“Are you alright?” Adam asked, bringing Vonda’s food to her in the tower.

“I am fine, thank you.” Vonda placed down her waterskin, having just finished her evening prayer. Her lips formed a smile upon seeing Adam bringing the bowl of food for her. “You did not need to bring the food.”

“We are very grateful for your assistance, Ray Vonda,” Adam replied, flashing a charming smile towards her, one that insisted he’d be troubling her often in the future. “Once you’re done fasting, then we’ll treat you like before, but for now just accept our pampering.”

“I am a Ray now, it is not suitable for you to pamper me so.”

“You might be a Ray, but you’re still a Manager, so accept the business’ good will, Manager Vonda.” Adam placed down the bowl of grilled vegetables, parted by a small wooden block which kept the dried fruit separated. “I wasn’t sure if I should bring some meat, so I brought the vegetables first. Are you allowed to eat meat?”

“It is more pious to eat only fruits and vegetables and such during the fast.”

“Fair enough.” Adam remained standing there awkwardly for a moment. “I think Jurot’s still got some cheese, should I steal some for you?”

“Stealing from an Iyrman?”

“Who said I’d steal it?”

Vonda smiled a deeper smile. “I will enjoy the vegetables and fruit just fine, Adam. Thank you.”

“Should I go bring a wineskin for you?”

“I should not drink alcohol during this fast.”

Adam waited with an expectant gaze, flashing a quick wink once she raised her brow questioningly towards him, before he chuckled and left with a bow of his head. ‘I shouldn’t tease her too much.’

“Adam, will you assist us in cleaning and drying?” Dunes called, noting the half elf stepping out of the tower.

“Of course,” Adam replied.

With the magics of Adam and the Priest, the pair dealt with most of the cleaning of the hydras, while the Iyrmen continued to butcher the several creatures. Adam glanced around the creatures.

‘We don’t really have enough time to butcher them all cleanly. It’s not like we need the meat or bones, though, so we can probably just get away with dealing with the scales and skin then?’

Then Adam’s eyes fell towards the Hopes and Rays, who were busy keeping an eye on the children, alongside Fred, Nobby, Brittany, and Jonn.

“Mister Adam says we can get some scales,” Barry said, smiling so brightly towards the Ray. “He says it ain’t got no regenerayshun but if I feed it, it might get bigger.”

“Scales don’t get bigger, Barry,” Poppy said. “Scales are scales, and hydras are hydras.”

“Everything gets bigger if you feed you, you just gotta feed it right,” Barry stated confidently.

“I suppose that’s true in some way,” Adam said, smiling politely towards the members of the order. “Are you kids all behaving properly in front of the Hope and Rays?”

“Yes,” the children replied.

“Penny’s not behavin’,” Gales said. “She’s sleepin’.”

“I suppose that’s fine too,” Adam replied, chuckling lightly. “Why don’t you all go and bathe before dinner?”

“Okay, mister Adam,” the children replied, before they were ushered away.

“Is there a need to keep them away from us?” Hope Willow asked.

“It’s not like that. I’m still working and there’s no point in them sitting here doing nothing. The food will be done soon so it’ll be best to clean up first while it’s free.”

Hope Willow narrowed her eyes at the young man. Though it made sense, she still couldn’t help but feel he was picking a fight with them, especially with how light his tone was.

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“Is it wise to give such precious items to the children? Hydra scales are worth their weight in silver.”

“We will do what we want with our share, you can do what you want with your share.”

“Our share?”

“We didn’t defeat the hydras by ourselves, did we?”

“We do not require a share.”

“Just take it,” Adam said, waving his hand dismissively, before he stopped, clearing his throat. “As an Executive, I wanted to thank the Hope and Rays for their assistance. Without it, I’m certain we would have had quite some trouble, and it was only thanks to your support everyone was able to survive. Please accept two hydras for your assistance.”

“…” Hope Willow didn’t like this Adam. The previous Adam, who spoke so freely and openly, without the proper respect, spoke true with his heart. This Adam, the diplomatic Adam who tried to play the game, was too… queer.

“I understand if it’s offensive to offer the bodies, so once we’re in town, we’ll allow you to claim the rewards from the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“It would be more awkward for us to claim it from the Guild,” Willow admitted. “We will claim one hydra as our own.”

“We will be unable to process all the hydras completely, but if you wish to work on the two hydras which belong to you, you may.” Adam then glanced over to the side. “Vasera!”

“Yes?” the woman replied, walking towards the half elf from her little corner she was watching over.

