I Own a Brothel in Another World

Chapter 238 – Big Conflict

Running my fingers through my hair, I sigh heavily and turn around, starting to walk towards the tent. Mevana slips outside while waiting, her eyes roving over the carnage in the background, and something else in the foreground. Reminded of my quite particular state, I throw a pair of underwear onto myself shortly before reaching the burly Dwarf lady. She stands there with her hands hesitantly joined at the front, which only pushes her massive breasts more out in that revealing bra of hers.

Stopping before her, I meet the girl’s gaze and cross my arms over my chest. “How much did you see?”

Her eyes slip behind me for a moment, then back to my visage, but before she answers, they drop to my now-covered waist for a second, her moonlit cheeks reddening a little.

“Everything?” She shows an awkward smile as soon as she faces me again.

I sigh again and look into the sky.

“I know that it might sound silly, but I had a hard time sleeping in such a… refined environment,” Mevana admits timidly. “I was in the kitchen just grabbing a snack and trying to think on what to do when I saw you… walk outside with a weapon out.”

In more ways than one, I bet, judging by how she keeps sneaking glances at the quite visible bulge in my undergarments.

“So you followed and hid behind the flap,” I finish for her, receiving a guilty nod. “Did you catch the conversation too?”

She shakes her head. “No. Well, maybe the tiny bit at the end when I poked my head past the curtains. I was wondering why it was so quiet when so many people were fighting for their lives.”

“I can silence my surroundings with a simple bit of magic,” I share to reassure her a little. “It’s something more useful for daily situations, but works in cases like this too.”

Her clever gaze finds mine and I spot the obvious hint of curiosity in her charming eyes, but she doesn’t demand a more detailed explanation yet. Instead, she switches her focus back to our surroundings, namely the big black wolves dragging the dead Dwarves into the woods to get rid of the bodies. I wonder if they will start a little feast or if our monstergirl friends shall bury everyone deep in the ground.

“So, these are… Diana’s friends?” Mevana asks carefully.

“More like family, actually,” I answer, and as if called, the leader-in-question prowls to my side quietly, making our short friend jump a little. “She’s their Alpha. As you can imagine, I couldn’t really bring them into the town so they have been hanging around and scaring off monsters during our journey.”

“Are they okay… with her being bound to the wagon?” She stares at the giant wolf with a trace of fear in her posture.

“She is doing that out of her own will so they don’t have anything to say about it,” I clarify. “Besides, we are planning to have them serve as mounts for our girls so they should be all okay about harnesses and such. If not, Diana will whip them up into shape, right?”

My lupine companion lets out an affirmative whine and starts sniffing me all around, poking my skin with her cold nose. After catching a good whiff, she brings out her bright violet tongue and gives me a good lick from the bottom to the top. But, it doesn’t stop at that and I find myself getting tickled by the sizable beast repeatedly, trying not to trip.

“Hey! Stop that! I’m covered in so much blood!” I laugh openly as her tongue works overtime on what I then realise is cleaning me up. “Seriously, Diana! Look what you’ve done! Now I’m completely wet!”

I give her snout a gentle smack and she backs off, sneezing loudly to the side which shakes her head like a drill. When she brings it forward again, her glowing eyes squint at me and deep growls begin rumbling in the back of her throat. Understanding perfectly well that she’s just messing with me, I lean forward and press my forehead against hers, assuming an angry face too.

“What? You wanna go? Are you sure? I’m not not going to hold back because you are my cute bitch, got it? Still confident you can take me down?” I taunt and tease the big scary wolf.

We keep pushing each other for a few seconds before Diana gives up, stopping the growls. She whimpers adorably and licks my cheek briefly, her beautiful tail wagging happily. My hand moves to brush her fur and play with her long ear, giving her a small kiss on the head too. As I draw back, I notice multiple violet spots between the trees directed right at us.

This girl is using me to control her pack. What a sly lady.

“From bloody to sticky in less than a minute.” I roll my eyes while examining myself, thankful for my foresight of equipping underwear earlier.

A small chuckle escapes Mevana’s lips so there’s that at least.

“Who were those people?” she asks after Diana wanders off into the night.

“Some local hooligans.” I shrug lightly.

