German-style manor, Advanced studies campus, a few hours later

As Robert reaches the front gates of the manor, flanked by two guards, he rethinks the previous meeting with the new addition to the special talent group.

He's not sure how he feels about the meeting itself. While he didn't expect someone stupid, simply because no one stupid can join the talent list. Some are eccentric but stupid? You would pay a hefty price if you believed them so. 

He did expect someone naive though..... Ok, maybe not exactly naive, but unaware and cautious at the very least. Cautious enough to be caught off guard by his identity and the following conversation he had planned. 

That's the issue though, something Robert, given his experience should know. Things rarely do go as planned. 

As they say Man plans, and Fate disposes (they don't believe in Gods in Aurora.).

With how things happened, let alone someone naive, unaware, and cautious, Robert looked as if he was the newcomer, meeting his superior. Something that would have anyone in the know laugh their heads off. 

Despite how amusing everything that happened is, the comedy of it is currently irrelevant to his situation. His main problem now is how to bring it up to his boss. 

He was sent to use his identity to arrange for a meeting, not come back with this cluster of a mess. And though he would never admit it out loud, he was impressed with how Adam handled him. 

At the end of the meeting, for a fleeting moment, he almost believed himself to have actually accepted working for Adam. It was only after the maid wordlessly snatched his satchel, that he gathered himself and shamefully walked out. He was ashamed of how easily played he was. 

He knew what Adam did. Of course he knew, he did it himself on occasion. Keep your guest on their toes, don't give them time to think. Catch them off guard when you can while controlling the tempo and narrative. 

When you've said what you wanted or needed, gently but clearly end the conversation if you want them on your side, otherwise abruptly and forcefully dismissing them also works. It also helps give you a position of authority in their minds. 

Direct them to the door or give them your back and walk out whenever you're done. If you want them on your side, you can throw some flattery here and there. Or maybe you want to provoke them? Then you give them subtle digs at what they value or cherish. 

Family, money, pride, whatever it may be, indirectly lower their value or be dismissive of them and they will feel offended, wanting to prove you wrong.

These are only some of the ways one can use to establish themselves as the authority, the shot-caller, in a room. Something Robert has used and should be able to spot when used against him, yet he was led around the nose like a rookie. To be fair, he never had a man flash his junk to him in such a setting. 

Pacing under the indifferent gaze of the guards, he's not sure how to tell his boss, let alone if he should. Taking a few minutes to meditate and clear his mind, he decided to come clean about everything. He did not do anything wrong and it would prevent anyone from potentially using the situation as blackmail material. 

His decision made, he approaches a side door by the gate, without greeting the guards. He opens it and crosses the manor grounds to reach another side entrance. 

Once inside, he calls over a manservant to have them announce his presence to the Lady of the manor.

Waiting for about an hour, he finally gets called. Heading deeper in the manor, he comes across many servants, all of them male. Their gender is not the only thing of note, their attire is....bizarre to say the least. 

All of the manservants are clothed in a white, leather gimp suit. They have flaps at their pubic area to attend to their biological needs, as well as a flap where their mouth is. Without permission, they aren't allowed to free their mouths. They also have black chokers around their necks, with a single metal ring in the middle, normally used to put a leash on an animal.

While this sight would have shocked many if not all of the visitors; It's not the first time Robert comes here. He's already used to his employer's more....refined? taste. 

He follows the manservant to his Lady's private reception room. This is where she meets people she's familiar with. The manservant stops by the side and gestures at the door. Understanding and used to their mannerisms, Robert dismisses the servant with a wave and opens the door. 

Once inside, he closes the door behind him and greets his boss, Lady Magdalena von der Meer, the last of her name. 

The lady herself was quite lovely looking. Fair-skinned, she was currently wearing a pristine white sundress, along with white sandals, that matched well with her blonde hair and blue eyes. 

A well-manicured hand was currently holding a teacup while the other was holding a small book, a diary of some sort. 

With the sun shining on her, making her hair glow slightly, it would present a perfect picture if it wasn't for one thing...

She was currently sitting on a manservant, who was acting as her chair. While another servant, with an admirably straight back, served as a table, with refreshments on him. There was even a flower vase present.

Not far from her was another servant, using a wide paper fan, to occasionally scatter flower petals around the room. 

The sight of humans serving as furniture was disturbing, to say the least. 

At least it would be for someone like Adam. In his past world, once the Gods left, they treated life a lot more preciously. It stemmed from living under the Gods.

