‘I hate him already,’ Adam thought, smiling politely, raising his brows slightly as though he enjoyed meeting such a fellow.

“Guests, perhaps. Prisoners, apparently.” Adam motioned his head to the locked door behind, though his lips remained in a smile.

The man smiled. “I heard you had business with Cobra.”

“Well, mister Cobra, I do so happen to have business with you.”

“I am Moons,” the fellow replied, still smiling, though his eyes narrowed. How could someone meet him and not know who he is?

“Moons?”

“Moons.”

“Then who in the under realms is Cobra?”

“The woman who had a misunderstanding with us and was… politely escorted out.”

“Ah!” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head. “If her name’s Cobra, then I want her even more now.”

“How do you know of Cobra?”

“I saw her get thrown out,” Adam replied, simply. “I need someone who can take a beating like that, and seeing how a couple of your guys looked after fighting her, I thought she might be useful. She has guts, and I want those guts.”

“I am not in the business of organ trafficking,” Moons joked, flashing a smile.

“I’m sure. You’re an upstanding businessman, who has plenty of talented youths under his employ, that I would like to take off your hands, for the appropriate sum of coin, or rather, gems.” Adam pat his pouch, the muffled sounds of gems clattering together perking Moons’ ears.

“So you have come to me to buy bodies?”

“Yes, though if you don’t have any available, I’d like it if you could point me in the right direction. I’d like someone like Cobra, she’s great. Perhaps you have people who are troublesome for you, and would be better managed elsewhere?”

“You wish to buy those we have trouble with?” Moons asked, allowing his voice to let slip his curiosity.

“Sort of. I want to employ people that are capable, and I presume if someone is going against you, then they’re probably capable in some way.”

“You wish to… ally yourself with those we find troublesome?”

“More like… we’ll take them off your hands, offering them a deal they might not be able to refuse, and they’ll leave you be.”

“Unorthodox, and perhaps, if I may admit so, potentially troublesome.”

“How so?”

“Perhaps you use them against me?”

Adam glanced around between the others. “I have no reason to do so. I have come here to do business, and once it’s done, it’s done. I don’t really have much business in East Port, or rather, not with the underground types. I just know the best place to find talented people is by speaking with esteemed gentlemen, such as yourself.”

Moons kept an eye on Adam for a long moment, before his eyes fell to the Iyrman, and then the Priest of Life. “You are a strange group. I have not met someone who walks with such company wishing to speak with me for business. What business does a Priest of Life, of the Good Mother, have with us?”

“I am here as a Manager, not as a Sister,” Vonda replied, smiling politely.

“You are a Sister?”

“I am Manager Vonda,” Vonda stated. “Though I have been known as Sister Vonda of Life’s Rose.”

Moons’ head snapped to attention towards the young woman, who dared to claim herself as Sister Vonda of Life’s Rose. “What business do you have here, Sister Vonda?”

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“Merely wishing to assist the business in finding appropriate talents,” Vonda replied, still smiling politely.

“I hear cats hop on the sill to catch mice,” one of the men in the leather said.

“Aye,” the woman in chain replied, her eyes also glued to Vonda. “Sister Vonda of Life’s Rose. Didn’t recognise you without your scarf.” She grabbed a chair from one side and dragged it over. “Meant no disrespect.”

Vonda smiled. “I did not receive any inclination of disrespect from you.” She accepted the other and sat on the chair. The woman in chain stepped away, leaning back against a nearby wall, beside the young boy.

“At this moment, we only have this business with you,” Vonda said.

“At this moment?” Moons asked.

“Executive Adam is someone who invites trouble because it works well for him,” Vonda said, letting out a soft sigh, as though she were babysitting the young man. “It would be more pleasant for us if you take what he says as truth, and understand he has little to no darkness in his words.”

“Executive Adam?” Moons asked, his eyes falling to Adam once more. “I’ve heard that name before.”

Adam shrugged. “My name gets around.”

“Executive Adam?” the woman asked, unable to contain her surprise. “I lost ten coin when you fought Vasera.”

Adam smiled. “Well, thank you for the gold.” His lips formed a wider smile.

‘Executive Adam? Purple Adam?’ Moons thought, furrowing his brows slightly. “You work for a business, isn’t that right? Enchanting?”