“Were they aiming to rob us? Or…” Her eyes move to mine and she doesn’t need me to spell it out for her as I take a moment to answer. “Sorry.”

“What are you apologising for?” I raise a curious brow at her.

“I got you into something dangerous.” Mevana anxiously kneads her fingers before her smooth belly.

“This is exactly what you hired me for.” I reach out and softly pat her head. “Now, let’s head back and try to get some more sleep. We’ll talk more during breakfast. I’ll have more information to share too as my friends should be interrogating the survivor right about now.”

“Okay.” She nods and we slip back inside.

I look at myself and at the entrance to my quarters. “Hopefully, I can sneak by Sirgia without waking her up.”

“My side has a bathroom too. You can use it if you want,” Mevana states a little hesitantly. “What am I even talking about? All of this is yours so you do anything.”

I chuckle good-naturedly at her. “I’m not such a creepy landlord to walk through a rented space so I can take a bath in someone’s private tub without even asking first. But, I’m going to take you up on that offer if you don’t mind.”

Her cheeks colour a bit more again and I stroll into the said bathroom, pulling the curtain separating it from the sleeping quarters to give her some more privacy. Since we have something akin to a field shower in here too, I take a quick one and clean myself nicely so that I don’t smell the next morning when Sirgia wakes up in my arms. 

Jumping into a fresh pair of undies, I quietly head back in case Mevana is sleeping, but while I find her buried under the furs on the couch next to the fire, her heart rate is quite too high for that. She must be feeling embarrassed contrary to how brave she acted earlier. I’m still a man walking through her room in just briefs. So, I disappear while acting like I have been fooled, making it back to my own quarters.

Not waking the sleeping princess up while trying to join her under the pelts is a challenge, but some well-placed and well-timed kisses keep Sirgia comfy and happy enough to disregard the disruption. She snuggles into me in no time and we are back to square one. For now, everything is perfect.

In the morning, I wake up without the tender press on my chest and stretch a little, opening my eyes. What I find is the pile of furs moving up and down at a regular pace, and my brain finally realises what it is that has woken me up exactly. Lifting the covers, I find one cheeky Dwarf performing her morning duties quite devotedly, stopping just briefly to give me an adorable little smile before resuming bobbing her head beneath the pelts.

“Alastair? Are you up?” Mevana’s voice reaches my ears as she announces herself softly so as not to rouse us from our sleep on accident.

Before she peeks inside, I hastily drop the covers back on my petite lover and push her head down, experiencing quite a tight sensation in response.

“Yeah. I’ll be with you in a moment. Anything you need?” I ask, clearing my throat.

As expected, our chubby client does take a glance inside with her eyes locked right away on our crowded sofa. I would think that I did a good job concealing our good morning greetings, but when she looks towards the end of the couch, I follow her gaze and spot Sirgia’s dainty feet poking out of hiding right between mine, at a very implicative angle.

Mevana flushes visibly and offers me a very apologetic smile. “Just wanted to ask if you would like me to prepare something for you guys in the kitchen since I’m already up.”

“It’s alright. I’m sure Sirgia would like to cook for us after she… finishes her business,” I respond, gesturing with my head towards the bathroom which we both know is not exactly occupied. “She loves preparing meals so just sit back and relax.”

“Thanks. I’ll be waiting for you to come, then.” She nods politely, then flushes deeply as she realises what she’s just said, hastily running away into the common room.

I quickly pull my hand away and hear Sirgia take a deep breath after being freed from her hard situation. Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance to neither apologise nor talk her into wrapping this up as she dives back in without a moment wasted and stares into my eyes with determination to finish her business instead. So, I help her out by not prolonging it any more and giving her what she wants while stroking her hair.

“Good morning, Master,” she greets me with a tiny peck on the cheek after crawling out of hiding.

“Good morning, you little minx.” I catch her nose and yank it to the sides tenderly, evoking some giggles from my beloved Dwarf. “Couldn’t wait a little longer? You know we aren’t alone.”

“You smelled so nice, Master. And as your wife, it’s my duty to wake you up properly, no?” Sirgia bats her lashes at me.

“Forget it.” I shake my head and offer her a loving kiss. “Dress up and make us some breakfast, wife.”

“With pleasure, Master.” She hops off still completely naked and makes a sultry bow.

