Chapter 82: Nikos Takes a Risk

  "Emilia, Chief Nikos is calling for us!" Zevan shouted from the doorway. Emilia had just prepared to craft a few more of the new talismans, but it was clear that would have to wait for later.

  Afterward, they stopped by Orlen's house to pick up Petra.

  "Are they living together already?" Emilia decided to pryingly ask.

  "No, she is just visiting. You are still too young for such things."

  Emilia narrowed her eyes and decided to play a joke.

  "And here I thought that when two people like each other, they gather food for storks and leave it in a deep pot, and after a year, the storks show their gratitude by bringing a child. Uncle Zevan, does Petra know what storks eat? Maybe someone should explain it to her? Uncle Zevan, why did you suddenly start walking so fast? Uncle Zevan, wait..."

  After picking up Petra, they passed by Boss Titus's house, where Lora offered them tea and small cookies. During this time, Titus sent little Tim to Basil's barn, where Big Han was training by splitting magical logs with his halberd.

  After drinking three cups of tea and forcing Petra to blush at least ten times with their jokes, the group finally gathered and headed toward Chief Nikos's estate.

  There, they were met by one of his numerous grandsons and great-grandsons. After signing several documents, they were led into a study. Boss Trim was waiting for them there; he had to sign a few papers along with Boss Titus. Finally, everyone headed outside to one of the many gardens, where they found Chief Nikos training with various weapons.

  They waited a moment for him to finish, then Trim and Titus approached and spoke with Nikos in hushed tones for a while. Eventually, Chief Nikos stopped them with a gesture, raised his gaze, and carefully inspected the group. His eyes lingered on each of them, resting longest on Big Han.

  Finally, he nodded his head, visibly pleased with something.

  "I see that you have all improved your strength over the past year. Especially Titus and Zevan. Trim told me about the battle with the Kozors and praised you highly. Petra receives special commendation for her traps and arrows, while Titus and Big Han were, as always, the ones who dealt the most damage. Lora and Garik bravely guarded everyone and selflessly assisted the others. You have all shown excellent coordination, and your group has even successfully adapted its tactics to the magical support of our honorary hunter—Emilia. From what I understand, the only thing holding you back is better armor and weapons, but your level of teamwork, and even your personal strength, have increased enough for a promotion. Therefore, I am enrolling you directly into the exam for Second Level Hunters. It will be held in about a month. There will be guests from nearby villages and smaller towns. There will be prizes for the best."

  Chief Nikos then continued explaining about the guests, the duties of the hunters, and finally some technical details about the tournament itself. Afterward, he sent the others to wait outside and stopped in front of Emilia.

  "Emilia, I learned about the armor you have begun enchanting from Boss Trim. They are quite good. I did not expect anyone to come up with a recipe for a level-zero enchant that uses easily accessible materials from the monsters themselves."

  "It also requires alchemical dust, but that is quite cheap," Emilia clarified.

  "Yes, you will have to write down the details of that dust for me. Emilia, I have a proposal for you. We hunters always face problems when training the new generation. The children have not yet developed their skills, they haven't eaten enough mana-rich meat, and they are quite often in danger. Even a single strike from a stronger monster can wound them severely. But armor and enchants are expensive, and hunters barely make ends meet. Emilia, you can help us. I want to order 200 sets of armor on behalf of the Guild."

  Emilia thought for a moment.

  "Chief Nikos, it is not that simple. I need monster blood, which I must extract personally. Besides, these armors are much weaker and the enchants are unstable. They often require repairs."

  Chief Nikos stroked his beard and then looked down at little Emilia.

  "Do not worry, every week you will head out with third-level hunters to raid the dens of first-level magical creatures to collect their blood. There are many dens we do not fully exterminate. If we wiped them out, who knows what mysterious beasts would come to take their place."

  Emilia considered this—it definitely solved the problem with blood and bone marrow.

  "Regarding payment, I can offer 7 silver coins per armor, or 1400 silver coins in total."

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Emilia was quick to run some calculations. At the moment, she could make a little more than one set of armor per day. Perhaps with time, she would reach two sets. The money was not a small amount, but it was not much either. She sold a single talisman for 20 silver coins. She hurried to explain all this to Chief Nikos.

  "Hm... perhaps you are right. 1700 silver coins?"

  "Chief Nikos, this will be a commitment for months ahead. Even if I make two sets of armor a day, I will need over three months. And if I have to go hunting for the blood, it might take over four months."

  Chief Nikos thought for a moment and decided to ask Emilia directly.

  "Fine, then what do you propose?"

  "Uncle Nikos... Chief Nikos." Emilia hurried to bow. "I know you have many connections. Perhaps you could arrange a spot for me in the Mayor's private pocket dimension, the one that opens once every 10 years?"

