“You know the Iyrmen?” Cobra asked, watching as the Iyrmen left, going off to bathe and change.

“Considering one of them is my brother, yeah,” Adam replied as though it were really that simple.

“Your brother?”

“Jurot, the big one with the axe and shield.” ‘Didn’t seem like he found much trouble out in the field.’

Cobra recalled how many times Adam had mentioned his brother, and that he was an Iyrman, but she hadn’t processed it. It made such little sense that she put almost no stock into the words, but with everything which had happened, it made more sense for it to be true. She blinked.

“What?”

“Are all the Iyrmen part of the business?”

“Not exactly. Jurot’s an Executive, like me, but the younger Iyrmen are more like our trainees…”

“Trainees?”

“Yeah, we trained them to become Experts, and now they’re working for us.”

“You trained them into Experts?”

“Yeah.”

“So they’re all Experts?”

“Yes.”

“…” Cobra stared into Adam’s eyes. ‘The Iyrmen are all strong, so that isn’t a surprise…’

“The kids can listen to some of their stories, and then they should be able to sleep peacefully…” Adam paused. “No, hold on, I’ll tell them not to tell the particular scary stories.”

Cobra suddenly realised where Adam got all his confidence from. If he was walking around with a group of Expert Iyrmen, of course he would be confident enough to stand up to the Marquise. ‘Experts aren’t going to be enough, but if they’re Iyrmen, it might make the Marquise think again. She’s got some Masters and Grandmasters, but will she send them all for Alex?’

Vonda made her way down, taking her seat opposite Adam. She sat casually, as though nothing was wrong, but her eyes focused on Adam’s face, and when he caught her eyes, he watched as her eyes darted to one side and then met his again.

“Oh, right, Manager Vonda, Cobra here has good news,” Adam said, before motioning a hand to the young woman to speak up.

“We would like to join the business,” Cobra replied, awkwardly, noting how Vonda wanted to speak with Adam.

“That is wonderful news,” Vonda replied, flashing a relaxed smile, though it was certainly a practised relaxed smile, the kind a priest needed to learn. “I am glad to hear that you accepted the offer.”

“I’ll leave you two to discuss the offer,” Cobra said, bowing her head lightly, before stepping away.

Adam waited for Vonda to speak up, but the young woman remained silent for a long time.

“We should wait until Executive Jurot returns,” Vonda said.

“You don’t have to wait long, he’s off in the baths now,” Adam said, motioning his head to the side.

“That is good news.”

“Is everything okay?” Adam asked. At Vonda’s silence, Adam sat up straighter, and his eyes began to take greater notes of the area around them. ‘It looks like this day isn’t ending soon.’

Eventually, the Iyrmen returned, offering Adam their clothes within a basket, the young man stealthily drying off their clothes. The action made him relax, for if he was drying clothes so casually, perhaps everything was well after all?

“Let us speak privately,” Vonda said. “The Executives, the Managers, and of course the…” Vonda’s eyes fell to Lucy and Mara. “If you could join us too.”

Lucy felt something cold against the back of her neck. ‘Is it that bad?’

“Nobby, remember, you need to look after Alex, and Fred, don’t forget about…” Adam realised he had no idea what the boy’s name was. ‘It’s not like I can ask him either…’

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Yes, mister boss,” Nobby replied.

“Yes, boss,” Fred replied, nodding his head.

Vonda guided Kitool, Dunes, Jurot, Lucy, Mara, and Adam, all to a separate room. “I prayed to the Divine, and I have learnt that our path forward is full of blood and death.”

“I expected as much,” Adam replied. “You know how nobles are.”

“What happened?” Lucy asked. “We leave you for one day and you make such a mess? Did you pick a fight with the Duchess?” Her voice was light and playful, though her body remained tense.

“No, no, no one like that,” Adam replied, waving his hand in the air. “I’m not stupid enough to pick a fight with the Duchess.”

“…”

“Oh, don’t hurry to agree,” Adam replied, his eyes snapping at each of them.

“So who is it?” Lucy asked, her eyes falling to Vonda. “Is it your previous family?”

“We would not need to be so serious if it was that family,” Vonda stated. “The Eastlake family is not quite so influential to cause us worry.”

“Then…”

“It’s the Tiderock family.”

“Oh,” Lucy replied. ‘I haven’t heard of them, so I guess they’re not that important.’

“You have made the Marquise your enemy?” Mara asked.

“First of all, she made me her enemy, I didn’t do anything,” Adam replied. “Secondly, yes.”