Slavery was prevalent, using them as gladiators for entertainment, sacrifices for the Gods as well as a labor force for everyday needs. Every empire enslaved the other's citizens, through organized wars. 

Wars that Gods from different pantheons used to settle petty disputes between themselves, or simply to entertain themselves once in a while as well as cull the number of humans once they got too numerous. A truly fun time to be alive...

Once Robert entered the room, he gave a slight bow "Lady Magdalena, I've come to report on my given assignment." A tier 5, doesn't need to act as a servant, a slight show of respect is usually enough. And for those who think otherwise; they typically don't have many people willing to work for them. 

Robert stays still, waiting to be acknowledged. A few minutes later, while he was looking outside the window, he hears the soft, melodic voice of his employer. Just by her voice, one would deem her a well-spoken young lady of good upbringing, if not for her peculiar tastes.

"It is nice to see you, Robert. Please have a seat." She puts the diary down and waves over one of the few manservants acting as sculptures, or other various types of furniture. One approaches Robert and proceeds to get on all fours, while another approaches with a cushion, which they place on the kneeling servant.

With only a slight hesitation, he sits on the kneeling servant. Albeit not the first time doing so, he does not believe it is something he will ever get used to.

"Thank you, Milady. I have just come back from meeting sir Adam. I informed him of your wanting to meet him. I did not get an official date for a meeting, unfortunately. Something else also happened during the conversation...." He hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

Sensing his hesitation, she smiles slightly. A smile that would have painters fight each other for the opportunity to reproduce even a fraction of her beauty on canvas. "Don't worry Robert, you can tell me anything. You know I won't punish you." 

Robert, hearing that, internally curses her shamelessness. Magdalena von der Meer was chosen as a special talent due to her astonishing compatibility with the fire element. Despite her name alluding to a connection to water (It means Magdalena of the sea). 

No matter how soft and delicate she may seem, he knows that when she's upset, you would be considered lucky to have a piece of bone remaining. Only ashes remain in the wake of her anger. Now that he thinks about it, there's probably only one aspect in which she embodies her name. 

Her fickleness, just like the sea. 

Robert, wondering if today was the day he would be known as Robert Cooked Well-Done Porter. 

'Wait, Porter? isn't there some type of meat cut called as such? What was it called, Porterhut, Portercabin? Porter......Porterhouse? That's it! Porterhouse! But...That's too much of a coincidence, isn't it? Working for someone known for burning her enemies, while called Porter. Oh my god, how did I not see this coming?! Did I set myself to be cooked eventually? Oh god, was my ancestor a piece of meat, why would he choose such a name?' 

Those were his thoughts, while conveniently forgetting that porter, means just that, a porter...nothing to do with meat, or butchers...and that having a piece of meat as an ancestor was...crazy? yeah, crazy.

While Robert is lost in thought, wondering if his ancestor was a butcher or a piece of steak, Magdalena was getting impatient. The proof of her impatience, reflected by the increase of ambient room temperature, only served to make Robert's thoughts spiral even more. 

'Oh god, I can feel it. My body is getting hotter. I knew it! One of my ancestors was a piece of meat. I'm going through atavism. I'm becoming cooked steak! A porterhouse!' This nonsensical thought, amongst many others, was cut short when he started feeling sweat pour down his face.

Remembering where he was, and seeing the smile on his employer's face twitching, along with the increase in temperature; Robert understood that if he did not explain things and calm her down fast enough, he might just join his supposed ancestor as a culinary dish.

"Milady, calm down! Here's what happened..." He proceeded to explain everything as is. He didn't have the time or composure to properly phrase the events and just explained everything as it happened.

Magdalena calmed down as she listened to her minion recounting everything that happened during his meeting with this new addition to the list of talents. 

While most special students don't care much for each other, more focused on their endeavors. She believed it would be smarter to at least know a few of her peers on a personal basis. 

Those are people deemed talents by the council heads, after all, the first and only tier 9s to ever appear on the world of Aurora. It would be arrogant of her to believe herself better than all of them, or that she would be fine by herself.

There's strength in numbers after all, even for the most powerful, having peers can be helpful. And if she ever needed allies, who better than someone considered her equal, if not in strength, in talent at least. Having less talented people around would only be useful if she ever needed meat shields and cannon fodder.

Once Robert is done, he shut his mouth, waiting for his Lady's response.

Magdalena on the other hand closed her eyes. Now calmed down, she proceeded to think over what was just told to her. Once she thought over everything and formulated a response she believed appropriate, she opened her eyes to look at her employee.

