Exiting the training area, we then went deeper into the cave. In the middle of the camp stood a tall and big tent guarded by two heavily armored knights.

The three of us, Seatholders, took the seats while two Shadows and three of Trodin's men stood around the table. It really painted the vibe like those gangster meetings I've seen in movies.

Joking aside, the one who started the meeting was Trodin's right-hand man, James Ber Gelliard, who had been waiting for us inside the room for a while. He was also the one who handled all the domestic and foreign affairs in Beliard's fief. He can be said to be the unofficial lord of the fief.

He had a tall and thin build with a posture that was straight and upright as an arrow, truly depicting the grace of nobles. His countenance was stern, full of wisdom, yet also weary due to the passage of time.

His blond hair had a hint of grey, styled refreshingly to the back as they blended in regally. The man was wearing a dark suit that matched his silent demeanor perfectly.

Inside his black and calm pupils, the table where we sit was reflected.

"Greetings. I am James Ber Gelliard, the man tasked by milord, The Paladin, to be in charge of the fief and also the one who will be responsible regarding the expansion project of this base to accommodate future slaves to come." Began James cordially.

He then briefed us a little about the background of the fief and what it meant for them when Trodin finally decided to join the House. What steps have they taken, and the anticipation for what is to come in the future.

'Hm...'

The man was brilliant at his work, there was no doubt about it, but I could tell he was a far cry from his cousin. He was, for better or worse, more frail than the hulking Trodin.

Maybe it was due to his lack of talents or due to other reasons, but James was way too normal, considering he was living in a world of swords and magic.

"This is not the Council, Paladin. Bring the man a chair." I could see his legs were staggering, and for whatever reason it may be, I decided not to let the man embarrass himself. Besides, I believed he had been waiting for us all this time in here, standing...

'Yeap, you gotta treat those joints better, old man.' I offered my silent prayer.

We couldn't have the normal person standing around while the superhumans were sitting in their assess, now could we? It'd be a disgrace.

"Hm." Trodin hummed cordially and waved to his men. Answering Trodin, one of them went and fetched a chair for James.

The man in question, though, was staring at the gesture and us quietly for a while. "...Thank you for the consideration, Lord Shepherd."

"Just Sheperd will do," I replied.

"As you wish, Shepherd...Moving on...As of now, we have built and prepared enough space to take in five hundred slaves. They will be grouped by age and gender. The information of the planning and the expenses are written in the documents in front of you."

"At the rate you're going, there will be no more grains left by the seventh or eighth month." Commented Renata.

"I am aware, Assassin." James nodded in return.

He seemed like a man who always comes prepared, so I had to ask. "Go on. What suggestion do you have to tackle this issue?"

And it was true.

"Expansion of the fief and a thorough reformation of the tax systems, mainly for the merchants and the land workers. Our aim is to open more space and awareness for the merchants to come and conduct their trade down here in the south, where there is more variety of goods. To be honest, merchants have been waiting for milord to open his gate for so long since the fief had been known to be safe due to milord's conduct, and now that we will be opening it for real, we can expect a generous stream of merchant flocking in down south. With that and also the help from our very own Merchant, securing a stable funnel of income will be more than possible. The schedule will be tight but also doable."

"Hm..." My mind whirred in motion while silence dawned inside the room. 'He is right...But a lot of things can happen in three months, much less seven...What if the next time we raided another slave house and we brought back double the amount we have so far? What then?'

"How about the coffers we snatch from Gragas and all the treasures of the past brigands I cleaned up?" I turned to Renata, finishing my thoughts.

"I have tasked the Shadows to sell all the artifacts and treasures in other kingdoms to avoid getting backtracked to us. It might take us a while to have them all in gold. As for the rest, everything was currently in Merchant's possession."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Alright...Tell the Shadows to sell what they can and not get fixated too much on selling everything. Ask Merchant how much she can spare right now and draft it for James." I finished it in one breath.

"By your will, Milord!" Answered Renata, snapping her finger to the Shadow behind her.

I left the two and turned to James once again. "How about it? Do you think this can help your plan?"

"It will. Depending on how much funds Merchant can spare, we can speed up the process accordingly." Answered James.

Tapping the table rhythmically, I addressed another concern that I had. "You mentioned the massive expansion, and this will undoubtedly alert the surrounding nobles. They will pose the question of why someone who had been quiet all this time is starting to move."

