CH.306 Test Guest is a Criminal
<span style="font-weight:400">The next day, I came to pick up Tray, as well as few of his … servants, from the front of the nken Company mansion where I met him yesterday. I was somewhat hoping it would only be him, but I’ll have to ept that important people will bring servants with them everywhere.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Lord Wood. I don’t mean to question you, but are you certain we will arrive as quickly as you said? I do not believe your house is in this city. There is no way we can make it to another city in just an hour.” Tray asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, it won’t take an hour. Also, you won’t be needing that carriage.” I told him. Tray had prepared his own carriage, but as you very well should know, you can’t reach HomeBase on a carriage.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then how shall we travel if not in a carriage?” Tray asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, don’t worry about that. I already got it covered.” Too bad I’m not using Covered Core for this, or that would have been extra funny. “Tetran, give us a beam.” I said to my Founder’s terminal, as if I was using it tomunicate with someone.
<span style="font-weight:400">Soon enough, two beams of light shot down from the sky above. They were the teleportation beams of B.E.S. Tetran. I was using Tetran specifically, because out of all of my B.E.S. monsters, it had thergest inside space.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sir Tray. If you would. Your servants should enter the other one.” I instructed him, as I entered one of the teleportation beams.
<span style="font-weight:400">At first, Tray looked doubtful as anything, but I let one of his servants ride the teleportation beam both up and down for reassurance. The servant then said something to Tray, and he then agreed to enter with me, while the other servants entered the other beam.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Tetran, teleport us up.” I again verballymanded my ship. All of the verbalmands were just a show for Troy, so I could hopefully fool him into thinking all of this is more natural than it really is.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Wh-what is this ce?” Tray asked, after he took a look at his surroundings.
<span style="font-weight:400">“B.E.S. Tetran.” I answered. “It is one of my airships. Wee aboard.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Airship? I didn’t know you had one… Did you say one of them? Does that mean you possess multiple airships, Lord Wood?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. Tetran, Big Core, Covered Core and Crystal Core.” I just answered. This was another bait. I want him to think I have way too much stuff and get him to think he can maybe get something amazing from me with just money, or maybe some not so legal product.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How did we get on board?” Tray asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is just simple teleportation magic.” I just stated, as if it was the most casual thing ever.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Te-teleportation magic? Isn’t that just a legend?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, as you just experienced, it isn’t. Teleportation is real.” I told him. “This way, please.” I asked him to follow me.
<span style="font-weight:400">We quickly ran into the somewhat confused group of Tray’s servants, who were being taken care of by Ria. Well, more like she was guiding them to their seats.
<span style="font-weight:400">After we passed them, I took Tray directly to the bridge of Tetran. Alice was there waiting for us, as I’d left her in charge of looking after the ship, while I was on the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee aboard, Sir Tray. I hope the teleportation didn’t leave you overly disorientated.” Alice said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Lady Alice? No. It was… quite nice.” Tray answered her, after seemingly being confused for just a second.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh. I’m d. It can be just a bit disorientating when you experience it for the first time.” As Alice said that, she rose from the captain’s seat so I could take it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks for taking care of the ship for me.” I thanked Alice, as I gave her a little peck on the cheek.
<span style="font-weight:400">As I took my seat, Alice showed Tray to a navigator’s seat, so he would have a good ce to sit, while also being able to look around. All of this was again just a ploy to make Tray drop his guard. It will be a lot easier to mind control him if he does. And we don’t even need to, if he slips up and admits to his crimes. And between the security cameras around HomeBase, as well as Tahlia always recording everything I see, if he says something stupid, we can and will use what he says against him.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay. We are here.” I announced, as we pulled up above HomeBase.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Lord Wood. I don’t mean to question you, but I don’t see anything.” Tray said, as he was intensely looking at the monitors disying the outside of B.E.S. Tetran.
<span style="font-weight:400">Of course you can’t see anything. HomeBase is invisible to all but the most trusted.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That is fine. You will see it soon enough. Let’s go.” I said, as I got up from my seat. “Follow me please.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Tray took a final look on the monitors, but he still got up from his seat and followed me. But I could clearly see him put up his guard. He was in my area now. Here, all the power he has is the power he brought.
<span style="font-weight:400">As we walked, we passed by the area where Ria was with Tray’s servants. I told Ria to take them to the ground as well, and she did.
<span style="font-weight:400">I personally took Tray to a teleporter and beamed us to the ground. Alice also exited B.E.S. Tetran, so as soon as we were all on the ground, I unsummoned the space ship.
<span style="font-weight:400">I let Tray and his servants look around the area in amazement, before I officially said:
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee to HomeBase.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Sure this guy might be an absolute jerk, but he is also my testrun at having guests over at HomeBase, so I’m going to show him some hospitality. Until I cut it all off and throw him off this floating rock or something.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“What kind of a ce is this?” Tray asked. “I’ve never heard of something like this.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course you wouldn’t have. It isn’t something just anyone cane to. As I said earlier, outside of Alice, you are the first human to ever visit this ce.” And Alice isn’t technically even a human any more.
<span style="font-weight:400">As we walked closer to the Citadel’s front entrance, two maids exited the building and began walking towards us. One was a talldy with ck hair, while the other was slightly shorter with bright red hair. They were of course House Dragonmaid and Kitchen Dragonmaid.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">They were both using the ‘standard’ or Gen 1 avatar dolls, so they werecking their wings, tails and horns, but that in itself is actually a good thing, considering our guests. I had made improved avatar dolls that could make their horns and tails disappear, but the wings were still under production.