“Have some of yours butcher your hydra if you can.”

“Our hydra?”

“Your share of the hydra.”

“You’ve already paid us.”

“Consider it a bonus.”

Vasera grinned wide. “Once must look a gift camel within the mouth before accepting.”

“Isn’t the saying the opposite?”

“Why would it be the opposite?”

“Why would it be the opposite of the opposite?”

“What if the camel has a blight?”

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “A what?”

“If a camel has such a blight it will rampage through the area.”

“Oh. Well, are you going to look at a camel, a hydra, I’ve gifted to you?”

“You are no Iyrman.”

“Hey,” Adam said, glancing back towards Willow, his expression as though he had been slapped. “I mean, she’s right, but did she really have to say it?”

“…”

Vasera howled, before shouting in her tongue towards the others, who excitedly made their way towards a hydra, while she and Rook remained on opposite sides of the camp, keeping an eye out. Jaygak and Laygak also circled around the camp, taking opposite sides themselves, so each direction had at least someone in heavy armour watching.

“You are most generous, Adam,” Willow said.

“Like I said, your assistance is greatly appreciated,” Adam said. “I’m not like some of the people around here who speak with their mouths and not their pouches.”

“Do you believe us to be the same?”

“Can I say that when you, a Hope, and your Rays are assisting us?”

“…”

“No is the answer to that.”

‘It seems he holds his principles firmly.’ Willow thought about what had happened between the children and the Marquise. ‘It is how he found so much trouble.’

“Executive,” called one of the cousins, who looked more like twins. “We won’t be able to carry most of the hydra bits. We can sort out the cart to try and fit more things in, but we might need to bend some of the hydra skin in the wagon.”

“Whatever you need to get done, let Executive Jaygak and Executive Kitool know. I trust you to figure it out, and I trust the Executives to take your words into account, considering your expertise.”

Remy nodded, throwing a look to Jeremy, motioning his head towards Kitool, who was also keeping an eye on the area around, though remained near the towers, along with some of the farmers.

‘We should be able to get to the city by evening tomorrow,’ Adam thought, glancing around the area. The group was only about thirty strong, so managing them wasn’t particularly difficult. Everyone was currently on the same page, and with all the different figures who held command, everything could continue to move smoothly.

‘Everyone here is pretty trustworthy, but I can’t expect it to be as smooth as this when the business grows. Should we keep it small? It’s not like we need to…’ Adam let out a dark sigh. ‘I do need at least a small army though, just in case that thing comes into this world…’

Omen: 3, 15

“We’ve got a big group comin’,” a guard said, squinting his eyes, covering above his helmet to try and avoid the sun against his eyes.

“You ate your veggies, Addler, we know,” the other guard said.

“I’m just warnin’ you, tha’s all.”

“Big group, small group, no way they’ll cause trouble in East Port.”

“That kinda talks gunna get you killed, mate.”

“They don’t know we’re lowborn or nothing like that. We’re guards, and who causes trouble for guards?”

“Adventurers.”

“If they’re adventurers, we’ll deal with them the same way we deal with adventurers.”

“Who shit in your porridge?”

“I put in a half spoon of salt instead of sugar.”

“Ooooh,” Addler replied, wincing. “You still not sleepin’ right?”

“No.”

“I’ll check if we don’t got some moon tea.”

“You think they’re gonna pass out moon tea to us?”

“Might be lowborn, but we’re still guards.”

“Lowborn, lowborn. We’re commonfolk, Addler, commonfolk.”

“Same thin’.”

“No. Not the same thing, mate. Lowborn means you’re licking the boot of the betterborn.”

“They ain’t betterborn, they’re noblefolk.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Addler let out a sigh, shaking his head. He narrowed his eyes. “Say, Jerry?”

“Yeah?”

“Is that a Hope?”

Jerry squinted his eyes as he stared in the distance. “They look like ants at this distance.”

“They’re not that far.” ‘It’s the damn sun that’s killin’ my eyes.’

“Hold up, hold up.” Jerry squinted his eyes further, slowly shifting his head downwards to avoid the sun. “Addler. I think it is a Hope.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Say, ain’t they…” Jerry glanced towards Addler, before shutting his mouth.

Addler gave Jerry that kind of look back, keeping his mouth shut.

Lowborn, commonfolk, it didn’t matter. The matter between the Order of Life’s Rose and the Marquise was for the betterborn or noblefolk.

“Is the Captain in?” Addler asked.

Jerry noted the large group led by the Hope. “For that many? She better be.”