Chapter 22: cooperation

During their last meeting, George had told Smith about the existence of Legendary-Titled Queens they exist but they they are can be said to be one in a million players.Although Golden-Titled Queens were exceedingly rare, they could still be found within major factions—usually summoned by high-ranked players when summoning other Queens or upgrade their initial Queens. Thus, while a Golden Title was a prized asset held primarily by large organizations, a Legendary Title existed on an entirely different level.

​The primary reason higher-titled Queens were so critical—especially at lower ranks—stemmed from the nature of dungeons. Higher-rank dungeons were far fewer and significantly more dangerous while Many special or "One-Time Dungeons" low ranked Dungeons remained uncleared simply because lower-ranked players lacked the raw strength to survive them.

​Furthermore, moving up from one rank to another required passing a mandatory Promotion Trial. During this trial, the interface generated a specific dungeon-like environment, forcing a party of three candidates to clear it together to advance. These trials were notoriously brutal—a one-way road where failure often meant death.

​Because of this, descendants of powerful families preferred to pair themselves with players who possessed exceptionally high-titled Queens to guarantee their survival and success.

​While Golden-Titled Queens were rare, Legendary-Titled Queens were near-mythical. The gap between the two tiers was immense. The mere appearance of a Legendary-Titled Queen was a monumental event—one that would compel top powerhouses from the capital to travel personally just to secure her master.

​The representatives sitting around the table realized this instantly. They knew this was no longer something they could decide on their own, nor could they afford to delay.

​As of right now, they were the only ones who knew about the emergence of a Legendary-Titled Queen. If news got out, high-ranking powerhouses from the capital would arrive within the hour. Before these local representatives could even call their superiors for authorization, Smith would be swept away. Capital powerhouses could offer far more on the spot than local envoys ever could. If they didn’t act immediately, the ultimate prize would be snatched right out from under their noses.

​Unable to keep his composure, Peter Brown sparked an immediate commotion, and the entire room erupted into heated debate. This time, George didn’t try to stop them. This was the exact leverage he had intended to create.

​In truth, George could have taken Smith straight to the capital to secure a far more lucrative contract. However, the capital was a hornet’s nest of political intrigue and factional power struggles. George wanted to protect Smith from being dragged into those high-level schemes, which was why he had arranged this private gathering instead.

​As the shouting continued, Peter was the first to cut through the noise and address George directly.

​"George! I know you didn’t call us here just to brag that you found someone with a Legendary Title," Peter said, trying to keep his composure. "To put it bluntly, I want to know your angle. If you truly wanted the best contract possible, you would have already taken him to the capital, where they have far better resources than this second-tier city. Forgive my bluntness, but everyone sitting here represents secondary forces. You didn’t call us here just to watch us fight over Smith—you clearly have something else in mind."

​Silence fell over the room as Peter finished speaking. Impatient as he was, Peter was still the son of a patriarch, and his logic was sound. If George’s sole goal was maximizing profit, he could have met with each representative privately, leveraged their offers against one another, or gone straight to the capital. Since he had brought them together like this, he had another plan.

​George nodded approvingly. "As expected of the Young Master. It’s true—if I only cared about maximizing immediate gain, I would have gone to the capital. But my friend Smith here has no desire to get entangled in heavy political schemes. Still, I couldn’t let him take a loss on my account, which is why I invited all of you."

​George looked around the room and continued, "Every faction present here today has prior connections with me, and I consider you all allies. That is why no official government forces were invited."

​Seeing that he had their full attention, George laid out his proposal without further suspense.

​"What I need is simple. If you look closely, every force in this room already maintains a certain degree of mutual cooperation. My proposal is that you work together to share the responsibility of supporting and protecting Smith. While this may not form a full-fledged alliance among your factions, it will allow Smith to act as an honorary guest who receives favorable conditions from all of you."

​He raised a hand to forestall any immediate objections. "As for which specific family secures his direct contract as his primary host, or how tasks are issued to him—I won’t interfere in those details. The final decision rests entirely with Smith. My only role was to present him to you; I am not making the choices for him. Discuss it among yourselves and present your final offer to Smith. If he is satisfied, you can sign the contract. If he isn’t, I will simply find other partners."

​George stood up from his chair. "And with that, gentlemen, I will leave you to it. My friends and I will step outside to give you space to negotiate."

​George, Smith, Brian, and Jack exited the hall, leaving the representatives behind.

​Once the door clicked shut, a heavy silence fell over the room.

​Even though this was a joint effort among multiple factions, the single family that secured the direct, primary contract with Smith stood to gain the most. Any other faction wishing to issue tasks to Smith would still have to go through that primary contractor, effectively turning that family into the sole gateway to a Legendary-Titled Queen.

​As for the resources required to support Smith’s growth, none of the representatives considered that an issue. A Legendary-Titled Queen possessed astronomical potential; no single family’s standard resource pool could fully satisfy her development anyway. Combining the resources and networks of all the factions present was actually the most logical path forward.

​The representatives exchanged cautious glances.

​Finally, an older man in a tailored suit broke the silence. He was a senior steward representing the Frost Moon family from a neighboring city—a figure who held considerable authority despite his title.

​"We represent different factions," the steward said calmly, "and every single one of us wants to be Smith’s direct contractor. If we argue individually, we’ll get nowhere."

​Knowing the stakes and the strict time limit before news leaked to the capital, the representatives quickly began laying out their terms and negotiating terms of joint backing.

​Half an hour later, the factions reached a preliminary agreement. Satisfied with their consensus, they opened the doors and called George and Smith back into the room.