"You did fine Robert." Releasing a breath he did not know he was holding, he was relieved that his boss was not angry with him.

"But..." Clenching his cheeks again. " You should not have tried to use my position as an advantage. You should know that all the people on the list, myself included, hold a certain level of pride in themselves. While I don't know if this Adam could be included, I believe it is safer to assume so." She pauses to gather her thoughts.

"My position, if we disregard the resources and manpower, is equal to his at the very least. The only difference would be age, and the time spent consolidating my network of people and resources. That in itself is not enough to look down on another special talent. He will get to this level slowly if he does not care, or quickly if he wishes so. Regardless, him trying to poach you does not matter. He does not yet understand that politics between us is useless. I would gladly provide him with access to my full information network if he proves himself to be amicable." She takes a sip of her tea while Robert starts thinking over what she just said.

While he works for a special talent, he was never privy to their hierarchy or how they operate. This new information is valuable. It will help him better understand his employer. Which would, in turn, help him better serve her so he can receive more valuable resources.

She continues "What we, special talents seek is not fame or glory. Even riches, unless something absurdly rare, is not something we pursue. We have access to those simply by having our current status. What we seek is advancement. Every special student meets with the council heads when they get chosen." 

She pauses, likely reminiscing her own meeting with the Ascendants. The peak of power. Something that serves as her current motivation and goal.

A few moments later, she proceeds " The meeting serves to open our eyes. Make us understand, that everything other than power is ephemeral; Dust in the wind. That is why you don't hear much of the special students in Aurora. Only hearing of their exploits during Council assigned missions. The point of me telling you this; is to make you realize, that Adam acting as he currently is only because he wants to get himself situated. Once he has his network of subordinates working for him and providing him with whatever he needs, you may not see him or even hear about him for decades at a time." 

She pauses, to get a refill from a nearby manservant. Taking a sip from her refilled cup, she then continues "The main reason we gather subordinates and whatnot is not because we want to be involved in the affairs of the magi. It is because it is better to know and not need than need and not being able to know. Even if we don't care, we still need to know of the ongoing affairs. To a lesser degree at the very least. This is why, once Adam has his feet on the ground, you probably won't hear of him anymore. The only reason people are currently talking about him is that he's the newest addition to the list for the past few decades. He will probably be forgotten by most soon enough."

Robert, hearing all this, starts thinking of the other special students. It is only a while later that he concludes that what his boss said is true. The only times he ever hears anyone mention the individuals on the list is whenever they participate in council missions or they show themselves for one reason or another, which rarely happens. 

The last time, if he recalls properly was a few years ago. When one of the attendants belonging to one of the talents, proceeded to recruit elves en masse, catching the attention of the average magus.

Magdalena interrupts his thinking "Anyways, if Adam ever contacts you, even for information about me, provide it to him, along with whatever else he asks of you. If he ever does decide to meet, let me know of the arrangements and I shall provide you with an answer." She waves him away "You may go, thank you, Robert." She then ignores him, returning to the diary she was reading previously. 

Robert, standing from his 'seat' gives a slight bow to his employer, then leaves her room. 

Walking down the hall leading to the exit, he proceeds to think over the previous conversation. It offered a perspective previously unknown to him, on how those special talents live as well as their goals. 

While he still has many unanswered questions, he knows that they will remain as such, unanswered. Unless his employer deems it necessary for him to know, she won't tell him more.

She probably told him so much now to prevent him from repeating his previous faux-pas when meeting with Adam. 

Either way, with his current orders, all he has to do is wait. Wait for Adam to call him, or his boss whenever she needs him. Until then, he will continue to do his job and amass resources to gain a sliver of a chance to break through tier 6.

The following day, Adam's residence

Adam, along with Elena as well as cat maid and wolf maid were gathered in his personal teleportation room, a luxury given only to special students. 

They were currently dressed and ready to leave for the marketplace set up in the campus. 

Adam was currently dressed in a charcoal three-piece suit along with a white dress shirt, dark grey tie, and black leather dress shoes. His cuff links were made of polished silver. He had the jacket open. 

He's always preferred this kind of clothing, although he only dresses as such when he goes out on mild errands, like in this case where he's only going shopping. 

As for the suit; it was made of a cotton blend, something that's produced in the wind domain. This tidbit slightly surprised him until he remembered the many worlds under the control of the council. It would not surprise him if they had access to many more things. 

