The sun was high in the sky, and the bustling city was alive with energy. I arrived at the alleyway where Eira, Ash, Zeke, and I were scheduled to meet. The tension was thick, and the air was heavy with anticipation.

I leaned against a wall with a nonchalant air, hiding my presence with the help of Umbra, waiting for the others to arrive. Eira arrived next, stomping into the alley, her eyes scanning her surroundings with suspicion. She narrowed her eyes and leaned against the wall, waiting for us to arrive.

Zeke arrived with a flourish, his laughter echoing through the alley as he walked in with an exaggerated swagger. His appearance was striking - a disheveled mess of hair, a wild glint in his eyes, and an unsettling grin that seemed to be permanently plastered on his face. As he spotted Eira, he started playing with a knife like a psycho. "And who might you be, little girl?"

"HUH! Little girl!? I'm older than you, you fucking bastard. Show some respect to your elders! Who the hell am I? Are you telling me that late bastard didn't tell you who I am!?"

The next moment, Ash came running like the Flash and sat on top of the building, looking down at Eira and Zeke. "Who are you guys? Ooh, are you guys my co-workers? Where is Kael?"

"Alright, now that everyone is here, let's begin." I stepped out of the shadow, making all three of them jump. Yes, I love their reactions. I mysteriously appeared right before them, leaving them confused. Ha ha ha, I love it!

"AAAAHHHHH! YOU BITCH, YOU SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!" - Eira

"Hmhmhmhm, that was awesome, man. I was this close to stabbing you." - Zeke

"SO COOL! Can you show me how to do that!?" - Ash

"I know, that was a perfect entrance, right? But let's start with the introductions. Go ahead, Eira."

"As he said, I'm Eira, and I'm the reason we're going to make money. So you better not get on my nerves and think you can boss me around! You heard me? I'm talking to you, you psycho."

"Mmmh, so you're the one that built the devices? Hmhmhm, I was just thinking about how to cut you up. Ugh, but I guess I have to hold back."

"Zeke, please don't start killing people for your satisfaction. I will warn you ahead of time that it would be difficult even for you to kill Eira. She is a half-dwarf, after all. You know how resilient they are."

"WHOOOO, you're a dwarf!? I thought you were a kid. Does that mean you're going to make us some swords and armor!?" - Ash

"OI! YOU LITTLE RASCAL!! That's racist, do you think all dwarfs are the same!?" Eira snapped back.

"Alright, Eira, that's enough. Ash is just a kid. You won't gain anything by yelling at him," I said, trying to diffuse the tension.

I motioned for them to gather around, and the three of us formed a semi-circle. Eira's eyes met Zeke's, and an immediate sense of rivalry sparked between them. It was clear that these two strong personalities were destined to clash.

"Now that we're all here," I began, "let's discuss our plans moving forward. First, we need to establish our base of operations. Zeke, I'm under the assumption that you've found a suitable location, right?"

Zeke's grin widened as he nodded. "Indeed I have. They gave such a discount on the place, I managed to save so much money~. I've found us a nice building at the town square, perfect for conducting our business."

Eira snorted in response, unable to resist jabbing at Zeke. "As long as it's not as psychotic as you, I guess it'll do."

Zeke's laughter bubbled up as he shot a teasing glare at Eira. "Oh, my dear Eira, I'm going to enjoy our little partnership."

The two stared each other down, the animosity between them palpable. I quickly intervened, steering the conversation back to our plans. "Now that we've settled on a location, let's discuss our roles. Eira, you'll continue to work on the TSI, and Zeke, you'll use your connections to find us buyers and suppliers. I'm sure handling the negotiations and keeping things intact won't be a problem for you, right? As for Ash, you just need to follow the instructions that Zeke gives you. Don't look down on him, Zeke. His speed is no joke."

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

As we discussed our plans, Ash couldn't help but intervene. "Uh, I don't want to be that guy, but what do you bring to the table, Kael?"

"Hmhmhm, I'm glad you asked. You see, without me, none of this would've been possible. Just think of me as the chain that holds everything together. I mean, look at those two." Ash turned and saw Zeke and Eira glaring at each other, sending sparks through the air.

