"Sir, was this the slave you were looking for?" asked the worker Maria cautiously.
"Yes," Adam replied calmly.
After completing the purchase, Adam acquired nine more slaves before leaving the city of Calic. The process was quick, almost mechanical, as if the weight of those decisions could no longer surprise him.
The carriage galloped steadily through the city's dilapidated streets. Adam remained reclined by the window, staring blankly as he watched the buildings pass by one after another.
That outing had been... rewarding.
He had secured a steady source of future income. Although the product was not yet on the market, Adam knew only too well the impact it would have in the future and did not worry. Time was on his side.
Much more important were the people traveling behind him.
Ten slaves.
If he wanted to survive what was to come, he couldn't rely solely on himself. At sixteen, individual talent was no longer enough; he needed a force of his own.
An army.
With his SSS-rank talent in fencing, he could train and strengthen them quickly. Turning those slaves into soldiers wasn't impossible... but even so, there was an obvious shortcoming.
Adam sighed.
There was a problem he couldn't ignore.
"I have to find a wizard," he muttered. "Someone who can help me use magic properly. I can't waste this talent."
He glanced at the carriage traveling behind his own, in which the slaves were traveling.
He had too many things to do.
Finally, he turned his attention to Asterin, who had remained silent throughout the journey.
"How much do you think?" he asked him.
She glanced at him sideways for a moment before replying in her usual calm tone.
"I didn't expect you to have such a keen eye for talent. Each of them has a body suited to becoming a knight."
Adam raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Each of them?"
"But there are two exceptions," Asterin continued. "One is that girl... she has a talent for magic. The other is the young man with brown hair."
Adam's brow furrowed.
A girl?
He remembered the three he had purchased. Too young for that fate. But magical talent...
"Which of the three?" he asked.
"The one with silver hair."
"Hmm..."
Adam remained silent, lost in thought.
Then, a slight smile formed on his face.
That outing had been even better than he had expected.
...
After the long journey, the carriage finally crossed the gates of Hall territory.
Adam dismounted without delay and gave clear orders to the servants.
"Give them food. Clean clothes. And make sure they have a proper bath," he said in a firm voice.
The servants nodded immediately and began to move quickly.
Satisfied, Adam headed straight for the mansion's inner garden.
The air was filled with the scent of Lycoris radiata, whose crimson flowers swayed gently in the breeze. Sitting at a wrought-iron table, Alisha held a cup of chamomile tea, accompanied by a small cake made with exotic fruits grown exclusively in the territory.
"What a lovely breeze today..." she murmured, letting the wind play with her hair.
She sensed a presence nearby.
She turned her face calmly... and smiled when she saw her son.
"Looks like you're back."
Adam smiled back at her as he took a seat across from her.
"It was quite a rewarding trip. I found some... interesting things."
"Hmm~..." Alisha hummed, amused. "And what is so interesting that you would say that?"
Without answering, Adam took a small jar out of his coat and placed it on the table.
Alisha raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and picked it up between her fingers.
"What is this?"
Adam's smile widened.
"Open it. Trust me."
"Always so mysterious..." She rolled her eyes. "You could just say it directly."
Even so, she uncapped the jar.
The scent of roses and jasmine wafted, filling the air. It wasn't heavy or cloying; on the contrary, it was soft, clean, and elegant. A scent that seemed to caress the senses rather than invade them.
Alisha stood still.
"This..." Her eyes widened. "This isn't animal fat..."
She gasped once more in disbelief.
"It's completely different."
Adam chuckled softly at his reaction.
"Looks like you liked the gift I brought you from another city."
"Where did you get this?" she asked with sudden seriousness.
"It's a business I started," Adam replied. "I wanted to know what you thought."
Alisha closed the bottle carefully, as if afraid to waste a single drop.
"Like it?" she repeated. "This is revolutionary. Noblewomen would fight over something like this."
Adam nodded, satisfied.
"That's exactly why I wanted to talk to you."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I want to integrate it into your business and Agnes's. Not as a copy... but as a new branch. Same name. Different line."
Alisha's eyes sparkled.
"So you've already thought of everything..."
"I'm just getting started," Adam replied calmly.
Adam continued chatting with his mother about the business as the minutes ticked by. After reaching an agreement, the perfume business officially became part of his mother and Agnes's company.
Although strictly speaking, the Rose by Hallmo business now has three owners: Alisha, Adam, and Agnes.
...
The next day, beneath tall trees that cast thick shadows on the damp ground, Adam walked alongside two knights.
The branches intertwined like twisted fingers, blocking out the sunlight. The air smelled of dampness, sap... and something else more difficult to define.
Adam stopped.
The two knights immediately did the same.
Kevin, with blond hair and blue eyes, rested a hand on the hilt of his sword as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Young master..." he said quietly. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Adam wore light armor. He didn't respond right away.
He listened.
It wasn't the natural silence of birds resting or the wind rustling through the leaves. It was an unnatural emptiness, as if everything alive had decided to hold its breath.
Adam smiled.
"Yes," he finally replied. "We're in the right place."
The second knight swallowed hard.
"But..." he hesitated. "This place..."
Kevin clenched his teeth.
"Are you doubting my information?" Adam said.
Kevin felt a chill run down his spine.
"N-no, young master."
He hastened to say.
"It's just that... we're in the damn Demonic Forest!"