Although this world did look slightly medieval, that is only according to his current knowledge. To believe that the council, with their ability to travel to different worlds, would not have such necessities would be ridiculous.

The maids were dressed in a simple black dress, tight at the waist, that reached slightly below their knees. They also wore thick-soled black leather boots, that made the dress look out of place. 

Adam did not care, as long as they did not walk around in maid clothing. To walk around in public dressed as a maid, seemed like something a pervert would encourage. He did not consider himself as a pervert; nor did his maids seem to want to be paraded as such. Or he'd like to believe so, he never bothered to ask, only ordering them to change.

Elena on the other hand was wearing dark leather armor that covered her upper body to her elbows. Her forearms were covered by metal vambraces that stopped just above the wrist, allowing her to move her wrists back and forth.

At the bottom, she wore a leather and steel battle skirt that reached just above her knees. She also wore steel greaves with a spike at the knee, that from the slight red stains, indicated how often it was used to...scratch someone's itch.

She completed the outfit with a few daggers sheathed here and there and a bastard sword hanging on her back.

He shoots her a glance "No helmet? seems careless."

She scoffs at him "If I find myself needing a helmet, then you'd better focus on saving yourself instead of me."

Thinking about it, she was right. If something was strong enough to aim for her head and threaten her, he would either be dead or running.

Arrows would be of no use, given the speed at which she can react. The arrow would have to break the sound barrier to be able to catch her off guard, something that would likely not happen on council grounds.

Focusing back on the teleportation platform, he controls what little mana he can with his tier 3 body and selects the campus marketplace as a destination. The teleportation pad flashes a little and they disappear only to reappear on an outdoor teleportation platform. 

Looking around, he finds the platform surrounded by a few buildings built from a variety of materials, spread in a disorganized manner, showing how little the magi here care for organization. 

'This place is probably not run by the council, given how disorganized it looks.' He thinks to himself.

Gathering his thoughts, he heads over to a magus standing by the teleportation platform. The magus; seeing him come over, straightens his slightly dirty robe, and gives him a smile worthy of a stock photo of what a crook would look like. 

"Hello dear customer, what can this little one do for you today. I have a guide to the best places to shop. A map with a few handwritten notes about different stores. Or maybe you're looking for something 'specific'" He finishes with air quotes as if Adam is supposed to understand what this 'specific' thing is.

Disregarding all the nonsense this rat-like magus is spewing, he simply tells him "Give me the guide and a map as well" he pauses to look him up and down then adds "Give me the cleanest ones".

The magus; not caring for the apparent disregard nods happily "Of course dear sir, that will be 100credits".

Adam raises an eyebrow at the quoted price, the credits that the magi use, unlike the copper/silver/gold, were similar to the dollar used in his past life, so 100 credits would be the equivalent of a hundred dollars. 

(Author note: I don't want to bother creating a new currency for his past world, even if there's no USA. I am from North America, I know the dollar well enough to use it as a basis, so yea...)

While the price seemed a lot, Adam did not care enough to argue and create a scene for a measly few credits, especially with the resources available at his disposal.

Taking the Id Sylvia gave him, he tapped it against the magus's card. The magus, confirming the amount with a slight flex of his mana, hands the map alongside a thin booklet. 

Adam; not wanting to deal with it, gestures at the cat maid to take them. With the information in hand; he leads the group over to what looked like a mix between a cafe and a bar. 

"Check the information for a proficient smith; Someone that deals with pets or animals, as well as a store dealing with miscellaneous things. Things like void bags and the like."

Void bags were special holding bags, made with materials from void beasts. Those beasts are unintelligent and non-violent, simply floating in space, eating whatever crosses their paths, and sleeping away their time. 

They vary greatly in size, depending on their age. The largest one spotted by the council had the size of an average-sized planet. They usually fluctuate in power from tier 6 to tier 8, never tier 9 though. 

They don't control any type of mana, qi, chakra, etc. The reason they can reach tier 8, besides their bodily strength, is simply because living so long in space gives them an instinctual ability to understand it and somewhat control it to a degree. 

Given their lack of intelligence, they don't do much with such an ability. Unless they feel threatened, in which case they will cause spatial storms.

The name void beast doesn't refer to their race, it refers to the organism itself. Each void beast is considered its own race given how vastly different each one may be. 

Due to Aurora being a high-tier world, you'd need special materials as well as a high understanding of space to be able to create a holding bag. 

If you bring storage devices from different worlds, if they are weaker than Aurora, the space of the device will slowly merge with the surrounding space, dismantling the device and scattering its belongings.

