as to the etiquette for lawyers when meeting with clients, the standard would always include sophistication, especially for high-profile lawyers meeting with high-profile clients.
Again, no strict rules were written but for Sigmund, his movement seemed to work in attracting and closing client deals. He might have earned him a reputation for being gigolo-like with his handsome appearance and attire. But he always stuck with the ethics ascribed to him being in a legal profession.
There was a pregnant pause in the discussion as Sigmund waited for the guild master's response.
Momentarily astounded by the intention of the guest, Langford Berry shifted his disposition to a more enthusiastic one as he responded, "That's a surprise Sig!" The head of the guild lightly laughed. "But we are glad to learn of your intention. I was actually entrusted by the village chief to broker the property for a potential buyer. When this parcel of land was destroyed and the claimants were paid by the village, urging them to transfer to another location instead of rebuilding them, we obtain the rights again to the property. I mean, the village chief obtained it as being the largest owner of properties in this village. Administratively, he also has that right being the Village Chief!"
The guild master briefly ceased his speech as he picked up his teacup and drank from it. He then continued, "Before we proceed with your intention to buy, l think it's appropriate for us to narrate the origin of this village with you being the new arrival."
"That seems proper." Sigmund reacted.
"I will impart to you the version based on what I learned from the Village chief himself." He briefly looked at his secretary as he telepathically conveyed his command.
Roxie took a crystal ball no larger than a golf ball. It was blue with a prismatic pattern. As she placed the crystal ball on the table, a holographic moving image formed above it.
Sigmund was not totally surprised by this technology but to think that the guild had possession of this kind leveled up his impression of this village.
While he was watching the scenes from the hologram, the guild master made commentaries as if narrating the segments and happenings beginning from the time the village chief transformed the area of the primeval forest into plains using a tool shaped like a red crystal ball and activating a formation to shield the new property from the invaders.
He learned from the head of the guild about the period the village was formed, which was three centuries ago, using the continent's time cycle. By this time, Sigmund's concept of time aligned with the continent's time cycle.
Hence, the village chief's age was more than three hundred years.
By the moment he migrated to his property within the primeval forest, he brought with him an entourage who became the first settlers of the village.
The chief, together with his family including three concubines, lived in the central part of the property, which he estimated to be more than two hundred square kilometers. It was smaller compared to the island he was born in his previous world. But he noted the level of the Village Chief at that time.
When Sigmund personally encountered the Village Chief, that was during his first meeting with the guild master. The group before his meeting included the head of the village.
He noted the Chief's status before their group's exit.
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