Chapter XXXVII - The Enigmas' Estate

The clerk lead the group out of the office and through the Noble's District. The sun was beginning to set as the orange streaks of the evening gave way to the clear navy hues of night. Servants could be seen carrying small candle lanterns as the street lamps were illuminated creating another sight for the party as the district was lit up under the starry night.

The clerk had lead them through to a large empty estate ground close to the Imperial Palace. "You may enter the grounds and place the Guild Token into the soil and the estate shall spring to life." The clerk said before bowing once more and taking her leave. The entire party stayed outside the grounds of the estate as Marcus entered and pulled out the guild creation token.

He knelt down and held the coin and inserted into the ground. As if the grass and soil was made of water, the coin went in without any resistance. Shortly after being completely encased in the ground, a notification popped up before Marcus.

<Platinum Guild Token Accepted...>

<Please select Guild Name...>

"The Phantom Enigmas" Marcus replied to the AI.

<One moment...>

<Please select Guild Colors...>

"Black, Purple, and Gold" Marcus replied once more.

<One moment...>

<Select Insignia...>

"The Raven" Marcus replied one last time.

<One moment...>

<Guild Successfully Created>

<Please vacate Estate grounds so construction can commence...>

Marcus took a step back as a brilliant white light enveloped the estate grounds reaching into the sky. The ground began to shake as buildings began to magically be built throughout the estate. First was the Guild Hall. The outline of the three story building was filled with a web of luminescent lines as it began to materialize. The building was made of a whitewashed stone with massive wooden beams to accent the edges of the structure. The peaked beams adorned the cascading roof as the basic black banner with golden trim around the edges and a perched raven in purple with gold outline with it's head turned in the center fell on both sides of the entrance, below, two wall braziers were ignited and lit up the area.

Behind the Guild Hall a large dormitory began to form in a uniform fashion with rows of large windows leading to the 980 rooms available inside. The rooms were of a simplistic design with a large dresser and a soft twin sized bed. A small closet was included with an expansive storage chest inside. There were common rooms with large tables and lounging furniture. Near the dormitories, twenty modest sized manors sprung up including one bigger than the rest for the Guild Master. The manors for the leaders of the Guild were fitted with a multitude of empty rooms just waiting to be given designations and purpose.

To the side another door materialized with two more braziers were lit as a pathway began to form towards the next building coming into being as more braziers came to life as the banners fell in place. It was a large two story square block with a multitude of openings in the walls for ventilation and next to no windows. It began to peak as the wooden beams began to form the top of the building. The peak was not as pronounced as the Guild Hall as the workshop was coming to life. Large circular smokestacks appeared and began billowing a light white plume of smoke out of them as the interior forges' flame burst into a roaring fire. The interior was separated by multiple rooms as numerous crafting stations were placed in decorum and were ready for use.

Near the entrance the stables began to spring into shape as the webbing began giving way to a large stable filled with numerous stalls with their own water troughs and bales of hay. Once again banners of the Guild Insignia fell near the entrance. A wide tower shot into the sky and began forming attached to the stables with a multitude of openings as with each floor housing many small cages and larger nests of twigs and loose straws of hay. Opposite the tower attached to the stables an octagon was forming including an extremely large chimney took aflame and increased the temperature in the hatchery to a scorching 38°C (100.4°F,) the ideal temperature for all magical creatures to incubate.

Opposite the Workshop on the other side of the Guild Hall, a circular building was springing forth from the luminescent webbing. It was not enclosed as the other buildings and inside racks of wooden weapons were being generated and filled with the training equipment. Inside the center held multiple sparring grounds and a large range for practice. Another spire split the back end of the circular building as magic runes were engraved in key locations along the spire and soon began brimming with magic energies as they started to glow a faint hue of the corresponding elements.

Soon the brilliant light began to fade and shortly afterwards a notification rang throughout Gaia...

<Congratulations to Nobody for creating the second Guild, The Phantom Enigmas, in Gaia! Upon creation of 20 guilds, the Guild Leaderboard will open!>

+5 Fame!

<Congratulations to The Phantom Enigmas for being the first Platinum Tier Guild in Gaia!>

+10 Fame!

<Congratulations to Mawu of The Phantom Enigmas for achieving the rank of Baron in the Kingdom of Man!>

+5 Fame!

<Congratulations to Lisa of The Phantom Enigmas for achieving the rank of Baroness in the Kingdom of Man!>

+5 Fame!

The notifications rang one after another as the whole group gasped in amazement at their new headquarters. Marcus was the first to step forward and turned around with a beaming grin on his face "Welcome to the Enigmas' Estate!" He said with a loud and proud tone.

Everyone was all smiles and amazement as the followed the cobblestone path that lead towards the entrance to their Guild Hall. As Marcus opened the door they were instantly warmed by the multiple braziers leading to a massive staircase that lead to the second floor. There were doors leading in every direction. Most were empty and housed nothing but a few had predesignated purposes such as a multitude of conference rooms on the second floor, staircases leading to the third floor which held the twenty offices of the leaders of the guild. On the ground floor a kitchen was available as well as servant's quarters. Leading down into the cellar was a massive metal vault meant to house the Guild's treasures.

Everyone had immediately split off and began exploring on their own. Marcus had stopped Raia before he went off and asked that she meet him in the Guild Master's Office later as he had some things he wanted to discuss. She nodded as her crimson hair cradled the petite frame of her face as her green eyes glistened in excitement before running off.

Marcus had been in Guild Estates of this size for most of his previous life so he casually strode up the stairs and around the balcony towards the end of the second floor to reach the stairs leading to the third. After reaching the top of the Guild Hall he went down the long hallway of doors to reach the largest that was made of a dark maroon leather and opened the double doors leading into the Guild Master's Office.

He ran his hand along the one of the two couches that were in the middle of the room with a large glass oval table between them as he approached the dark mahogany desk. It was massive and behind it was an equally massive, gold trimmed with matching maroon leather chair and as he took his place in the chair he sighed in absolute comfort before he began getting to work.

He had been bombarded with friend requests from countless people requesting entrance into The Phantom Enigmas. As the limit was massive, Marcus had many options to choose from. He wanted to create an absolute beast of a guild and work on creating a kinship between the numerous rankers that came and went. He went through his list and accepted roughly 95 of the 200 people in his friend's list.

He was so engrossed with explaining how to get to Sterling City to the multiple races that he didn't notice Naia entering the office and taking a seat on one of the couches in silence and watched Marcus work. He was explaining the trails and which areas to avoid and what troubles they could expect. Marcus even advised them to group up with others from their nationalities to make the trip safer as he handled numerous conversations all at once.

Upon finishing up the last of their new members he leaned back and reclined in his chair and sighed once again as he had finally noticed Naia roughly 45 minutes after she had sat down.

"Greetings Guild Master" Raia smiled at him sincerely, "You said you wished to speak with me?"