Leading the group, Adam enters the cafe/bar. Once inside, he notices how plain the decor was, simply a large room with wooden furniture. Not caring, he simply picks an empty table and seats himself along with his group, waiting to be served.

He notices the crowd is distinctly human, with a few different races acting as attendants and servants. He has read the information regarding this phenomenon.

The reason is simple. These races, who originated from different worlds, not only have a lower ceiling of power due to their world being low or middle-tier. They also have a different way of empowering themselves. 

Said way has been 'diluted', so to speak due to their world being destroyed and partly assimilated with Aurora. 

Only with time can they integrate themselves into the power structure available in Aurora, unless Aurora assimilates more worlds similar to theirs. 

Not only that, the first generation of refugees are typically unable to integrate themselves unless they get rid of their bodies, something not possible for the average person. That is because they have already embarked on the paths available to them back in their worlds

The later generations, born on Aurora, have a greater chance of integrating themselves. How much later though remains to be seen. 

Adam, on the other hand; has practically arrived in this world with a newborn body, given it was cloned. This allowed him to integrate himself with time, which was sped with the help of Olivia. 

Sitting at the table. Cat started to peruse the information while Adam spoke with Elena. "Do you know of any good blacksmiths? Someone who can preferably work with vibranium. I'm looking to commission a few weapons for myself."

Elena doesn't take long to answer "Yes, but it will be costly. Vibranium isn't easy to work with. The temperature needed to melt it is absurdly high, so it's typically better to use a tier 6 or 7 magus proficient in the advanced metal element. Using mana, they can usually shape it. Sharpening it is where the expensive price tag comes from."

Adam nods, uncaring of the potential price tag "No problem, the last thing I'm lacking is credits. We will head there first, once we're done here." 

Approaching their table is an elven waiter. "What can I get you guys today?"

"Get me a coffee, black." Adam orders, he then looks at his companions for their orders. 

Elena just waves at the waiter "Get me your strongest drink", while both maids also ask for coffee, each with their own preferences.

The waiter nods "No problem, I'll be back with your orders in a few moments." then walks away.

Adam turns to Cat "Did you find anything good?"

Cat nods back at him "Yes sir, for the animals, there are two popular stores. One who deals with exotic pets; and one who deals with regular pets, including livestock. As for the miscellaneous store; there's a popular one, belonging to the Council, which also acts as a pawn shop. It says on the notes that you may sometimes find rare and unique things available in the pawn section."

He nods "Good, we will head to the council store after the blacksmith. We'll keep the pets for last."

A few minutes later, the waiter arrives with their drinks. Adam stops him before he leaves "Get me the bill, we won't be staying long." "Yes sir, I'll be back shortly."

While the group is enjoying their drinks, the waiter comes back with a crystal pad, the size of two adult hands. Understanding its purpose, Adam taps his card against the pad and wills the payment through. The waiter confirming everything went smoothly, leaves them to their drinks.

"We will have to hire a carriage to head back to the residence. What's the fastest one you recommend Elena?" He asks his attendant.

"Look for any carriages pulled by draconic horses. They are basically scaled horses. Some have hooves, others have claws. Look for the ones with hooves, they run faster on flat land. Draconic horses also have higher stamina and speed than regular horses." She answers him while sipping on her drink, something that looked like rum or brandy.

Nodding his head, he asks her "Are they available for purchase, or rather, if I were to purchase a beast to pull my carriage, what beast would you recommend. Don't worry about the price tag. We may have to use them a lot after all." He finished his drink, and crosses his legs, waiting for his group.

Elena takes a moment to think "Depends on what's available really. We'll have to see. But there's been some rumors; Saying that the council heads snatched some pegasi. They found them in some world ruled by low-tier gods. If you have a chance to get them, I would recommend it. It is after all better to fly than walk. You will need to alter your carriage to be able to fly though."

He agrees "Hopefully we'll get lucky." Spotting his companions with their empty cups, he gets up "Let's head to the blacksmith you mentioned earlier."

Nodding their heads, they follow him out of the cafe. Adam spotting some carriages waiting by the establishment, waves one over. "Elena, go sit with the driver. Have him take us to the blacksmith." She agrees with a wave while Adam heads inside the mildly comfortable carriage along with his two maids.

The trip was done in silence. Neither Adam nor the maids are interested in small talk. Especially Adam, who still doesn't know or care for their names. 

He was planning on hiring his own maids soon enough. He was just waiting for David to come back. 

