I didn't like having to end my plan of playing with the children at the orphanage earlier than usual. I only stayed for a few more hours before lunch. All the little ones looked very sad when I said I was leaving, especially Rafaela.
Marcus seemed a little anxious about saying something. I could see his emotions reflected on his face, and his Imra is very easy to read. "It's okay, kid. They're not bad people; I'm a busy man, I'm leaving because I have something else to take care of." My words seemed to calm him down a little.
I'm not lying, but I'm not telling the whole truth either. That group called Brissy didn't seem bad, and I'm also a busy man; I'm leaving to find out who they are while continuing with my plans for today.
I'm going to visit someone I can trust with these matters. He's been involved in the world of goods transportation security for almost two decades. His group was originally formed to hunt monsters in dungeons, but later they decided they preferred a little more safety over money.
Both jobs are extremely risky, and the possibility of dying is quite high in either one, but dungeon raiders are still at the very top.
Those who work as carriage or caravan guards have fewer chances of closing their eyes forever. If you're attacked by humans, showing them that you're stronger can make them run away, and monsters are heavily regulated along the busiest roads.
The chances of something unexpected happening are also lower in this line of work. Its only disadvantage is that you earn less money than you would hunting in dungeons; that doesn't mean you earn little working as security, it's still a well-paid high-risk job.
"Yeah, it's especially well paid when you're Rank..." The words slip out when I see the person I was looking for.
I'm glad I found him. According to what Ritmo told me, this man has been difficult to find lately. He used to stay almost permanently in town, but now it's much harder to find him in his office.
"You look pretty busy." My voice catches the attention of everyone around him, not just him. I can see slight annoyance on his face as he turns around, but his expression completely changes when he sees who I am.
"Well, if it isn't the little lord of the city." He sets a large box down on the floor before coming toward me as quickly as possible. "It's been a long time since I last saw you, Young Maki. You look much more imposing than before." His voice carries plenty of respect beneath the happiness.
I accept his handshake. "I've come by a couple of times before and couldn't find you. You've become quite a busy person. Looks like you finally got rid of that ugly habit of being lazy." I respond with a hint of sarcasm.
"A man tries to take life easy, but circumstances simply force me to act." He doesn't look the slightest bit regretful, and his smile even grows a little wider. "I'm grateful to have more work and the chance to stretch my body occasionally."
The man with a thick beard and long hair turns around. "Keep working. I'll personally attend to this important guest." His words are short and firm, and all the employees who had frozen in place immediately start moving again.
Everyone acts as though nothing happened after greeting me as politely as possible. Their respect for their boss and appreciation for their work are obvious.
I let out a whistle. "Looks like those stories about you being a good boss weren't lies after all. Maybe there's actually some truth to them." I joke. My tone is more serious as I do everything possible not to laugh.
The man rolls his eyes, and when he moves his head, I can see several gray hairs mixed into his black hair. He isn't older than forty, maybe the job has him stressed or it's simply genetics.
"How have you been, Young Lord? I'm genuinely happy to see you again. The news about you is always outrageous. You win the most important rookie tournament or disappear after an attack in one of the safest towns." His voice and gestures reveal his concern.
I create a bubble of mana around us so no one can hear. "Honestly, I've been doing pretty well, Farro. Difficult situations have only made me stronger. I'd be lying if I told you I haven't gone through some hardships, but I've managed to overcome them."
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
I remember a few situations where my body lost limbs in record time or accumulated wounds from the sheer force of my enhancement ability, and a slight smile escapes my lips.
"How have you been? You look a little injured." I'd already noticed a wound on his arm. Without asking permission, I use vital mana on his body to try healing it. I frown when an external force attempts to reject my healing.
I use my willpower, death mana, and increase the strength of my vital mana. The Imra and death mana surrounding the wound give way instantly when I get serious, and his injury begins closing at incredible speed. Ruby Rank bodies accept vital mana much more smoothly.
His wound closes in only a few seconds. The only problem had been that strange death mana and Imra preventing it from healing. I simply had to give them a good beating to make them disappear.