“Without if I have any say in it.” I squint at her and she grins impishly, swaying her lithe hips innocently. “Let’s go.”

I summon a fresh set of clothes onto myself and she follows suit. As I start heading out, she slows down a bit.

“Shouldn’t we walk out at different times?” Sirgia asks.

I snort openly. “Too late for that.”

She gives me a confused frown but I just push her lightly on the back to walk out by my side. We find Mevana lounging on a neat recliner with one of the books from the simple bookshelves we have integrated into this structure. Her sizable figure is once again covered with travelling pants and a shirt.

Our new friend spots our arrival and tears her eyes off the written masterpiece. “Hello. I hope you slept well. Better than me at least.”

Sirgia answers with a delicate smile. “I did. Alastair offered me his bed while he took the couch. Give me just a second and I will make us something delicious and nutritious.”

As she trots to the kitchen complex, Mevana tries to avoid my gaze, her face still a little bit pink.

I swear, that woman has to have the Goddess of Timing as one of her titles because this is getting hilarious at this point.

Or is that a merchant’s intuition?

As my tiny lover is happily humming to herself while fixing us a meal, the Lilies reach out to me mentally and give me a rundown of what they have learned from their efforts. Unfortunately, their toy ended up broken beyond repair when they were done playing with it, but the information I receive is more than good enough so I don’t find any faults with them. Promising to reward them properly later, I tune back into reality when Sirgia serves all of us platters full of delicious food.

We sit in a circle around a small table and dig in. While doing so, Mevana sneaks nervous glances my way so I decide to be the one pulling the cat out of the bag to ease her stress.

“Before we continue our travels, we should discuss the matter of the failed assassination attempt,” I say calmly.

Sirgia freezes, her head slowly turning to me. “Assassins?”

“We were attacked last night by a bunch of criminal mercenaries.” I nod lightly. “Who were after Mevana.”

“Last night?” She places her fork and knife down. “Master, why did you not wake me up?”

“There was no need to disrupt your sleep.” I reach out to ruffle through her gorgeous hair. “They were too weak to be considered a threat. Diana and her peers could have easily handled them but I went out to greet the group when Ianthe let me know. I simply wanted to see who they were and what they wanted before returning to sleep. Will you be able to forgive me?”

“I don’t need to, Master. I’m not angry. My skills would have ruined this whole area and definitely woken Mevana up. Thank you for letting me sleep peacefully.” My considerate lover sighs delicately and gives me a warm smile, then turns to the other woman. “You don’t look too surprised for someone just learning that their life was in danger.”

Mevana looks aside with clear guilt. “I… watched the fight… I was awake when it happened…”

“I see.” Sirgia cocks her head back in understanding. “You must have witnessed how capable Master is, then. Do you trust him to protect you now?”

“I’ve never felt safer with any other escorts I worked with,” the chubby lady admits honestly. “It was one-on-nine and he dispatched them so effortlessly with just a dagger, receiving literally no wounds even without any… armour.”

She escapes with her gaze near the end, cheeks flushed again. Sirgia takes an intrigued peek at me but I just smirk in mild amusement. I’ll fill her in on all the details later.

“That’s good because we might encounter more trouble on our path,” I say and capture the attention of both girls. “This group wasn’t exactly hired directly but picked up a bounty from the criminal network.”

“This trip is going to be very annoying, then.” My shy wife rubs her forehead.

“And dangerous,” Mevana adds. “Are you sure you want to continue with me?”

I exchange a look with Sirgia and we both chuckle lightly.

“Dangerous for anyone else,” my love replies. “A little bit inconvenient, but Master has faced much tougher challenges. Some bandits and other outlaws are nothing compared to entire armies of Sahuagins or even Abyssals.”

Mevana’s eyes bulge out at the reveal and I sigh softly. As always, Sirgia can’t stop singing me praises.

“Besides, we agreed to help you out,” I comment with a smile. “You don’t abandon your friends just because it gets a tiny bit harder.”

“Thank you. Both.” Our mercantile ally ducks her head appreciatively. “What are our plans, then?”

“What were your intentions for this trip?” I ask to get a better read of our journey.

