Year 1452, month 04, day 08

  “Girls, you have both worked incredibly hard over the last few months. I think it is time we pay a visit to the slave merchant I bought you from. I have some pressing business to conduct with him, but after we are finished there, what do you say we head out for some sightseeing together?”

  I asked this while we stood at the edge of the sprawling construction site that was slowly becoming the heart of my future operations. The air was thick with the scent of sawdust, wet stone, and the rhythmic sound of hammers striking wood.

  “... Y-yes, master,” they replied.

  At first, a flash of fear crossed their faces, and they stole a quick, uncertain look at one another when I mentioned returning to the place where they had once been kept in cages. However, their expressions softened, and their heart rates seemed to calm as I finished my sentence. They understood that this visit was not a return to their old lives, but a step forward for the guild.

  The main building was nearing its final phase of completion. The exterior was almost entirely finished, and today’s charity meal distribution—handled with the usual grace by Wyn and Woya—had just concluded. The labor force I had hired from the surrounding slums had grown significantly in both size and skill; some of the earlier recruits had even shown enough aptitude to become junior instructors for the newer arrivals. With the foundation of the headquarters solidified, construction on the secondary buildings had already begun.

  I had received word that several of the structures slated for renovation were nearly ready for occupancy. With these buildings coming online soon, it was the perfect time to acquire a core group of permanent staff and use those restored facilities as their primary accommodations.

  The current workforce, composed of builders and manual laborers, mostly lived in the nearby slums, so they didn't require housing on-site. The other professionals I had contracted—the tailors, blacksmiths, and various artisans—were still working out of their own private workshops. They could wait until I had prepared a dedicated, high-tier workspace within the guild grounds to transition them into full-time employees.

  However, the specialized roles that would form the backbone of the Questers Guild—receptionists, administrative clerks, quest appraisers, storage managers, trainers, and the initial team of elite questers—required a higher level of oversight and specific working conditions. I wanted them integrated into the site the moment the housing was ready.

  While I planned to continue training individuals from the slums to eventually become questers or apprentices, that process was slow and focused on long-term growth. Right now, I am in need of a workforce that could hit the ground running the moment we open our doors. The most feasible and efficient solution at this stage was to purchase slaves with pre-existing skills or the physical potential for combat training.

  “Please wait here for a moment, Sir...” the servant said, bowing as he led us into a private room on the second floor of the slave market.

  Before he exited, I noticed him casting a long, questioning look at the girls. I suspect he was wondering if I was dissatisfied with them and had come back to sell them off. If he had been more observant, he would have realized how absurd that thought was. Both Woya and Wyn were impeccably well-groomed, their fur glossy and their eyes bright. They were outfitted in high-quality, custom-fitted armor that gleamed under the room's lighting. Wyn had two masterfully crafted steel swords strapped to her waist, while Woya carried a newly forged, heavy steel longsword across her back. They looked less like slaves and more like elite personal guards.

  I took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs, and the girls moved to stand alertly behind me. It was the exact same room where I had bargained for their lives months ago. Thinking back to that day, I felt a deep surge of satisfaction. Buying them was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I had made since arriving in this world.

  Click! Clack!

  The sound of the door latch announced the arrival of the merchant. He entered, followed by a servant carrying a tray with two steaming cups of tea. The merchant gestured for the servant to place the tea on the table between us before approaching me with a wide, practiced grin.

  “Welcome back to my humble establishment, Sir Han. I have been eagerly awaiting your visit ever since you mentioned your plans for a large-scale expansion,” he said. His voice was warm, but I could see the unmistakable glint of greed in his eyes. He was a merchant through and through, and he clearly smelled a massive transaction on the horizon.

  “Yes, I believe it is finally time for me to fulfill the promise I made when we first met,” I replied. I tilted my head slightly toward the girls behind me. When I had first negotiated for Wyn and Woya, I had promised him that if they proved useful, I would return to him for my future labor needs.

  “Hahaha! I am truly delighted to hear that!” he laughed, his satisfaction radiating off him.

  We sat and engaged in the usual small talk while sipping the tea. He asked after the progress of the Questers Guild construction and inquired about the general state of my affairs. I provided him with positive, though somewhat vague, updates. After all, his role was as a supplier, not a partner.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “... By the way, it is clear that you have taken exceptional care of the girls. Just look at the quality of their equipment,” he noted, his gaze drifting to Woya and Wyn. “They carry themselves with such sharpness now. If I didn't know better, I would hardly recognize them as the same pair you walked out with.”

  “Hehe, you think so?” I said, feeling a touch of pride at his observation. “If anything, I am the one who is being taken care of. They are incredibly talented, and their obedience is such that I never have to repeat myself. They’ve become indispensable.”

  “I am very happy to hear that. Their father was quite concerned about their well-being, even though he was the one who was forced to sell them. I’m sure it would bring him some peace to know they’ve found such a... generous master,” the merchant remarked.

