Pillar of Yita

Parker fiddled with the small glass beads on the wooden table, occasionally lifting his head, his dark eyes staring at the opposite side of the inn’s hall. On the stone wall there hung a crocodile head, nailed to a thick wooden board, staring back at him with grey crystal-like eyes.

Xiangzi had previously told him that the crocodile’s mouth moved slightly. Looking at the crocodile’s wide-open mouth with its sharp white teeth, he always felt he was being deceived. The Papalarian told this to the Big Catfolk, but Reed, with one paw holding a pipe, shook his head and sighed at him:

”I really don’t know which of you is sillier?”

Parker, bored, flicked his finger, and the glass bead rolled across the table, dropping into the pocket on the other side, before he lifted his head to look in the other direction. Behind a palm leaf, Fang Hong was talking with ’those people’.

’Those people’ were naturally the group from the Forest.

”If you want to join a Grand Guild, I might be able to help you think of a way,” Fang Hong was saying to the group from the Forest. Not long ago, in the Southern Region, they had helped the Seven Seas Travel Group a lot at Lady Kuisu’s place. Therefore, he wanted to reciprocate some favors: ”However, now I’m at odds with the Descendants of Flor, if you were thinking about ’Ragnarok’ before, there’s nothing I can do, I can only try to find a position for you in one of Silver Weslan’s subordinate branches.”

”That’s the first option.” Fang Hong said. After speaking, he glanced at the group from the Forest. Silver Weslan’s domestic ranking is much higher than ’Ragnarok’, but a subordinate guild is another concept entirely, Silver Weslan’s subordinate guilds are far less famous than those of ’Ragnarok’.

He could recommend the group from the Forest into Silver Weslan’s subordinate guild, but at most they would be only peripheral members. It was just a small favor, given his cooperative relationship with Silver Weslan (the trade between Energy Angels and Self-Destructive Walkers), the other party should grant him this favor.

The Forest group fell silent for a moment after listening, then turned to look at the others. But unlike most people whose eyes light up at the mention of the ’Top Ten’, they weighed the option and had the Forest ask on their behalf: ”Ade, we should be most grateful that you’re finding a way out for us, and shouldn’t ask for more. However, after the Southern Region Alliance incident, we have some reservations about the ’Grand Guilds’, whether it be the Rainbow Alliance or the Descendants of Flor.”

He paused before continuing: ”So may I ask, what is the second option?”

Fang Hong looked at them and fully understood their thoughts, after all, wasn’t he just the same? He could tell that the primary goal for the group from the Forest was still hoping to remain in his team.

Unfortunately, the newborn Seven Seas Traveler couldn’t accommodate so many people, otherwise, he wouldn’t mind.

He pondered for a moment, then replied: ”Do you know the Tabopolis Oak Knights?”

The Forest group was taken aback, then nodded. Although the Oak Knights aren’t as famous as ’Ragnarok’ and Silver Weslan within the ’Top Ten Guilds’, they’re considered top-tier in the second line and originally had the potential to advance to the top-tier, holding some reputation in the national Invoker circles.

Fang Hong then explained the current situation of the Tabopolis Oak Knights to them in detail.

For the past six months, Yugudola and Red Leaf had been busy building up the ’Independent Adventurers Alliance’ that once existed only in concept. In fact, this nominal ’alliance’ doesn’t have a real organization, leader, or core, only a guideline similar to the ”Stargate Declaration”.

In their vision, under this ’guideline’, free Summoners in the alliance could engage in some basic exchanges and mutual aid.

Although currently, the ’alliance’ only comprises a few teams that have spun off from the original Oak Knights, along with a dozen adventuring squads, plus some personnel from a few other Free Summoners Guilds in similar situations, the total scale doesn’t exceed three thousand people.

And these three thousand people are scattered across various places, without even a unified communication method yet established, only contacting through regional leaders. It can be said that everything is still in its early, rudimentary stage.

However, in recent months, some free Summoner teams not affiliated with free guilds have begun joining, and due to the very light restrictions, the ’alliance’ has gradually garnered some positive feedback and voices in the community.

Everything seems to be progressing in the orderly direction that Yugudola had originally envisioned—

In the end, Fang Hong said: ”If you’re not interested in the so-called ’Grand Guilds’, perhaps you could try this approach. This way, you could form your team while enjoying the benefits of the ’alliance’. The ’alliance’s rules impose very few constraints on entrants, allowing you to explore and adventure in this world as freely as the First Generation Pioneers.”

The Forest group seemed to show some interest after hearing the proposal, with Forest turning back to discuss with the others, who also appeared intrigued, engaging in hushed discussions.

Fang Hong wasn’t in a hurry, taking a sip of Hilveld tea personally brewed by Lady Noble, either due to the noble lady’s meticulousness or the superior quality of the tea gifted by Princess Rupert, it made him contentedly squint his eyes.