‘I o finish learning the formu for the entment, and then I should be able to make more ons easily,’ Adam thought. ‘Now that I think about it, is making a formu for ons even feasible? Bell?’

  [Yes.]

  ‘Oh, great.’ Adam tio think about the formu. ‘I suppose it’s mostly just trying to mass produce ons as cheap as possible. I o be able to make swords and spears quickly.’

  Adam returned back to his room to gather his thoughts. ‘There’s probably a way to make an assembly line, right? There must be. I suppose that won’t work for enting, but for making swords and spears? There’s got to be a way to do that.’

  ‘I ent fire swords, but is mass produg Basic magical oer? I’d probably earn less, but they would be easier to ent for…’ Adam realised he was the only enter. ‘I need more enters. I wonder if there’s a way I teach others how to ent?’ He thought back to how he had Awakened Churot’s magical abilities using his XP, and how it had drained him terribly.

  ‘+1 ons, +1 with an additional entment…’ Adam supposed they sold fhly a thousand, and a thousand and a half each, or so. ‘+2 ons probably sell for way more though. I mass produce them? How much does a +2 on go for anyway? Two, maybe three thousand? No, they must be rare, so even more? Four thousand? Five?’

  Adam crossed his arms, trying to gather himself. ‘A basic on which regains charges daily. That way it ’t be spammed, in case they end up using it against the Iyr, or if I have to e across it. Just an additional 1D6 damage, like a smite. Should I make ons which cast a spell once per day instead? They’d probably sell for quite a bit. What if I made a bination of the two?’

  Adam’s thoughts fell to how teology had evolved within his lifetime. ‘I should stagger the releases of eaew entment, probably. After a few years, I could probably bih. No, no, once I bring that into the world, it’ll be hard to stop that sort of thing. It’s way too deadly. I should probably market my ons somehow, with quality, reliability, and being an all around pompous prick, people love that.’

  Adam smiled to himself. ‘If I market my ons to be of… no, wait. Couldn’t I do both? Have a set of ons for the masses, and then a more bespoke thing? That might work. Though, I would like to mass produce the ons that are higher end too. Should I fier materials to make those ons? So the entment be a slightly higher tier, but the materials are nicer. I could mark them up way more…’

  However, there was quite a huge issue which y in front of Adam. ‘I o bribe the nobles. If they want to stop my business, they could do it pretty easily. I’ll o ingratiate myself with a high ranking noble. A marquis? Isn’t the ruler of this pce a duchess? Duchess Eastsea, I think?’ Adam let out a long sigh. ‘I’ll o bribe her to get her on my side, and then use her as a shield if aries to e for me. Even the king will have to be wary of offending one of his greatest allies.’

  Adam looked over to the supplies he had pced to the side. ‘Then there’s the matter of alchemy. I should really make more healing potions…’ Adam sat up. ‘Wait. Are there other enters in this nd? There must be, right? The Iyr has a few, but I haven’t heard of an Aldish enter yet. Plus, I’ll o figure out who makes health potions too. If I try to step on another oes, ods forbid, the clergy’s toes, I’ll find myself burnt at the stake.’

  Adam y on his bed, staring at the ceiling. ‘Who the hell am I going to teach how to ent too? I’ll give away my identity to the others. Dunes, Vonda, and some of the rest know, but I trust them enough not to spill my secrets. Rick? The others?’

  ‘Churot? Churot. aybe. I have to pieone who has Mana, meaning Wizards and Blood Mages. The Iyr probably has a few Blood Mages, but…’ Adam wondered just how mufluehe Iyr should have over the business. It was then he remembered that he had given it all to his Aunt, and a board of Directors formed by the other families in the shared estate. ‘It’s too te to try and distance myself now…’

  “Jurot,” Adam called as he approached the Iyrman, who was sitting down with his cousins. “Let’s go for a walk.”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied, following Adam out.

  “You knoewhere quiet?” Adam asked.

