Entering the central tower, they found the hall bustling with children and young adults alike. The atmosphere was fairly friendly, with some children even playing instruments in the background whilst the others ate. It seemed more like a festive tavern than the headquarters of an underworld organization filled with thieves.

“This is your new home.”

Despite his words being soft spoken, as soon as someone in the crowd heard his magnetic deep voice — all sounds ground to an eerie halt. All attention in the room drew to the door, where the girls shied away behind Leo. Few paid attention to them, however, because their legend was present.

“Lord Prometheus!”

Rising in unison from their seats, the children made an odd clawing hand gesture they claimed was their salute. Subtly rolling his eyes at this, Leonardo merely sighed inwardly but continued with the charade.

“At ease, everyone. These two are Yesui and Yisugei from the Golden Horde. They don’t speak, so keep your questions to yourself and don’t bully them. Oh, and prepare dinner for them. I’ll have mine in the office.”

Leonardo was naturally not averse to eating in the mess hall with everyone. But, over the years he realized everyone would be more comfortable if he kept a distance from everyday events. He didn’t know since when, but some children started to take him as an object of hero worship.

Initially planning to merely hide behind the mask to avoid arrests, things spiraled and he inadvertently found himself a cult.

As he passed the third floor, he came across Fino. The boy had also grown over the years. His body didn’t see much development and he still seemed somewhat thin, but beneath his hooded robe was an athletic physique rivaled by few. The timidness from his bone had long since evaporated. He was now a commanding pillar of the organization, despite his young age.

“Hey, you’re back?”

“Mm. I’m heading upstairs to eat. Wanna join me?”

Unlike most others, Fino knew Leonardo’s identity. While he was also excited and respected the boy to a point where he obeyed him more than his own father, they conversed more naturally and were both comfortable around each other.

Soon, dinner was brought over by a maiden. Seemingly 18 or so, she was one of the oldest in the cove. The lass seemed hesitant as she laid down the table and Leonardo caught on to it.

“What is it?”

“L-lord… I would like to speak to you later.”

“En. Come in after Sana, we’ll talk then.”

Fino grinned foolishly as he sat across Leo, “Perks of being the big boss, huh?”

“Pah. What do you know?” rolling his eyes, Leonardo savored another mouthful of salad, “She’s not even a virgin, and clearly seeing someone already.”

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“As for you, quartermaster ‘Marred Fingers’, I’m surprised you didn’t make off with a few. All it’d take is for you to add another zero to their points and…”

“Ah. Don’t insult my integrity!”

“Right… a merchant’s integrity.”

Exchanging glances, they both burst into laughter.

As the mood settled and they finished their meal, Fino finally took to reporting the more serious matters.

“We’re still a few thousands in deficit this month. I asked Yuki for another 25,000 Tari. Should last us until the new year.”

“Mm. That’s fine. Don’t spare any expenses. I think the last sale should have been very lucrative.”

Not minding the small loss of money, Leonardo briefly glanced through the report and signed off on new acquisitions without batting an eye. It didn’t matter to him whether the organization made any money. As long as they could shoulder a portion of the costs, it would be enough.

Leonardo was more interested in the information they scoured than in their meager income. While he could introduce a racketeering business or push things further with thievery, he kept the children grounded by strict rules. They only stole from the well-off merchants and sailors, and didn’t take from the locals. Malta was already a small and poor place, so there wasn’t much to be done about it.

Furthermore, despite there being over 50 members, only about 5 active cells operated. It was definitely not enough to sustain the majority with their proceeds alone.

Leonardo was happy to contribute, however. There were a bunch of good seeds here, and he felt as if his own soul was nourished when they progressed and learned something new. Whether it was art, languages or craftsmanship, there were plenty of ‘courses’ in the cove. Mostly it was children teaching each other and sharing what few skills they had.

Over the years, Leonardo introduced a bunch of skills and mantras to the tower library. Yes, albeit modest, they had a library. Most of it was ‘printed’ by Leonardo with magic. The knowledge he shared with them wasn’t anything revolutionary, yet they took it as if manuals from the gods.

He even included martial arts, though the Mortal Transcendence aspects were only surface-level and scratched body cultivation and a few defensive combat techniques. Things like Mental Abacus, Sea Turtle Breathing, Taiji Water Deflective Palm and so on were fairly widespread. They still had to use their contributions to gain access to them, but it was pretty accessible.

On the other hand, more special techniques like the Rock Skin were imparted only to the higher-ups. Fino, Sana, her brothers and a few others who made notable contributions over the years were each given the opportunity to improve.

That said, they weren’t mages so it was expected they would make little progress. Even if it wasn’t a magic spell, Leonardo had a huge advantage in being able to perceive the intricacies of his own body with Vita and acting accordingly. The rest had to rely on instinct and perseverance.

Speaking of rewards, Leonardo thought for a moment then tossed an odd wooden mask over. It was something he carved earlier in the day. The mask was made from simple tree bark, with one side merely smoothed over without decorations. On the forehead, an odd diagram was etched in, the intricacies of which were hidden behind the symbol of a stretched hand.

“Ooh! A manus umbra mask?” Fino cooed somewhat excited. Then he compared it to his own elaborate mask and quickly grew unfazed, “Looks kinda basic, though?”

“It’s a magic trinket. I recently made some progress so I thought to give it a try. This one lets people see in the dark. Kind-off.”

Leonardo has long since stopped hiding from Fino in regards to being a magus. Whether it be for convenience or trust, he took the boy as a brother and would never expect betrayal. As they say, use those you trust and trust those you use.

The magic object was something he learned in the dream domain then put into practice as soon as he mastered Primal II. It essentially imbued primal chi into an object, fueling a specific magic pattern.

Unlike the monoliths, these accessories could barely last a few years before becoming mundane. Furthermore, only ‘passive’ magic effects could be engraved into stable diagrams. Enhancing one’s perception, luck, or other small blessings was all they could bear.