“Since I failed to sell almost all my stock back in that town, I hoped to stop by a few more on my way home. My wagon is currently equally loaded with my products and materials I have purchased back there,” she explains truthfully.

“We’ll go with that but sleep in the wilds. I don’t want to risk innocent lives in case we get attacked at an inn or something. Out here, the two of us can go all out. Not to mention our allies,” I suggest, stroking my chin thoughtfully. “I might be able to remedy our situation a little in the next town considering what I learned from the leader. And perhaps learn who is the one behind this scheme.”

“Unless you can already guess?” Sirgia glances at Mevana curiously.

“I’m not exactly sure. It’s not uncommon for some bigger companies to get angry at smaller merchants for taking away their market share. And I admit trying a little bit too hard to advertise my products vocally, mentioning how they are superior to some overpriced trash the big families are flooding the retailers with.” The woodworker groans at herself. “There are a few suspects I could name, out of which perhaps two or three have butted heads with me before.”

“Then we can only wait and see.” I stroke my chin. “Time to get ready. We have a few more days ahead of us even if Diana picks up the pace.”

We finish our breakfast in silence, clean up after ourselves, and I go to pack the pavilion with Sirgia while Mevana watches with a mesmerised expression. Shoving all the pieces back into their bags, we prepare our valiant steed for the trip and hop on. Sirgia has upgraded Mevana’s coach a little by padding it with comfy cushions so that her buxom behind rests nicely during the travel.

Same as the previous day, our hidden friends keep the monsters at bay. As we ride in the morning sun, I share with my clingy wife the details of the night, concealing nothing. After I’m done, she looks back at me in her seat with a knowing grin and I roll my eyes at her. Hopefully, she doesn’t tease our new ally too much about spying on us.

No idiots come after us while the sun is out and we set up a camp next to a pleasant stream. As we are sharing dinner, Mevana keeps glancing at me and Sirgia from time to time. My sharp wife picks up on it right away now that she knows we have been caught.

Finally, she smiles mischievously at me and turns to face the sneaky woman. “I can tell you have something to ask so feel free to do so.”

Mevana looks panicked at first but quickly composes herself. “Ummm… So what exactly is there between the two of you? You don’t seem like a typical merchant-escort pair.”

“You are right.” Sirgia gives her a faint nod. “I’m actually Alastair’s wife.”

“Oh.” The merchant lady shows a rueful smile.

“I call him Master because I was originally a criminal slave framed for assassinating my owner,” my beloved genius continues. “He saved me from the death door, healed my body and heart, and allowed me to give it to him willingly, like many others after me. He doesn’t discriminate against other races. Rather than that, Master seeks them out and helps the oppressed and hurt people get on their feet in his mansion, letting them return to their families if they don’t want to stay under the care of him and his women.”

“Others?” Mevana looks up, a little surprised.

“Yes. Master has about twenty mates right now from all around the realm, including even rare species like Mermaids, Arachne, or Succubi,” Sirgia lists proudly as if that’s some kind of an achievement worth boasting about. “Besides that, he shares his affection with numerous females living in the mansion if they desire his touch. They aren’t his wives but he still cares after them all greatly.”

Our friend’s jaw drops quite a bit at that information. Her gorgeous eyes move to my face with pure disbelief shining in them.

I snicker lightly with a saucy grin. “I’m kind of a womaniser.”

“You aren’t!” My mate protests strongly. “You are the most considerate and generous lover in the world, Master! You’ve never hurt a girl by breaking her heart!”

“Alright! Alright! It was just a joke!” I try to pacify her with some tender pats but the cute pout remains on her soft lips.

“Anyway, after Master accepted my feelings, I wanted to continue calling him Master because it reminds me of how he treated me even though I was a broken slave and how comfortable it made me feel to be under his protection, to be in his capable and affectionate hands,” Sirgia adds after escaping my fingers. “Though, almost all of us call him that now because he is technically our boss, be it within the mansion’s business or the mercenary corps.”

“But friends call me Al,” I interject before she infects the poor woman with her sweet but slightly troublesome mentality. “Do you mind if I call you Mev?”

Mevana sports a lovely blush and nods by ducking her head. “Only my grandma used to call me that, but… I don’t mind. Since we are friends.”