“What did you do?” Jurot asked, crossing his arms.

“I didn’t do anything,” Adam replied. “Manager Vonda, tell them.”

“We went to search for new members to bring into the fold and Executive Adam found a particular group he was fond of,” Vonda said. “One of them is a Sorcerer.”

Lucy glanced around, her eyes meeting Mara’s to see if she knew anything about it, but then their eyes fell to the Iyrman beside them. Jurot’s eyes were filled with that kind of look which meant he understood the situation.

“You do not wish to give up the Sorcerer?” Jurot asked.

“No.”

Jurot looked towards Vonda and Kitool, the pair who were meant to keep him out of trouble. If they couldn’t stop him, it meant that the young man had made his decision.

“Okay.”

“You said they were VIPs,” Lucy said. “What does that mean?”

“Very important persons,” Adam replied.

“People?”

“It’s too serious to make that kind of joke, Lucy.”

“Lucy may make the joke if she wishes,” Mara said, her eyes falling to Adam.

“Hey, I don’t want to hear it, especially not from our first VIPs.”

“We were your first VIPs?”

“I almost died, we spent a diamond worth hundreds of gold, and I had to give up a dragon heart, and more for the dragon heart, for the pair of you, so of course you were both the first VIPs,” Adam snapped, his eyes wide as though to dare them to pick a fight with him.

“I am very important,” Lucy joked, feeling a slightly shame rise within her. Out of mercy, she decided not to poke fun at Adam, who seemed so stressed out. “So we’ve got to protect them?”

“The business is going to protect these kids, even if it’s against the Marquise,” Adam said. “I was thinking about how to deal with the situation, and though I’m loathe to use it again so soon, I was planning on speaking with the Duchess.”

“No,” Jurot said. “The Duchess may find out about the Sorcerer.”

“So?” Adam asked.

“She may be tempted to claim the Sorcerer as her own.”

“Even if that means we won’t be working with her?”

“She may not understand the consequences.” Jurot gave Adam a knowing look, the kind that said that he shouldn’t forget she was a noble.

‘Right…’ “So… what do we do?”

“How did this situation come to pass?” Jurot asked.

Adam, Vonda, and Kitool explained the situation to the group. Jurot and the demons listened intently.

‘I’m glad they understand my magnificence, but did I really need to be present to listen to this?’ Lucy thought.

Jurot crossed his arms, deep in thought. Jaygak had refused to tell him what had happened back at the guild, the young woman having been informed by Kitool when she had been sent by Adam to speak with those at the guild to inform them about the situation. He understood why she had seemed so full of sheer mischievous joy.

Jurot exchanged a look with Kitool. She shook her head. Jurot raised a single finger, and Kitool remained silent. Kitool had already done it once, and it had gone quite smoothly, but this time they had people specifically looking to go after their group. Even if they did manage to slip the Sorcerer out, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t send a group after them, and it didn’t mean that group would believe them.

Plus, Adam said all of them were VIPs.

“Adam, how are we to treat the VIPs?” Jurot asked, still not entirely certain what it meant.

Adam thought about how to describe it. He had previously used a particular phrasing, using his children, but he wasn’t sure if that was appropriately apt. Adam’s children were his children, and as much as he wanted to protect these children, he couldn’t compare them to his own.

“Even if Shama appears again, I wouldn’t allow him to touch a hair on their heads.”

“Okay.” Jurot nodded.

“I had thought to provide them sanctuary within the order, but it may be difficult,” Vonda said. “If we can arrive within Life River’s boundary, I believe things will become simple.”

“So we need to brave the road for what, three days, before we can guarantee their safety?” Adam asked.

Vonda nodded. “I am uncertain if the order will be willing to assist too deeply, since the children are claimed by the business.”

“If we say they’re in danger, then what?”

“I will be asked what the danger is, and if I state the Marquise, there will be some complications…”

“I see…” Adam let out a sigh. “Once we’re on the road, anything could happen…”

“I did have some idea of how to force the order to act,” Vonda said.

“What do you mean by force them to act?”

“Our party currently possesses a pair of figures which would force the order to act, although that may escalate the situation.”

“Who?” Adam asked.

Vonda’s eyes fell across to Lucy and Mara.

Mara narrowed her eyes. “You wish to endanger Lucy?”

“Hey,” Lucy replied. “She was talking about you too.”

“I will not allow it,” Mara stated firmly.

Vonda bowed her head, relenting to the woman’s words.