He's hoping to hire knights instead of regular maids. Of course, he will also approach a few brothels to see if he can find a few hidden gems. 

While Adam isn't currently interested in any sort of relationship, he still enjoys emptying his family jewels every once in a while. It helps keep his mind nice and fresh, like any other man. 

Who knows, he may hire one of the workers as a personal secretary. There was a saying about that, 'The secretary does the work and the boss does the secretary.' As someone with subordinates under him; it would be a shame to break the tradition. It is tradition that keeps a civilization afloat after all.

While he was busy thinking of his wonderful future, involving secretaries and under-the-desk assignments. The carriage arrived at the blacksmith.

Stepping out of the carriage, he follows Elena inside the blacksmith. Looking around, he doesn't see many things on display. The objects on display seemed more like placeholders used as a reference for customers to choose.

While adequately large from the outside, the inside was a lot smaller. 'The smithy probably takes the majority of the space.' Adam thought to himself. He approaches the cashier, a tall and bald orc, wearing a smithing apron. "I want to commission a few things, call the manager or owner over."

The orc looks at him, then looks at Elena, before calling out to someone further in the building "Boss, someone wants to meet you." 

A few moments later, a loud voice answers back "I'll be there, soon! Have them look around." The orc looks back at Adam "You heard him, you'll have to wait a bit." 

"No problem, we'll wait." He starts looking at what the store offers. Adam knows that not many magi focus on the physical aspect of their strength. Something he considers ignorant. Being versatile could potentially save your life one day. 

Even if it doesn't, advancing as a magus is a slow process in and of itself. Learning new things may make the process less tedious, or perhaps it may inspire you. Regardless, there are multiple reasons one should learn different things. 

In Adam's case, he had Elena and David teach him multiple weapons, to see what he prefers. He chose to learn sword-wielding, mace wielding, dagger/shortswords mastery, as well as archery.

The reason mace-wielding was included was for two simple reasons. The skills required are minimal compared to most weapons. While you can learn a few techniques to defend and parry, the main thing is to simply aim-and-smash. Adam appreciates such simplicity. 

The other reason? It spoke to him in a more primal way. While he likes to believe himself to be someone led by his intelligence, not instinct. There's a sense of satisfaction you gain by smashing things using pure, unadulterated violence. 

While he was hesitant in choosing such a weapon at first, afraid of turning into some kind of mace-wielding savage. Elena convinced him with one phrase, one he used himself quite often, albeit, with different wording, "If it works, it works." And she was right. There was a reason such a weapon was widespread, it was simple and it worked.

While he was contemplating on his future as a potential mace-wielding magus, the store owner or manager, presents himself to the group.

He was a tall and lanky man, unlike the stereotypical burly blacksmith. His charcoal hair was in a mess, and his face was covered in soot stains. His grey eyes peered at the group curiously. "Greetings, I'm Allan, the owner. What can I help you with?"

Adam looks over his attire, trying to see if he was tier 6 or 7, a requirement Elena mentioned as necessary to work with vibranium. Not spotting anything on his smithing apron, he internally shrugs and responds to the waiting man "I'd like to discuss a few things I'd like made. Do you perhaps have somewhere more private?"

"Yes, of course, follow me to my office." Allan leads them to a door behind the counter, opening to a hall with a closed door and stairs that probably led to the smithy, storage, and whatever other things present down in the basement.

Opening the door and stepping after his guests, Allan heads over to his plainly decorated desk while Adam sits on one of the two chairs facing him. Elena and the maids stand a bit further behind, letting Adam handle his business.

Glancing at the maids and Elena for a second, Allan then asks Adam "So, what would you like done? Depending on the order, it may take some time."

"I can't seem to confirm your strength as a Magus. Are you able to work with vibranium?" Adam instead asks him.

Allan, shocked for a moment, answers "Yes, I am a tier 7, and one of the few able and allowed to work with the metal. You have to understand that even if you want something made from vibranium, you will have to gain permission from the council. It is a controlled resource, not everyone is allowed to own some." He looks over Adam. While the suit looked nice, nothing on him indicated his status. 

Even Elena, unless she purposely flexes, only looks like a tier 7, due to the slight haze surrounding her, courtesy of her biofield.

Nodding satisfied, Adam takes a badge out from his inner pocket. It was an exact copy of the one he gave David. He asked the council for an extra one a few days after arriving at his residence, just in case he needed his servants to run errands for him using his name.