"They will. But that's the only thing they will do, and we won't give them the time to think otherwise." His eyes were gleaming in conviction.

'Confidence...Good.'

"Is this also a part of the goal you envisioned for Gelliard's further growth?"

"You seem to see everything already, Shepherd." A faint smile emerges on the man's lips, trading a short peek with his cousin, who merely sat there quietly.

After a short while, James placed the documents on his hands aside and fixed his eyes on me. "If I may, Shepherd...Milord, the Paladin, has brought me to light in regard to the matters from the last Council of the House...I believe it will be most wise if the Merchant can have her base of operation here if not her second branch."

'I do have that idea...'

"What do the both of you think of this?" I turned to Trodin and Renata.

"I trust James." Was Trodin's answer. Short and simple, as usual.

"I also think it will be beneficial for the Shadows to be near the targets, Milord." Suddenly, Renata had gone slightly out of topic.

"Are you talking about the expansion?" Asked Trodin curtly.

"The Seat of Dawn will live in the light. Righteous, compassionate. It is the Seat of Dusk's right and part to judge the fate of our enemies. Don't overstep your boundaries, and tell me what to do and what not to do, Paladin. ...Rest assured, I will not touch them as long as they don't move against us first." Berated Renata harshly.

'Well, she is not wrong...'

I looked at the two back and forth, wondering whether they were going to start trouble or not. It was usually Clara who handled them, but now it's all on me.

"..."

"..."

Fortunately, nothing happened.

Trodin heaved deep and hummed low, throwing his slightly frustrated gaze sideways.

"If it makes you feel any better. She always reports to me, Paladin. You know how she is...And do you think I am someone who'll murder the innocent just to have an easy way?" I shared my piece.

I won't, not because of morals or some dogshit principles and whatnot. It was simply because if I must resort to such brutal ways of killing, then that only meant that I was just that weak. My pride wouldn't allow it...

I have the powers that stand above common sense, and I needed to nurture them. I asked for it despite the steep prices because it would let me decide my path without helplessly following the choices the world offered.

"I trust you, Sheperd." Sounded Trodin after a while.

"Good. Let's move on. Paladin, what about the state of our soldiers' training? Give me something else other than what I've seen out there." I said so because I had this gnawing feeling that the man had been trying to say something to me ever since I got here.

"They don't have a clear picture of their enemies. Soldiers are people who fight on the battlefield by risking their lives to fight their enemies...They need to know who or what this Abyss's forces you're talking about."

As usual, he never beat around the bush. I knew what he was asking, and his logic was fair. Trodin, like everybody else, must be curious about this threat I kept mentioning.

"Not now...I can't describe it using words just yet. But I promise I will in due time." It was true; I had no words for him at that moment. It felt like I could almost vividly recall what these beings were and everything about them, but the moment I tried to process that information in my brain, it was as if a thick fog had suddenly appeared and obscured me, preventing me from doing that.

It was the same familiar sensation just like how it was when I met God at the crossing of my two lives.

Silence dawned on the room.

Renata and Trodin knew I was bound by a vow to save the world. Hence, they knew no matter how fishy my behavior was, the purpose remained the same.

But that didn't mean they wouldn't have thoughts of their own in the process. Trodin, for once, was squinting in doubt, probably wondering why I was being so dodgy for no reason at all. To be honest, if not for this seal god imposed on me, I wouldn't want to keep being dodgy, either.

Anyway, Renata had caught that change in Trodin's eyes, and she didn't like it one bit...Meanwhile, Trodin, who received Renata's waves of bloodlust, had responded in kind.

It was no joke...The air was stifling, and the tension was so sharp between the two.

They genuinely looked like they were about to enter a battlefield or, in Renata's case, about to murder someone.

"Enough. There are others here."

I had to stop them since the two's auras were literally riling each other up and affecting everyone in the room. Save for Shadows and the Knights, who were kind of used to it, James was there with us.

I mean, he was a tough nut, that's for sure, considering how he could handle himself well so far, but it must be anything but comforting, to say the least.

James gulped dryly the moment the two nut heads eased their auras.

I waited for a while to let the man catch his breath before I addressed him again.

"You good? What's next?"