“That’s right.”

Moons remained silent for a long moment. ‘Does he know about the boy?’

“Now, I feel like I’m showing off, but Kitool here placed second in the tournament,” Adam said, motioning his head to Kitool.

Moons’ eyes fell to Kitool again, and almost instantly, recognised the young woman. She didn’t carry her staff, but there was no doubt about it, she was certainly the woman who placed second.

‘Sister Vonda. Steel Fist Kitool. Purple Adam.’

Although they outnumbered the trio, it would be rather difficult to deal with them if they did cause any issues. Thankfully, Adam wasn’t wearing his armour, and seemingly wasn’t carrying his axe. They couldn’t do much to Vonda, since she was a member of Life’s Rose, and Kitool would no doubt cause them trouble with her skill.

‘Good Mother, what did I do to deserve this headache?’ Moons prayed.

“So, like I said, I just need some youths to train for the business. Nothing untoward, nothing weird, literally just that.” Adam raised his brows. “Do you have any recommendations.”

“How young?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Adam replied. “Babies are acceptable too, as long as, you know, they’re orphans or something. Not made to be orphans to be sold to me, just, children who are orphans who slipped through the cracks. The business intends to grow over decades, so we don’t mind training those who are too young.” Adam still noted the looks within their eyes. ‘It does sound weird…’

“I see…”

“I don’t want you kidnapping people either. I want to meet them today, and once I’ve found a few which look good, I mean, not look good, but…” Adam looked to Vonda, let out a soft sigh, before looking back to Moons. “Just… whoever has debts with you, perhaps, or those who seem dependable, but don’t want to do anything in this field of work.”

“What are you willing to pay?”

“Let me know their debts, I’ll pay them off, and then some extra.”

“What if they have no debts?”

“State an appropriate price and I will pay it.”

Moons eyed up the pouch again, wondering if all of those gems were obsidian, or if there were others. Then his eyes went up to Adam’s amulet. “Would you like those who are particularly devout?”

“It would be nice.” Adam thought about what and who he needed. ‘I guess he probably won’t be willing to give up anyone actually talented. Do I really need people who are talented? I could just train them up like how I’ve trained up the Iyrmen, let them share XP with me…’ “They don’t have to be particularly talented. If you have those who are less than useful, you can offer them up too. We don’t really need anyone who are particualrly talented, I suppose, we’d be the ones to teach them their skills. In fact, if anyone owes you a large debt, and doesn’t seem able to pay it off, and perhaps is too troublesome to chase to pay off, you can offer them too.”

Moons glanced between the Iyrman and the priest. “I may have some children who would be better under the guidance of a Priest of the Good Mother.”

“Wonderful,” Adam said, far too eagerly. “How many?”

“Three.”

“How much for each?”

“One hundred gold for all three,” Moons said.

“Done.”

Moons blinked. ‘That was easier than I thought.’

“Would you mind bringing in Cobra?” Adam asked. “I’d like to check them out properly too.”

“Let us head out to the other room to discuss the matters more clearly,” Moons said. However, as he did, the group heard a knock at the door.

“Boss! They’re here!”

Adam glanced over towards the door, and then eyed up Moons expectantly, before the overweight fellow stepped towards the door, unlocking it, the door revealing a homeless man.

“Those snake bitches, they’re makin’ a mess!”

Moons let out a sigh. “There are two more like Cobra you may be interested in.” Moons motioned with a hand for Adam and the others to leave.

Adam stepped out to see two more women, both wearing lighter clothing, with their arms and legs wrapped with leather as they, with unexpected skill, beat back the homeless around them, who were apparently not quite as harmless as they appeared.

Adam watched as they fought, managing to sweep the homeless with ease, before realising they were both at least at the level of Experts, though not quite as refined as those he typically hung around with.

‘Oh ho! Not bad!’

The pair of women panted, their eyes falling to Cobra, who was tied up to one side, being watched by a couple of thuggish fellows. Then their eyes fell to Moons.

“Moons!” one shouted.

“Damned son of a goat!” the other added.

“Where’s Alex?”

The pair raised their fists, ready to fight, while Cobra remained still.

“Alex?” Adam asked.