Allan seeing the badge, had his eyes widened to a comical degree. "Is that?" He scrutinizes Adam more closely then gasps slightly "You aren't a magus yet. You are the new talent everyone's been talking about. I'd be happy to take care of your commissions, free of charge, including the price for the vibranium. In exchange, I'd like a small favor. Nothing that would inconvenience you."

Adam doesn't bother thinking it over. Having a tier 7 magus in his graces could help him in the future. Especially one who can work with vibranium. 

Of course, he'll have to consider the favor, but unless it's dangerous he doesn't see himself refusing. "I'd like to hear of the favor before agreeing."

The smith nods and proceeds to explain "I'm sure you are aware of how the special talent students get the first pick amongst any rare resources that occasionally appear. The rest is left for the others. Well, I don't know if you're aware, I'm not the only proficient blacksmith in the council. Let alone others at my level, there's one amongst the special students. I have heard that there will be a special metal appearing soon. Anything related to smithing is usually picked by that special student leaving other smiths unable to test and experience new and rare materials." 

He pauses to make sure Adam is keeping up, once sure; he continues "The metal is called voidslag. Despite its name, it is actual metal; or something close enough to be called metal. It is practically a void beasts excretion. They vary wildly in value, depending on the age and strength of the beast. It is basically anything the void beast doesn't refine. So for it, to be considered valuable enough to be on the upcoming list is enough to prove its value. It could be remains condensed from a star, a dead planet the beast has consumed, or any other material floating in space. Regardless it is something I want. If you can get it for me, I'd be willing to make whatever you need, as long as it's reasonable." He looks at Adam expectantly, waiting for an answer. 

This voidslag is something he heard has come from a large planet-sized void beast. Void beasts regularly release voidslag, but the term 'regularly' here does not mean it has a schedule it follows. No, it is only when it accumulates too much waste that it releases them. 

So one can be lucky and spot a few voidslags floating in space or one can be unlucky and not even know of its existence.

Adam thinks the request over. He has no problem agreeing, the only issue is whether he'll be able to get a hold of what the smith needs. Adam, being part of the first pick group doesn't mean he can pick whatever he wants. 

Although being the new guy does give him a certain advantage. The advantage being the Council doesn't yet know what he specializes in. He can pick a few things without raising any eyebrows.

The list itself is released to all the special students at the same time, so it is basically a race if one wants something another is aiming for. It rarely happens, given that most current talents know each other's habits and preferences to a certain degree. 

If one is aiming for something someone else needs; they conduct private negotiations, with the council mediating, to see if an agreement can't be reached. 

The council typically sides with the party with the most urgent needs and compensates the other adequately. 

"I'll see what I can do. While I will try to pick what you need, even among us, talents, it can be considered a race for resources. You are lucky that I am new, new enough that I can afford a faux-pas. So seeing as I may potentially offend a peer of mine, a blacksmith at that, I will need more than just you paying for my order. You will have to make yourself available for any future needs I may have for the next 10 years, of which you will be responsible for half the bill. What do you think?" 

Of course, Adam wouldn't forgive himself if he did not try to take advantage of the situation.

Allan, on the other hand; did not even think for a second before agreeing. In his mind, how often will a magus hire a blacksmith, and if they do, it will probably be for his attendants and servants. So he's not too worried. 

Of course, he's unaware that Adam will try to milk this agreement for all its worth. Even if he has no need for a blacksmith, he has a lot of credits, courtesy of the council.

And with the blacksmith paying for half, he will curse himself if he doesn't use him to make everything he owns coated in the most expensive metals available. 

Who knows, he may even try to bring cars to this world. And if it's already done? Then he'll have the blacksmith get him a few to fill the empty space in front of the manor. Regardless, he'll find some use for a tier 7 smith. 

Satisfied, Adam starts with his order "Great, so here's what I need from you." 

He waits for Allan to start taking notes, then continues " I want a cane-sword. Both the sword and sheath made of vibranium of course. For the pommel, above the sword handle, I want a sphere. You can design it. I want short studs coming out of the sphere out, along the middle. Make sure there's space for my fingers to hold the pommel without cutting myself. The sphere will be used as the head of a mace; so make it and the studs sturdy. About six inches above the tip; make slight indents for me to hold when using the cane as a mace. Try to not make them too visible, I don't want the cane looking ridiculous after all. Or maybe make the bottom wavy, enough for my fingers to hold without looking too out of place when I'm using it as a cane?." 