“Great. I’m looking forward to working with you, Mev. It’s much cuter this way. Not that your full name isn’t pretty, but you have to admit that it suits more formal situations where your ladylike charm is required.” I wink at her and start getting up.

We wash the dishes and get ready to hit the bed. Sirgia asks if Mevana will be able to sleep comfortably this time, and after receiving a somewhat uncertain reassurance that she will, my wife offers to bundle up with her so they can chat until they fall asleep. Mev looks at me worriedly but I let her know that it’s of no issue. In the end, they take one bedroom together while giving me the other.

I can only hope this sly little vixen doesn’t nag our new friend too much.

My hopes are only partially answered as the thicker Dwarf girl still shows a faint blush when we meet again, avoiding my eyes, but doesn’t seem as troubled as she could have been if Sirgia went all out serenading my adventures and conquests. Plus, she looks much better so the strategy worked and they got a good night of sleep.

We don’t waste any more time and get on the road in under an hour. The ladies decide to share the coach today so I end up alone with my best girl Diana. They keep chatting about various things, mostly related to their respective crafts as they both share more details on what they work with. Therefore, I pretty much don’t exist to them for the majority of the day, able to focus on keeping an eye on our surroundings.

At least until the topics move on to something more personal.

“You mentioned your grandma earlier. Does your family run the business with you?” my lover asks curiously.

“No, they live in a rural town with a small but integrated community. It was my decision to pursue something greater than making furniture for old and new generations for my entire life. They are content with that and I can see the charm in such a simple way, but I always felt this call for action. After earning enough money, I managed to buy a small store in the capital,” Mev recounts her story.

“I can understand that desire well. I always wanted to become famous for my creations and bring fame to my family. The decision to travel around the world to gain experience might have come a bit too soon, but I don’t regret it anymore. Not after meeting Master, who made me into an incredible artificer, opening my eyes to so many new techniques and approaches,” Sirgia replies dreamily. “So, is there someone waiting for you at your shop? A husband perhaps?”

I don’t need to peek over my shoulder to tell how flushed the artisan girl has become.

“I’ve always worked alone so no, there is no one waiting for me. I don’t really go out much, spending most of my time in the workshop. There are plenty of beautiful ladies in the capital so it’s not like my clients come to the store for me. Plus, most of them are women nowadays and… I think I’m more into men,” the plump lady confirms what we both already suspected.

“What’s your ideal man, then?” My mate pushes further.

“Uhhh… Someone strong, preferably. I’m not as thin as you so it would be nice if my man could be able to pick me up at least a little. Maybe taller too? And I don’t like guys with beer bellies or nasty beards. It would be nice if he was fit and athletic, preferably not fatter than me,” Mevana recites while thinking deeply. “But, it’s not like I can be this picky with my potential spouse pool already reduced so much.”

“Why?” Sirgia frowns with some puzzlement.

“It’s… a bit embarrassing to admit…” Our friend chuckles nervously, and I turn around to reassure her that she doesn’t have to answer every question my lover asks, but she meets my eyes with a somewhat speculative gaze and holds it there. “I’m technically a virgin… But also not…”

“That… sounds like a difficult situation. And not exactly easy to understand,” I say, trying to be considerate enough and subtly curious.

“I haven’t been with a man yet… But I broke my hymen… Kind of on accident… Okay, I knew what I was doing, but I might not have been thinking about the consequences back then… It was during a difficult time…” She provides some more context. “And unfortunately, men won’t really believe that, most assuming I’m just lying to cover my loose nature. So, I’m off the list for those seeking a proper wife to introduce to their family.”

She peers at me, trying to judge my reaction to her intimate secret.

I shake my head and turn to the front. “Their loss. If they can’t even trust someone who honestly informs them about their troubles ahead of time, they are not worth your time. You are better without bastards like these. Having experienced physical intimacy shouldn’t affect your real value. You aren’t even a princess or a queen but just a pretty everyday lady.”

“You believe me?” Mev asks with a slightly surprised but also relieved voice.

“I don’t see why you would lie to me when I’m not even a Dwarf,” I answer without looking back. “Did you?”

“No!” she denies it immediately, then adds much quieter, “I wouldn’t lie to a friend…”

“So I assumed,” I reply and let out a warm chuckle. “You seem like a nice girl. Don’t let others tell you otherwise. And with how hot you are, I’m sure you will one day score your perfect man without even trying. Good things come to those who wait.”