"Thank you, Young Lord. I'd gone to a few healers and doctors, but they told me to wait several days so they could come up with a plan to heal me without any possible aftereffects. You just showed up, beat it into submission, and healed me; that certainly sounds like something you'd do." A small laugh escapes him at the end.
"I've been doing quite well, and not just me; the entire company has been booming. We've been receiving requests by the dozens. Some complicated enough that I had to participate personally, which is how I got injured, although you should've seen what happened to that mantis-like monster." The man, slightly shorter than me, raises his arm to show off his bicep.
He's shorter, but he has much more muscle than I do. "I'm really glad to see that you're doing well and that your company is thriving. I've even noticed that some of them have grown considerably stronger, and there are some new faces." A young man and woman around twenty-eight years old are both Ruby Ranks. I remember when I first met them, they were Sapphire Ranks.
"Yes, the twins managed to take the next step; I also had to hire a few other Sapphire Ranks recommended by friends." Farro looks proudly at the copper-haired, black-eyed twins. I know he's known them since he first entered this business, back when they were children.
We start talking about all kinds of things. His new missions take them much farther away or involve transporting valuable goods for other nobles; his company is the most trusted one in town, and I'm sure my grandmother recommended him for those jobs.
The new villa my grandmother and mother planned is doing better than expected. It's exclusively for nobles or extremely wealthy people; they're offered a spacious plot of land with a small castle already built and several essential facilities. Many nobles of Knight, Baronet, and Baron Rank have purchased their own space; there are two reasons, vacations and the fact that we're offering them a good deal for the future.
The place is beautiful, with an enormous lake in the middle. It's quite tempting, and the price is slightly below market value. Most of the nobles who have bought property there don't have an established territory; the contract gives them the possibility of acquiring their own small territory or town depending on their contributions, among other benefits.
Many nobles aren't letting the opportunity pass them by. They know this place has enormous potential for growth. They're betting the future of their small houses on us; they also have to do their part if they want a piece of the pie, they need to contribute enough to the territory.
We also talk about how his company already has a branch in Marril City and other towns, how the number of employees has grown, and general things about his life. We also talk about my life, and I tell him about some of the experiences I've had over the last few months.
"Fighting a Diamond Rank and then a Grade 5 monster... yeah, I definitely can't do that. I can't even imagine surviving all of that." That was his response to my story about Lully's territory.
"By the way, I also came to ask you something. Have you heard of the Brissy group? Apparently, they've decided to move to the territory. Do you know what kind of people they are?" My voice becomes much more serious, I want him to understand the seriousness of the matter.
"Yes, I know them. We're not friends, but we're more than simple acquaintances. I've worked with them a few times, and I was actually the one who recommended they come here if they wanted a bright future." I'm slightly surprised to hear that he personally recommended them.
"Don't worry too much about them. Some of their members are a little crazy or have a screw loose, but they're not bad people. They all have strong values and always jump in to defend those who can't defend themselves." Farro lets out a sigh. "They've gotten themselves into trouble several times for helping weaker people in difficult situations." Farro tells me more about them, apparently he knows them quite well.
"Interesting, then they're welcome aboard." If Farro himself recommends them and considers them good people, I have no reason to kick them out. "Since they're all Ruby Ranks, we should treat them differently. I'll talk to my grandmother."
"Thank you, Young Lord. I'll talk to Gink later, he'll be happy to hear the news." Farro gives a small bow. "By the way, I recently received a batch of good wine. If you don't have any other plans, we could have a few glasses. I want to hear more of those incredible stories... I feel alive just listening to you tell them." Farro clasps his hands together with a huge smile.
"I had something to do, but it's not important." He knows I can't refuse a few glasses of good wine. I stretch out my arm and wrap it around the short, sturdy man's shoulders. "Come on, I'll make you experience those stories firsthand just by listening to me." I've become quite the storyteller after all.
"I see your love for wine hasn't changed." I'm going to ignore his whispering, I have no idea what Farro is talking about.