He pauses for a second then continues "You know what, you're the expert. Design it as you see fit. All I want is a cane-sword that I can use as a mace if I wish so. All I ask is for the design to be elegant and discreet if possible." He adds "Once again, the whole thing has to be made of vibranium."

Making sure Allan is still taking notes, he continues "I also want one shortsword and two daggers as well as a face mask. All made of vibranium as well. The daggers need the ability to be hidden while wearing my current clothes. As for their designs, along with the shortsword, I'll leave it up to you."

He pauses to add "Keep in mind that I do not care for the looks, only functionality. The same goes for the mask. Actually, it is better to call it a full-face helmet. I want it to cover my whole face along with the back of my head. The design does not matter, as long as it does not impede its job of protecting me. I'll also take your best-made recurve bow as well." 

Of course, he does not expect the bow to be made using vibranium. Using a metal known to absorb kinetic force in a bow that uses kinetic force to shoot an arrow is not very smart. It would also be absurdly hard to pull the string and have the bow curve. Just not practical.

Once he's sure Allan finished taking notes, Adam asked him "How long would it take for you to finish?"

Allan takes a moment to think, then answers "It shouldn't be too long, about three months."

Adam nodded, not disagreeing. According to his knowledge of smithing, the average smith back in medieval times took about a week, using their technology, to smith a steel sword. 

Taking three months to make his order, using vibranium nonetheless, seemed reasonable. That's taking into account that he has other things to do as well, as a store owner.

"No problem. Keep in mind that I may not be able to get what you want. In such a case, I will pay for my order. Are we in agreement?" 

Allan nods, understanding what he means "Of course. I will appreciate the effort regardless. I will give you a discount either way."

Adam, satisfied, stands and extends his hand for a handshake "Pleasure doing business with you, Allan."

Allan gets up, wipes the soot of his hand on his apron, and shakes Adam's hand "I look forward to your patronage sir...?" Just realizing he still doesn't know Adam's name, he pauses for a moment.

Adam, on the other hand, apologizes "My mistake, you may call me Adam. As all my friends do" and gives him a warm smile. The same smile he gave Robert when he bamboozled him.

Of course, Allan wasn't there when it happened, so hearing Adam calling him a friend pleased him. He was a special student after all. Their status means plenty of rare resources. For a blacksmith like him, who's reached the current limit of his path as a magus, that's something very enticing.

"Of course, friends. It would be my pleasure, Adam.'' He shakes his hand with a bit more force this time.

"Great. The list for new resources will be released in another three months and the following one will be in six. If I see what you seek in the next one, I'll bring it myself, if I'm able to get it, when I pick up my order. If it's not there, I will tell you at the time of our meeting." 

''No problem. I will have your weapons and helm ready in three months. I will let my assistant, the orc outside, know to bring you in as soon as you come."

"Great, see you in three months then." He then proceeds to leave the office along with his entourage. Ignoring the orc, they leave the store and spot their carriage still waiting for them. 

"Cat, give the driver our destination. The council store." The maid nods and goes over to speak to the carriage driver. Once she's done, she steps into the carriage, where Adam, Elena, and wolf were currently seated.

The carriage starts to slowly drive, leaving Adam to his thoughts. 'I hope I can find nice pets later. I haven't had any animals for a while. I miss my cat and dog....'

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Authors note: Took me a while to finish. haaaa, will was there, inspiration too, just had a hard time putting words on paper so to speak. I promised pets but things started dragging too much for my liking. I don't mind long chapters, as long as it doesn't feel like a chore. And it started looking like one. We will most likely show Adam interacting with the pets directly next chap, as a way to introduce them instead of him finding them in-store. I don't like the idea of writing an MC's day-to-day life. I like to picture myself peering over to his life and then writing it. You don't want your MC basically sitting on his ass until you come along to make him move, I like to believe Adam is living his life when I'm not writing. I'd rather throw in a recap than have a continuous string of chapters only to have two days go by. So yea. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

P.s I enjoyed writing Magdalena. The idea of a beautiful and delicate-looking noble lady, using gimps as furniture just makes me lol. The idea of human furniture came from a screengrab of squid games where those rich as*holes were using people as tables and whatnot. While I did not watch the show, that pic shocked me deeply.

p.p.s Yes Adam is kind of a dick to his maids, but I see it as someone who treats his maids as what they are, servants. Expecting a grown man to start socializing with his maids for no apparent reason is weird. His attendants are different, his security depends on them. The least he could do is memorize their names and treat them as valuable employees. His life depends on them after all.

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Lazy, Out!.