"Alright guys, playtime is over. Zeke, lead the way. We'll talk as we walk. And Ash, please don't start mugging people along the way."

After a long walk, we finally arrived at the building. It was three stories tall and not too grand. The first two floors were for customers, while the top floor was a personal floor equipped with a kitchen, bath, and five rooms. Ugh, finally, I can sleep under a roof. The store was packed with clothes and other everyday items. It seems that Zeke had fun buying this building.

"Alright, Eira, settle down and prepare one of the rooms as your working area. Zeke, turn this place into a legitimate business. We need to make sure the paperwork is in proper order; we don't want any unnecessary inspections. We also need to prepare for the first sale; Eira should have a TSI prepared by tonight. And as for you, Ash, can you organize the first two floors? Make sure to clean properly."

"Seriously, why do you get to boss everyone? I'm the one that makes them; shouldn't I get that privilege?" Eira asked.

"Because you have a bad personality and you suck at business, so try to learn from Zeke and me," I replied.

"That's right, you shorty. Try to learn from us. Maybe if you manage to control that crappy personality, we might listen," Zeke said.

"Hehe, he called you a shorty. I guess that's your new nickname," Ash teased.

"DON'T CALL ME A SHORTY! And why are you talking!? You're just as short as me!" Eira retorted.

"Yeah, but I'm just a kid. I'll grow taller; however, you will never grow. You're stuck like that for life. Oh, you poor thing, you must have suffered your whole life, everyone calling you a kid wherever you go," Ash mocked.

"YOU—," Eira started.

"Alright, that's enough!! Seriously, guys, try to get along. We're all after the same thing here. I'll be heading up to take a bath. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

"By the way, Kael, do you know when the entrance exam for the academy is? My sister won't tell me, but she seems to be training more than usual lately."

"Now that you mention it..." In my novel, I focused the first three months on the main character traveling to the capital, so it should be around three months. "I'm not too certain, but it should be around three months, right Zeke?"

"Yes, it will take place in three months. However, your sister is going to have a hard time; the applicants this year are quite talented."

"Does that mean my sister won't be able to enter the academy?"

"Don't worry, Ash. Your sister is quite talented, right? Zeke is only saying that people have high expectations. Just focus on your task at hand; we have a lot to do, so let's get prepared. I, for one, need to thoroughly clean myself."

✦✦✦

Ah, a clean bath is just what I needed. I can finally get rid of all this dirt; being a beggar just isn't for me. I have lots to do before I can relax. Although Zeke is crazy, he's a reliable person, so I can leave this business to him without worrying. Now, I should first try to increase my strength. Although having the Blade of Umbra is useful, I can't solely rely on it. This damn system, why haven't you given me a task? Tsk, what an unreliable piece of crap.

[Tasks/Missions are part of the main storyline. The chances of receiving them without being part of the Main story depend on the influence they would leave on the world.]

Tsk, I know, but the main story won't start for three months. It's irritating. Ugh, I guess I should focus on our first sale. There shouldn't be a problem since I've got Zeke; I just hope Eira can manage a day without attempting to kill him. Alright, I should check on those idiots.

✦✦✦

"OUCH!! Let go, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I won't do it again, please help, Kael!!"

"Ugh, seriously Eira, what are you doing to Ash? Get off of him; you're not a damn child."

"Stay out of this, Kael! This little bastard needs to be taught a lesson; he won't stop calling me shorty!"

"Forget it, I can't deal with this right now." I see Zeke looking through some documents. "Zeke, how's everything going? When will we have our first sale?"

"Yo, right now, I'm confirming the location. The auction meeting went well, although it took a while, we will be able to sell it tonight."

"Oi, oi, oi, isn't this too fast? Shit, we need to prepare. Eira, make sure there's nothing wrong with the TSI and place it in a custom box. We want to leave a good impression. Seriously, Zeke, you couldn't have told me beforehand?"

"Kuhahaha, it's more fun that way. This is my way of getting back at you for jump-scaring us in the alleyway."

Alright, Ash, take the package to the location Zeke tells you. Make sure to wear a mask. There will be a man there; just give him the package and return. Zeke and I will pick up the payment. Eira, you can just chill here; do what you need to do.