  Hmm? That actually gives me a few ideas, I muttered to myself, though I tried to keep my expression neutral.

  “Huh? Did you say something, Sir Han?” the merchant asked, leaning in.

  “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just contemplating whether the new group I’m looking for today will turn out as well as these two have,” I said, deftly changing the subject.

  “Yes, yes! Of course. That is the business at hand,” he said, his excitement returning as he sensed we were getting to the core of the visit. “May I ask what specific types of slaves you are looking to acquire this time?”

  “I have several categories in mind,” I began, laying out the requirements. “First, I need combat-capable slaves—individuals with either prior military experience or the raw physical potential to be trained into elite guards. Second, I need those with administrative aptitude to serve as clerks and receptionists. Third, I am looking for a few veteran combatants who have the temperament to teach weapons skills and combat tactics to our new recruits. Those are my most urgent needs.”

  I paused to let him digest the list before continuing.

  “Beyond those, I am interested in anyone with a specialized trade. Tailors, blacksmiths, herbalists, or even minor merchants who found themselves on the wrong side of a debt. If they have expertise, I have a place for them.”

  I then detailed the mandatory traits I required for every individual, regardless of their role. “They must be fluent in the common language. I strongly prefer those who are capable of working well in a group setting. They must be literate—able to read and write clearly. And, most importantly, they must be absolutely obedient. If you can source individuals who fit these criteria, you can arrange to have them delivered directly to the construction site. Since I intend to purchase in significant volume, I don't want to waste time getting them one by one.”

  The merchant’s eyes were practically sparkling by the time I finished my explanation. “Do not worry for a moment, Sir Han. I will personally vet the best candidates in my inventory and even coordinate with my associates among the other merchants to ensure all your requirements are met. It is just... well, if I may ask... exactly how many slaves are you planning to purchase in this first batch?”

  I didn't answer immediately. I met his gaze, maintaining a silent, steady pressure. I’ll admit, I wanted to act a bit cocky, knowing that my next words would likely make his entire year.

  “How many?” I asked, a smirk finally playing on my lips. “There is no upper limit. The more you can find that meet my standards, the better it will be for both of us.”

  After our meeting concluded, we left behind a very happy—and likely very busy—merchant. The servant who had been skeptical earlier saw us all the way to the main gate with a newfound level of respect. We headed back toward our home so I could utilize the Warp skill to teleport us outside the city walls. I had promised the girls a sightseeing trip, and while I did have some hidden business to attend to at our destination, I fully intended to make sure they enjoyed themselves.

  With this arrangement at the slave market, I had effectively solved the immediate recruitment bottleneck for the guild. As long as I continued to gradually integrate the necessary personnel, the transition from a construction site to a functioning organization would go smoothly. In the absolute worst-case scenario, the business might operate at a temporary financial loss, but that wasn't a concern for me. The primary focus of the Questers Guild was never just raw profit.

  My goal is to expand the guild's influence and operational area as widely as possible. Increased scale means more personnel, which in turn means more authority and more raw military power under my direct control. Anyone looking at the project from the outside would eventually see that the majority of our "employees" were questers—trained combatants who represented a formidable force.

  The only real hurdle was the capital. I had already spent a massive portion of my saved platinum coins on the land acquisition, and the ongoing costs of construction and renovation were constant. To keep the project expanding at the rate I envisioned—especially while willing to operate at a loss—I needed a reliable and massive cash flow.

  Fortunately, I had anticipated this issue long ago. I had devised a strategy to generate wealth long before I ever called the first meeting of potential partners.

  Currently, my enchantment business is a gold mine. I am generating a baseline of 75 gold coins per week from enchantment fees alone, as roughly ten high-tier commissions are funneled to me every seven days. But the gold is just the surface of the profit. For every successful enchantment, I keep one skill crystal, and for every "failure"—where I don't even attempt the process on items without slots—I keep two.

  I currently have a stockpile of over a hundred diverse skill crystals in my inventory. My plan is simple: I will commission Thrain Coldhammer to forge a series of masterwork, high-tier base items. I will then use my guaranteed method to implement the most suitable and powerful skill crystals into that equipment, creating artifacts of unparalleled value.

  I am already looking beyond the walls of Yargan toward the nearby cities and towns. Once the guild is established here, I intend to visit the capital of the Hazaroth Union to put these high-tier products up for auction on a national stage. If I could earn a fortune at a local auction, I can only imagine the returns I will see at the capital of a major trade union.

  I have so many plans to execute and so many ideas to test. The last few months have forced me to focus on my economic and social influence rather than my personal combat prowess, but I’ve found that I enjoy this side of the game.

  I looked at Woya and Wyn, who were walking happily beside me, their earlier fear completely replaced by excitement for our trip. I felt a deep sense of contentment with the path I had chosen. This journey was becoming far more enjoyable than I had ever imagined—for myself, and for the people I’ve chosen to keep close.

  12 chapters ahead and support me on Patreon.

  Heroes:

  NaTaS