"So now that we ate, why don't you tell me what you have been doing lately?" My father's question hung in the air as he looked at me with inquisitive eyes.

The corners of my mouth twitched as I looked at him with an awkward smile. What a seemingly innocent question... yet there were multiple ways to answer him. Each of them hiding potential landmines I wanted to avoid at all costs.

I shifted nervously, trying to quickly come up with an acceptable answer. I felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down my back while my father's piercing gaze bore holes into my soul.

With a deep sigh, I hesitantly began speaking, "Well, nothing much... I was simply studying magic like always with my master, Lily, while also taking care of the house. Oh, and Helga recently made her debut in society..."

I then told him about how we attended the Harvest Festival and how everyone's eyes were on Helga as she made her debut, hoping to divert the conversation to a safer topic.

My father listened with a keen interest to my tale. However, I couldn't help but notice that the longer I spoke, the harder he furrowed his brows. Finally, he wasn't able to hold his apparent frustration any longer, and with a raised hand, he interrupted me.

"Didn't you promise us you would provide Helga with a respectful job? All I hear is you two fooling around attending parties..."

"Father!" Helga exclaimed. "I'm not fooling around! I was studying etiquette all day long for weeks!" She said, looking outraged.

"That's true... she was studying quite hard these last few weeks." I nodded in agreement.

He raised an eyebrow. "And what about her job?"

I sighed before looking at him with a perplexed expression. 'Why is he so adamant about this? With my earnings, I can easily support Helga without any problems." I thought with frustration.

Then I smiled at him as I tried to make him see the light. "You see... Father. It's not easy to find a job that is both respectable and suitable for Helga's skills."

He wanted to interject, but I didn't give him an opportunity. "Helga's debut was quite important for her and our family's reputation. With the right connections, she could make it much further in society than she could ever dream of otherwise..."

Father scoffed, "A steady income is more important than some empty dreams."

Seeing his stubbornness, I gathered this led nowhere, so I simply shook my head and looked at Helga. "Why don't we ask Helga what she wants to do? She is an adult, after all..."

I could see Helga's eyes brighten at my remark. "Ever since I came to the city, Darian showed me there is so much more to life than I could ever know in the village. I want to explore every nook of the city and make many new friends... I don't want to settle anytime soon!" she passionately proclaimed.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm as I looked back at our father. "See? She is happy here, so why can't we leave her to enjoy herself for a little while longer..."

Father huffed in annoyance, clearly not satisfied. He then looked at Helga. "Fine, I won't speak of this anymore. It is, after all, your life, and since you no longer live under my roof, I can only give you some advice. But remember, tread very carefully here. Believe me, I've seen what an unbounded hubris leads to, and it is not a pretty sight..."

He then turned to me. "And you... You now have responsibility for Helga, so make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I gulped nervously, sweating under the weight of his gaze. I nodded solemnly, promising him I would take care of Helga and ensure no harm would befall her.

But then I tilted my head questioningly as something Father said stuck in my mind. "You still never told me what led you to settle in such a small village instead of opening a shop in the city. Here, you could have so many opportunities and also so much more money."

Father simply smiled and shook his head. "Money is not everything, Darian," he said softly. "Sometimes it's more important to focus on what matters most - your family."

I looked curiously at him, sensing there was something he wasn't telling me. He chuckled softly and ruffled my hair. "Perhaps someday when you are older, I will tell you more about this, but not now..." he said with a wink.

I showed a weary smile but didn't pursue the topic any further. The gods know I have plenty of secrets of my own, so it would be hypocritical of me to try to pry out his.

Instead, I asked him. "So, how's life in the village?"

He laughed as he took a large gulp of mead. "Oh, you know it's still the same, and I like it that way."

We then talked some more before it was time to go to bed. Father had a long journey ahead of him back to the village, so we couldn't speak for too long.

***

'Well, that was quite a success.' I smiled as I woke up the following day. The soft light filtered in through the curtains. I quickly put on my clothes and went to an early breakfast.

The chef, by now, knew my habits quite well, so he started preparing breakfast long before sunrise, as he knew I was an early bird. Not that I didn't like to rest a bit longer, but I had plenty to do today.

Shortly after breakfast, as the sun rose over the roofs, it was time to say goodbye to Father. He hugged me, and while I returned the embrace, I thanked him for his brief but fond visit.

He then ruffled my hair before releasing me with one final word of caution: "Be careful, Darian. I know that the city life can have an irresistible allure, but for people like us, it can also cause ruin and destruction."

And with that, he set into the city streets, pulling his small cart full of supplies. I looked at him with a silent question hanging on my lips.

'What was that about? It is quite unlike him to be so full of doom and gloom.' I thought as I looked at his silhouette disappearing in the distance.

I guess it has something to do with his past, but it will probably take some time before he is ready to talk about it. With this, I went back inside to prepare for the day ahead.

Soon after, I was already on my way to the Merchant's Guild to meet with Alaric. I knew he was well-connected, so I was hoping he could obtain the kind of information I was looking for.

When I arrived at the Guild's opulent building, Alaric was already waiting for me. He welcomed me with a warm smile on his face and offered me a seat in his impeccably decorated office.

He motioned for me to sit in one of the two elegant armchairs before his large mahogany desk.

"So what can I do for you on this fine day? I'm sorry that I couldn't meet with you sooner, but there was simply utter chaos yesterday. I hope there were no problems with the trade license?" He probed.

"Not in the least, thank you again for arranging it on such a short notice. Ultimately, our sale didn't pan out exactly how I was hoping for, but I won't bother you with the boring details. Instead, I wanted to ask you about something I'm currently struggling with..."

"Oh? do tell..." He smiled as he stroked his beard.

"I recently met several beast hunters who caught my eye, and I want to hire them for a certain request. Yet I'm not sure about the strength of their character if you know what I mean... And I would like to learn more about them before considering them for the job."

Alaric nodded with a knowing smile. "Ah, I know exactly what you mean. Many merchants deal with similar problems when hiring guards for their caravans, so there is a demand for this kind of information."

He then leaned forward and added in a quiet voice. "And where there is a demand, there is also an offer. But it will cost you quite a bit, I'm afraid."

"Oh, that's not a problem at all..." I replied with a subtle smile.

We discussed the details of my request, and after I provided him the names, he agreed that he would do some background checks on the said beast hunters.

After reviewing a few details regarding the payment, Alaric shuffled the papers on his table and nodded before gathering them up and tucking them inside his robe.

He stood up and extended his hand to me, and I accepted it gratefully. I left his office with a broad smile, feeling excited that all my plans were progressing smoothly.

Now, all that is left are a few willing workers to help us with the potion... ehm, the enhanced elixir production, and we can finally start making some real money...