Phoenix listened to his plan with a look of horror. It was not just wrong—it was terrible.
"We can't submit players to that. They would be howling torture on the forums within the hour. Are you trying to make the guild look bad?"
Astaroth chuckled at her words.
"They can't. Rember? They have to keep quiet about everything they see, hear, and are subjected to. Otherwise, Aces High would have been lynched publicly a long ti ago. That's what I'm aiming for.
"Sothing that will have them fear us much more than they fear the contract and make them understand that breaking it is their best option," Astaroth said, looking her in the eyes.
Phoenix gritted her teeth.
He was right that they wouldn't be able to say anything, at least until the contracts were broken.
But what then?
How many of these players would run to the forums and cry to the world that Paragon had tortured them and forced them into silence? This was precisely what she didn't want to happen.
Astaroth could see the conflicted emotions in her eyes and opened his mouth again.
"Listen. I'm not saying it's the best option. I'm saying it looks like it might be our only one. Plus, I don't want to torture them without reason. They'll have an out at any mont. They just need to break the contract and go to Knights of the Sun."
This was his grand plan.
Since Killi and his guild were technically under his, he could send mbers to them at any mont, and there was no need to kick anyone at all. Of course, Killi wouldn't take them if they still had that slave contract on their heads.
That was why he would offer the carrot, then beat them with the stick until they took it.
Although Phoenix had tried scarring them already, she was not as sadistic as Astaroth planned to be.
"Seriously, though. Flaying them? Isn't that a bit too much? Aren't you scared they would stay traumatized? Or that you will kill them and make them lose levels?" she asked.
"Hey, don't get wrong, taking their levels did pop into my mind. But I'm not evil. This is why I proposed to do this on the training floor, where we can control their respawns and deaths. That way, no one loses levels, and they can't say I'm a tyrant."
Phoenix raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"Do you know the definition of the word tyrant? Because your plan is exactly that. Tyrannical."
Astaroth chuckled.
"I know you don't like this option. But if you want to clear them out while we can, this is the way. Plus, if anyone decides to endure the torture to prove they want to stay in Paragon, then they deserve to stay, and I will personally offer them a spot."
Phoenix was even less sure of that part.
She had vetoed everyone with Morticia, and not one of them had shown strong willpower or traces of a backbone of any kind.
She was sure all of them would start crying out in pain the second Astaroth began hurting them. And with that, she was also sure they wouldn't last long and would accept to break the contract quickly.
But she still felt like this was not the way to go.
"It's too cruel… Isn't there any other way?" she muttered.
"Sotis, cruel is the only way," Astaroth responded, his tone sad.
He didn't want to beco their torntor either, but from the reports he read, this was the only way at it. The players were so scared of being left guildless that anything short of harming them wouldn't steer their minds into breaking this slavery contract.
"Look at it this way. With this thod, we can do everyone at the sa ti. There is no need for tedious etings and long negotiations. It all ends in one fell swoop."
Phoenix finally backed down and nodded.
"Fine. I'll have the mages prepare the room and send notices to all of them. But we aren't doing this today. I'm already exhausted, and this drained the last of my energy," Phoenix said, her shoulders dropping.
"Sure. We can do it tomorrow. There is no rush. We can take it easy for the rest of the day. How about a picnic?" he asked, trying to raise her morale.
"Hah! No thanks. I've seen enough of the woods for one day," she replied, laying back in her chair.
"Who said anything about going out into the woods? I know a perfect spot for a nice, quiet picnic. And it's not too far, too."
She looked at him with a smile.
"You an up there? It's been a while since we've been there… I wouldn't say no to that. Plus, we could ditch the guards while we do it. I doubt Rodney would mind us taking a few hours to ourselves without protection. Even though we already ditched them once today."
Astaroth laughed. It was true that they had ditched them once already, earlier today, when he went after Phoenix. But those were strenuous circumstances, and he doubted Rodney would fault them for it.
Boy, was he wrong.
"No. Absolutely not," Rodney said severely.
They had gone to him, asking to be left alone for a while, since he was in charge directly of their personal guards.
But Rodney was vehently refusing.
"You have already ditched yours once today, Queen Phoenix. Sothing I never thought you would do. But then, the king ditched her once and tried ditching her a second ti, and now, I still don't see her behind him.
"When will you take this seriously? Do you think I instated this guard for fun?" Rodney asked, his face red.
"You know you work for us, right?" Astaroth asked jokingly.
"I know all too well, King Astaroth. But that changes nothing to my duties, which you have been spitting all over, all day."
Astaroth scratched the back of his head.
Rodney took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Listen. I understand your want and need to be left alone for a while. But I cannot accept it. Not after you disregarded my recomndations of keeping by your side already today. You want a nice picnic? Bring them along, I don't care. But they stay glued to you."
Phoenix sighed, but nodded.
"Fine," Astaroth said, his head dropping a bit.
"Good. Now, if you could leave, I have plenty of other things to attend to," Rodney asked them, showing them the door.
Leaving the office in defeat, Astaroth and Phoenix walked toward the kitchens to grab food for their picnic.
"When did he beco so severe?" Astaroth asked with a frown.
"That would be when you went missing for a month, sir," Phoenix's personal guard, Gabe, replied.
Astaroth glanced at him, clicking his tongue.
"It's not my fault…" he grumbled.
But he would have to live with the consequences regardless, so he stopped mopping. At least Rodney hadn't asked them to stay inside the palace.
That would have sucked.
'He'll relent eventually,' Astaroth thought.
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