“But you need to be the one to grab that good thing when it appears in front of you,” Sirgia adds with a wise tone. “You might feel uncertain if that’s truly it, but it’s better to try for yourself than to miss it and regret it for the rest of your life.”

The conversation dies down from that point and we cover the rest of the distance in silence. It’s only a few hours as we reach the next town before dark. This one is located near a big, clear lake and surrounded by a lush forest from the other three directions. Like the last time, it has high and sturdy walls hiding a neat stone and brick infrastructure behind it. Dwarves know how to make their roads durable and nice to look at. The buildings are fairly charming too.

“I need to make a quick stop so why won’t you have a look around for a while?” I turn to the ladies as we pass through the checkpoint, earning ourselves a few stunned stares thanks to Diana.

“What for, Master?” Sirgia asks.

“Information.” I grin at her. “You should understand why I can’t take you.”

“Because my face must be widely known and the two of you have to be mentioned as my company,” Mevana points out cleverly. “We can try to sell some of my things before the market fully closes. Some people wait until the last moment, hoping to find good deals.”

“We’ll do that. Good luck, Master.” My mate gracefully walks over the beam and hops into her seat atop Diana. “Try not to bring any buildings down, okay?”

Giggling softly, she presses a loving kiss to my lips before I jump down. Waving at them, I pull up my hood and examine my surroundings, scanning all the surfaces for hints of where to go. Thanks to the interrogated guy’s detailed report, I more or less know what to look for to find the entrance to the Web.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to spot the first seemingly meaningless symbol and I find the way from that point on. The trail leads me to a side alley where only a few shabby stores are located. One of them offers shoes and that’s the one I finally step into. Compared to all the other establishments, the ceiling here is just high enough to let me stand up properly, and the doors follow the pattern too.

As I’m examining the products lined up on angled displays, the burly shopkeeper strolls into my view. “How can I help you, kind sir? Looking for something specific?”

The fact that he shows no hint of animosity even after noticing some of my visible features is suspicious on its own already. Nevertheless, I answer with exactly what I need to.

“I have big boots to fill, Shopkeeper.” I wiggle my feet a little.

“We have boots for every foot,” he answers, regarding me with some more attention. “Are yours special in any way, sir?”

“They tend to get dirty during my work.” I sigh heavily.

“Understandable. What about these, then?” The man brings me to a shelf in the corner.

I act like I’m looking at the pair thoughtfully. “A decent material, but it might not last long in my profession. It would be a shame if I had to come back and make a complaint to the maker.”

“Are you certain?” he asks with a different, more tense tone.

“I saw another wearing these. They slipped in shallow mud. I don’t want to make the same mistake,” I respond seriously. “It might be savvy if this opinion reached the maker. I’m sure they don’t want any trouble from unhappy customers.”

The Dwarf scans my figure once more, steps aside, and pulls one of the other shoes. Something clicks, and the cabinet in front of us slides backwards, then opens inwards, revealing a narrow corridor leading somewhere below. I move to the stairs immediately and the entrance closes behind me, the path illuminated by small crystals embedded into the moist walls.

I navigate through a few passages, following a route created by open doors at intersections, until I stroll into a small chamber with a covered table in the middle, a masked person sitting behind it, and four Dwarves standing in each corner, holding metal batons in front of their belts. The door is locked after I’m inside, silence filling the room. With just one additional chair, I sit in front of the mysterious individual.

“In regards to which bounty are you here?” the man asks with a deep voice.

“Are you the steward of this branch?” I ask firmly, and when he doesn’t immediately answer, I lean more forward to show my confidence. “I need to deliver this information to the steward, no lower.”

“Yes,” the guy replies, his four cronies gripping their weapons harder. “Nail Seventh.”

“Mevana Shaftmiller,” I answer his previous question.

With methodical movements, he opens up a drawer I can’t see and browses it quickly, bringing forth a single page of parchment with Mev’s mug and some notes below it. After checking it out, he fishes a pencil out of his clothes and holds it above the paper.

“What’s the warning?” the steward inquires, clearly briefed about my interaction with the clerk.