  The private space Emilia spoke of did not actually belong "to the Mayor" but was rather the property of the city as a whole. But she was right—whoever was elected mayor controlled access to it. This space was full of all sorts of treasures, but also many dangers.

  Every ten years it opened, but there was a restriction—it only allowed people up to 15 years of age, with unlocked mana and still at level zero.

  The space allowed only twenty people; seven were reserved for the noble families, two for the mayor himself, two for the army, two for the church, and seven were given to the various guilds.

  "That... That... Emilia, maybe if you made not 200, but 2000 armors... or even more... That..."

  Emilia hurried to explain.

  "Chief Nikos, I will make these 200 sets of armor, but beyond that, I can record my work in detail, especially the mental components of the crafting process. Furthermore, synchronizing the auras between the different eyes of the formation requires a lot of work, and my skills were uniquely suited for developing my formula. One of my skills was entrusted to me directly by the gods. I do not think anyone else would have managed it so easily. Besides, these armors will require regular repair. Maybe... just maybe... if you could find a child to be trained in level-zero formations who could then take over the production and repair of the armor, and gradually invest in them to expand the operation..."

  "Let me interrupt you right there; none of the guilds will train an internal master for us. Why, we are some of their primary clients. The guilds exist specifically to enforce their monopoly."

  "But the wealthy clans and even rich merchants often have their own internal masters."

  "That is true, the possibilities exist, but it will not be easy."

  Emilia thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up straight.

  "I have it! You can make a deal with the Children of the Moon. Send them a child with unlocked mana so they can train them to a basic level to take over the crafting and maintenance of the armor."

  Chief Nikos paused to think for a moment, then took a heavy swig from a stone jug filled with a strange greenish liquid that he used while training with his weapons.

  "Emilia, it is not that simple. The Children of the Moon also have to answer to the guilds. But then again, if we are truly talking about only level zero, things are a bit different. Many people with unlocked mana teach themselves the craft at level zero or even pick up partial knowledge of the first level. After that, however, it is almost impossible for them to progress through their own efforts."

  Chief Nikos took another drink from the massive stone jug and turned his gaze toward the forest, standing still like that for a long time. His face was like a stone statue, and his massive muscles resembled a monument to some victor of the ancient Olympic Games in honor of... Olympus and the Olympian gods.

  Time passed, and only the large, shaggy mustache of the ancient 180-year-old hunter twitched, as if it had a life of its own. Throughout it all, Emilia stood on her tiptoes, waiting for Chief Nikos's decision.

  "Please let him agree, please let him agree," she repeated to herself over and over.

  Emilia had known about the private space since she was very young. The riches there were immense, and despite the dangers, the clans always sent their children there. Some of them died, but others returned, and over the decades, the wealth and influence of those clans multiplied.

  Finally, Emilia couldn't hold back and continued.

  "Chief Nikos, just think of the huge number of young hunters' lives this will save. And not just that. This method of enchanting directly with monster parts—even if it hits a limit somewhere, it will reach at least the first or even second level. If the city's hunters start using enchanted armor, they will be able to preserve their lives and reduce the costs of healing and repairs. This way, step by step, the entire city can be transformed. If not me, who were you going to send? Maybe I can offer something to that person? If it is a matter of money, I can save up..."

  Chief Nikos, however, remained immovable. Things were not so simple.

  "Emilia, the child who is supposed to enter from our guild is the grandson of a man who saved my life. He is also a second-level hunter, an old and respected man. Perhaps..."

  Chief Nikos looked toward the forest once more and finally sighed, sat down on one of the benches, and leaned back heavily.

  "Fine, Emilia. Not two hundred, but three hundred sets of armor. Plus 200 shields. Two hundred of the weaker armors using bone marrow, and another 100 for true hunters using monster cores. If you cannot make them all immediately, you will make 100 ordinary sets now and owe the guild the remaining 100 later. Furthermore, you must help the child we send to the Children of the Moon learn everything necessary to craft and repair the armor. And on top of that, you will owe me three favors."

  "Three whole favors?"

  "Yes, three. Besides, the price of entry for that space is not measured in silver, but in gold and precious gems. The standard sponsorship deal in the guilds is a minimum of the entry fee plus 70% of the value of the treasures brought out—and that will apply to you as well. This is separate from the armor and the three favors."

  "I see that you are not only a child with incredible magical abilities, but you also possess immense ambition. If it weren't for that ambition, I would not have agreed to this deal, nor to this risk, no matter what you offered. But I see that you will soar very high. Perhaps you will. Perhaps you won't. But I will take this risk. Ten years is not much. When you reach my age, things are measured in decades and even centuries. Maybe these cheap enchants will lead to something. Maybe your favors will serve us in time. Maybe not. Only time will tell. Leave me now. I will have to have a very difficult conversation with a very old friend."

  Chief Nikos knew one thing very well. If Emilia returned successfully from the private space, the value of her three favors would immediately increase significantly.