<span style="font-weight:400">““Wee back, Master.”” The two maids weed me in unison.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m back, Sheou, Tinkhec.” I thanked the two of them. I decided to call them by their dragon names, instead ofing up with names of my own or something. “These are our guests, Sir Tray nken. As well as his servants. Please treat them well.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“As youmand, Master.” Sheou answered. “Sir, if you would follow me, I can show you to your room.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Let’s not hurry there just yet.” Tray said. “I would like to look at ces a bit longer.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“If that is your wish, Sir. Do you wish me to show you around?” Sheou asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Thank you.” Tray kept up the formalities.
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<span style="font-weight:400">As we were touring the outside, we saw the next part of the trap that I set up.
<span style="font-weight:400">It came in the form of Einar and Eline, having a practice match with their tigers. Yes. Eline’s lightning tiger had recovered and she was able to summon it again. And after learning that I named Einar’s tiger, she really wanted me to name hers. Sadly she had already named the tiger, so it couldn’t be renamed.
<span style="font-weight:400">… Also, I didn’t remember any Finnish rted to lightning or thunder, well I think thunder was ukkonen or something like that. But Ukko is a male name, so I don’t think it fits Eline’s tiger. … well admittedly I don’t know which gender her lightning tiger is.
<span style="font-weight:400">But still, the lightning tiger already had the name Sparky.
<span style="font-weight:400">Now as for the trap part, I drew fake illegal ve marks on both of them, based on the image Tahlia saved of the ones they had on them, before I erased them with Harpie’s Feather Duster. The fake ones they now had on were nothing but some red skin-safe paint, no magic or anything involved. But at a quick nce, it would look perfect.
<span style="font-weight:400">The point of this trap was to make Tray think I was willing to have illegal ves like Einar and Eline. Sure it came with the downside that he might recognize the two, but I can just tell him I bought them off of some merchant, instead of telling how they really came to be my ‘ves’. And even if he did realize something was up, he can’t run away any more. He is already trapped, with no way out.
<span style="font-weight:400">But Tray didn’t even ask about them, justmenting that I must have some good ves.
<span style="font-weight:400">On our tour, one thing became abundantly clear to Tray. This cecked personnel. And like the Einar and Eline trap, this was on purpose. Sure I could have used the avatar dolls I have made to make more of my monster run around the ce, but I wanted the almost abandoned feel. But what I really wanted was for him to offer me more illegal ves.
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<span style="font-weight:400">After the tour, I left Tray to one of the high-ss guest rooms. I also made sure at least one of my Dragonmaids were outside of his door at all times, so he could call for anything he may want, whenever he wants. While at the same time, I could keep a perfect eye on him with the cameras that were in that room.
<span style="font-weight:400">You might say I’m breaking some sort of privacyw by spying on people in their own rooms, but I’d say that I don’t care. I don’t have a camera in the bathroom, so go there if you want privacy. And I wouldn’t have the cameras on if he wasn’t a criminal.
<span style="font-weight:400">During the time Tray spent in his room, he did ask for a few things. Mainly refreshments and some snacks, so nothing my maids couldn’t take care of very quickly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Come lunch time, I invited Tray to have lunch with me. Alice was also eating with us. Ria, Tinkhec and Sheou were waiting on us.
<span style="font-weight:400">Our meal consisted of smoked Terrorking Salmon, roasted potatoes, boiled carrots, an assorted pile of fruits, as well as some garlic bread.
<span style="font-weight:400">Tray wasn’t the biggest fan of the garlic bread because of its strong scent, but he devoured the smoked Terrorking Salmon like he hadn’t eaten in a week.
<span style="font-weight:400">While we were eating, I gently asked him if he had noticed anything this ce wascking. Like if he hadn’t gotten something, or maybe if there was something wrong with the furniture in his room, or if anything else had brought him difort.
<span style="font-weight:400">Tray first sang praises about the uniqueness of this ce, the style of the servants'' uniforms, the delicious food, as well as the top ss furniture.
<span style="font-weight:400">But then, he began talking about the shorings of this ce, like how this ce felt quite empty. I fully agreed with him on that, slightlyining that it was difficult to find people who would want to work somewhere like this. It was quite different from working in a town or a city after all. I even admitted that outside of ves that I can force toe here, I thought it might be impossible to find workers willing toe here.
<span style="font-weight:400">This got Tray to talk about the wide range of ves the nken Company carries. I didn’t quite get him to admit the illegal ones, but I did get an invite to their ve holding facility. That is already something, but I wanted more.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I do agree that ves might be the best. But I do not like the idea of temporary contracts.” I just said bluntly. That was of course a lie. “This ce. It isn’t something the wider public should know about. At least for now. So I would want more people who are ves for life, like the two catfolk you saw outside. Do you have any like that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Life ves, you say. Yes. We might have a few, but they can be a bit pricey.” Tray answered, before quickly adding. “Not that I doubt your money situation. I just mean that…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t worry. I can pay beforehand. In full.” I said, showing that I understood his point.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. That is to be expected.” Tray said. “Now, I do have a question. What is your stance on imported ves?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Imported? As in ones brought from other countries?” I asked to confirm, even if I think he might have referred to something else. “That should be just fine, as long as their paperwork is in order. In fact, my two catfolke from up north. Not sure what country, but that is what I heard.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah. That is good to hear. Then I might have just the perfect people in mind. Especially if you wish to acquire more… demi-human ves.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Demi-humans? You dare to call them that? I should throw you off of HomeBase for that.
<span style="font-weight:400">… Later. I still need him for stuff.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I do not mind them being either way. As long as they are capable.” I stated.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Then perhaps tomorrow, you would take us back to the city and I can show you our most wonderful imported ves.” Tray said. I could practically hear him rubbing his hands together, but he didn’t actually do so.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I do hope you can really deliver on what you promised. I do have high expectations after all of that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">That was actually the truth. If he is speaking like that, just what will he have? Well, one way to find out. Wait and see.