  Jurot nodded, before leading Adam through the noisy city, slipping through the undry which dried uhe noonval sun. The Iyrman’s eyes noticed s on various ledges, but he didn’t notiything arming.

  Finally, he slipped through into a tavern, the doors almost dropping at the hihe smell of dog piss hit him like a brick, as he raised his elbow to his face. The other patrons grinned his way, revealing their missih. Jurot pced down two gold onto the ter, before he was taken around back by the elderly man. The old man led him to a trapdoor, which Jurot hoisted up. He allowed Adam down first, the Half Elf walking doweps into a dark, empty celr.

  “How quaint,” Adam said, looking around in the darko see the pce was a regur room, with a tunnel leading out. The sound of the trapdoor shutting caused him to jump, and he looked back to see Jurot lighting up a dle, which illumihe area more brightly for Adam’s Fae eyes, and dimly for the Iyrman.

  “What did you wish to speak about?” Jurot asked.

  Adam gnced around. “We alone?”

  Jurot nodded. “We should be,” he replied in the Iyr’s tongue.

  “Right,” Adam replied, taking the hint to speak in their nguage. “I was just thinking about the business.” Adam expined his thoughts to Jurot, speaking about his pns for the business, and the tiers of enting.

  “I do not know how that will progress,” the Iyrman admitted. Jurot did not have a mind for business, not uhe business litting skulls with his axe.

  “How long does it take for the Iyr to train Blood Mages to bee Experts?”

  “From First Gate spells to Third Gate spells, eight to fifteen years, but typically ten.”

  “So what if I made a deal to assist iraining and teach them enting?” Adam offered.

  “I do not know.”

  “Should I Awaken some more Scribe Mages then?” Adam asked.

  Jurot, who had gotteo Adam’s antics, blinked. He recalled how Adam had Awakened Churot into a Scribe Mage, though he wasn’t sure of the details. “You are able to Awaken more Scribe Mages?”

  “I think so,” Adam said. “I could probably Awaken another person,” Adam said, his eyes gng to the side to check his XP, “two people.”

  Jurot noted Adam’s eyes gnce aside, as though he was reading something. However, he remained silent, for what he must know, he knew. Jurot wasn’t sure how to respond to Adam’s words. “I do not know.”

  “Hmmm…” Adam rubbed his . “I’d rather they be Iyrmen, sirust you all. I’d rather have Iyrmen who ent rather than strangers. They o know magic, so…” ‘Jonn? Dunes and Vonda? They already have their own things to do, though. Jonn’s meant to be teag too, and proteg my children.’

  Jurot remained silent, trying to take in what Adam had said. “You should speak with the Chief wheurn.”

  “I should?” Adam asked, raising his brow. “No, I suppose you’re right. I should speak with him about a lot of things…”

  Eventually, the pair made their way out, returning back to the Adventurer’s Guild.

  ‘How does he know all these pces anyway?’ Adam thought, but he dared not to ask, just in case it was the Iyr’s secret. For what he must know, he knew.

  Adam returo find his group rexing together, many haviurned from a day of enjoying the markets. He noted Jaygak sharing a look with Jurot, but said nothing about it as he dropped down to one side.

  Adam tio think about his business, trying to find ways to make more money. He realised that he’d have to dip into being evil if he really wao make a lot of money, but he wasn’t sure how far he’d be willing to go. Then, a thought crossed his mind. He looked to the three Iyrmen who had adventured with him the most, from his brother Jurot, to the trickster Jaygak, to the quiet, wise Kitool.

  “What’s wrong?” Jaygak asked, noting the look on his fabsp;

  “Just some business stuff,” Adam replied, returning back to his meal of boar stew, which had been on the menu for a short while now. ‘I didn’t even ask them if they wao be Executives of the business, I just forced them into it. I ’t be f everyoo do what I want…’

  “Do you think Tavgak and Kavgak are already crawling?” Jaygak asked, trying to cheer Adam up.

  “How you do this to me, Jaygak?” Adam whispered, frowning.

  Jaygak :(