“Me,” I state and he pauses his motion to start writing, definitely confused as hell under that mask. “I am the warning.”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Human.” He straightens up and the guards assume better positions to take action.

“I’ll be brief, then.” I smirk at him. “Miss Shaftmiller is under my protection.”

The goons raise their batons, but the leader stops them with his hand, staring right at me. “And what exactly are you expecting us to do? Withdraw the contract?”

“No. You can’t do that. It would hurt your reputation. And made your client unnecessarily suspicious of both your organisation and my client.” I chuckle amusedly. “All I want you to do is to spread the word that anyone who dares to pick this bounty up can consider their life forfeit. My company will hunt all the members of their group down to the very last person.”

“And who do you think you are to make threats—”

Faster than they can react, I grab the metal baton of the crook to my right and stab the blunt end right through his armoured ribcage, piercing his heart. Yanking the stick out, I shove the poor guy aside, letting him fall to the ground with a hole in his chest. The other three watch me with horror as I start twisting the steel weapon like dough, forming a spring-like spiral and pushing it towards the steward, making it roll until it falls into his lap.

“Does this answer satisfy your curiosity?” I raise a brow at the leader.

“It is… enough,” Nail answers rigidly. “But it might not be enough to deter the hunters.”

I hum to myself, leaning back in the chair and joining my hands behind my head. Making a show of giving something a deep thought, I fling a finger his way, making the men flinch, but all that appears before them is a pinkish screen with just my Tier visible.

“This should do the trick.” I yawn into my hand. “Or would you like me to demonstrate?”

“Yes, My Lord. No, My Lord.” The steward bows his head. “We will do as you say.”

“Perfect. But, now that you’ve made me reveal this much, I have some questions that need answering.” A cunning grin makes its way onto my lips and I hear him swallow thickly.

Thankfully, Mister Nail Seventh turns out to be a very kind and understanding guy, happily sharing all the information I request without even asking for anything in return. One of his friends tries his luck with me during our pleasant discussion, but before the courageous warrior manages to take a full swing, his body is suddenly split in half by a violet blade as I drop my shortsword-shaped hilt into the floor.

The remaining duo decides to take a break in the corner and play cards, their boss becoming even more cheerful about my questions.

We wrap it up rather quickly and I bid the gentlemen farewell. Wisely, they don’t send anyone else after me and I slip out of the hidden network the same way I came in, through the neat shoe cabinet. The clerk doesn’t show any meaningful reaction so it looks like I’m the first one to reach him. I notice that my trip back was much shorter, with almost every door leading straight, finally figuring out that they must have led me in circles for a while to share information on my way in.

I could have wiped this villainous branch easily, but that could do more bad than good right now. Destroying a single small safehouse would just alert the other ones. Instead, I made sure what awaited the entire organisation if Nail decided to say a bit too much about this. 

Wishing the shopkeeper good night, I return to the streets and head to the area where I can sense my petite lover. They are on the move so I aim to cross their path. We meet halfway to another gate leading outside and I wave cordially at them, hopping onto the coach to sit next to Mevana this time.

“How did the sale go?” I ask while pulling down my hood.

“Your wife did something to my products and they became much more durable. I sold one-fifth of my spears to some mercenaries,” our merchant friend shares with a merry smile.

“It was just a simple enchantment. Mev’s woodwork is at an incredible level. Low-quality shafts wouldn’t be able to bear these runes. They were strong even before I helped a little,” Sirgia adds with an equally joyful expression. “What about you, Master? Any luck on your side?”

“We’ll be bothered much less by small fries now,” I answer with a wink. “Also, does the name Stockhawker ring any bells?”

Mevana’s face falls into her hands. “Not those guys…”

“How is that even possible?” My petite mate glances over her shoulder with pure confusion.

“You know them?” I meet her eyes with a bit of a surprise.

“Of course, I do. They are one of the commercial titans with the widest range of brands and products under their management,” she explains, still as dumbfounded. “A single local woodworker can’t possibly challenge their selling power, no matter how talented. Even if, they can just buy her out and add another high-quality item to their catalogue that will quickly earn back the cost. They aren’t stupid. People dream about being noticed by them.”

Damn.

This shit is only getting bigger and bigger.