The rest of the day went on as usual: Adam took the kids to the cave and then went to retrieve the black sheep from the white wooden bookshelves. When he returned to the cave with the wooden box, the mischievous children had already come to pick up the kids and their candies, so Adam couldn't say goodbye. To his surprise, the cheeky children also took the box of candies he had bought.

At this moment, Adam was listening to the agreement reached by the black sheep, and during the conversation, he noticed that the old blind man had a radically different attitude when speaking with little books.

The black sheep summarized the deal:

—So it's 15% of the spoils of war obtained, a non-aggression pact, an alliance for your next 4 ascents, payment of 5 magic books before the purge, and the decorations from the five bookshelves to be destroyed are yours.

—I believe I asked for 20%, not 15%...—said the old blind man grumpily but calmly—And the rest of the things as well...

—These are very finely decorated bookshelves...—the black sheep interrupted somewhat hastily—One of the bookshelves has some very cute plush toys...

—Plush toys...—The old blind man seemed to deeply contemplate those words—They are nice... but there aren't many children... they could be useful for raising heroes... or finding easy mushrooms...

—Besides, an alliance for 4 ascents is a good deal—the black sheep interrupted again almost immediately after the old man continued complaining about the negotiation—They have a presence on wooden floors 3, 4, and 5 out of 5 : that alliance will be very useful to you.

—It's a double ascent, I need something more, something unique...—said the old blind man firmly, while considering the deal—For them, experiencing a double ascent is rare, yet I managed to expand to the silver and gold floors.

—I can try to add some useful information...—the black sheep replied—However, they don't look for quality, they look for quantity.

—The old man is employing the 'eat floors' strategy—the old blind man said with concern and some fear—He wants to have 8 children and a grandchild after this ascent. I need to weaken him more, he can't go so fast, do you understand what I mean?

—Yes, of course—the black sheep replied, thinking about how to achieve it.

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—If you get something good for me, I can pay you well...—said the old blind man, taking out his eyes to look at the little black sheep on the desk—Before the purge, I need books for the new inhabitants: books that stand out! If you get something useful, I'll get you more loaded suitcases.

—We'll see what we can do...—the black sheep said, looking cautiously into the eyes of the old man.

—Also, I want another hero...—commented the old blind man, looking at Adam—The boy is about to leave, and you have 10 boys in the day care centers who will survive the purge.

—At the very least, I'll ask for "2" per boy...—the black sheep replied without hesitation.

—Then it's a deal!—the old blind man said without much hesitation.

The old blind man disappeared and reappeared near the ground, opening his mouth, and two vials appeared in its place. Adam observed that inside the vials, there seemed to be two mini-humans like the ones he had seen in the suitcase.

—I'm paying you in advance...—the old blind man said—But make sure the day care centers raise me a hero, and somehow get the white wooden bookshelves to pay me in advance for 10 magic books: there's not much time left! I already know the exact date of the purge.

The black sheep looked at the two vials with excitement. Adam understood that somehow the day care centers could turn these two dead mini-humans into librarians, so he was quite surprised to see them again.

He was also surprised because he didn't know how the old blind man had acquired these vials, or who had given them to him... or more importantly, when they had given them to him.

—Could you warn us when the purge will happen?—the black sheep asked with concern—The day care centers will give you a magic book if the date actually comes true; we don't want the kids running through the hallways on those days.

—Sure, the purge will happen on the same day that Adam obtains his black robe—the old blind man replied with a wide grin.

—What?!—Adam asked incredulously; How could the blind old man know when he would finish reading the 140 pages of the language book? Or even more importantly: how would the librarians who would conduct the purge know when he would receive his black robe?

—It's not my duty to answer the questions of a librarian...—the old blind man replied, smiling at him—You really were the best investment of my life, Adam, but don't worry: on that day, I'll tell you all the answers you seek, if you manage to obtain the black robe and don't die in the process.

Adam looked at the old blind man with annoyance. It was quite obvious that he was deceiving him, but he didn't understand why: why did he want to deceive him? The young man preferred to ignore it and asked the only thing that mattered in this useless conversation:

—What do I gain as a messenger? You can't expect me to do it for free, and I'm not interested in magic books whose effects I don't know. At the very least, I want to know the effects of my current books.

—Well, I'll tell you the effects of your current books as payment—the old blind man replied, looking at Adam with annoyance.

—If I take a book, couldn't you duplicate them?—Adam asked, seeking more rewards.

—No, you're not getting anything, I'm getting paid,—the old blind man replied, annoyed—Consider this information as an advance for your payment: 'There are no possible shortcuts to fulfill the bookshelves' conditions.'