The following days that followed were hectic as the company rushed to manufacture clothes. The Third-Generation puppets worked tirelessly, even through the nights. Their nature made them capable of staying active indefinitely as long as I was capable of supplying them with mana, and they took advantage of this fact by operating the factory without a single minute of rest. I was worried that they were mentally overworking themselves, but I later learned that they loved working, so I left them to their own devices.
Of course, the operations of the factory wouldn't be possible without a steady supply of fibers. Every day, huge woven sacks filled with goblin manure were transported to the dryads' Sanctuary to be exchanged for plant stalks. Mr. Marion's initial agreement with the dryads only included flax, but I renegotiated with them and managed to include hemp and jute to increase the variations in the fabric. Every morning, my puppets would come back with dozens of bushels of plant stalks that would be retted.
The factory operations flowed smoothly without my intervention thanks to Manny's supervision. The General Manager scrutinized each stage of production with a sharp eye, reprimanding those who made even the slightest mistakes. I had to tell him once to be more lenient with the workers. I didn't want a toxic workplace in my company.
The factory was capable of running by itself, but that didn't mean I had been idle. While Manny supervised the fabric production, I made sure to personally manage the five puppets operating the sewing machines. The final outputs were very important, and my sharp eye and instincts vetted each garment and clothing that my puppets created. My assessment of their creations was… satisfactory, to say the least.
At first, I had rejected every clothing that my puppets produced, criticizing every minute flaw that I spotted, much to my puppets' shame. My instincts flared whenever I saw the final outputs turn out as poor imitations of what I could make with my power, but then I remembered that my puppets didn't have the same abilities as I did, not to mention that I was being too harsh. I'd be a hypocrite if I reprimanded Manny for being too strict and being an asshole myself, so I lowered my standards. I still rejected some of my puppets' creations from time to time if I wasn't satisfied, but the rest were acceptable.
I guess I could create a different batch of clothing made exclusively by me, and I could sell those for a higher price, I thought as I watched my puppets operate the sewing machines. The flaws in their creations stuck out like sore thumbs to me, and I had to consciously exert effort not to go on a tirade.
I looked away to distract myself. For some reason, my instinctual reactions to flaws were stronger than usual, probably because the flaws belonged to the clothes of my company. Whenever I saw ugly clothing made by other people, I simply felt annoyed, but to see the same flaws in my puppets' creations was infuriating. I even had to wall off my emotions to my puppets lest they feel my wrath, and that would not do. It would result in less morale which in turn would lead to less productivity. I had to keep a tight leash on my emotions.
But not all were bad news regarding clothes production. The quality might be lacking, but my puppets made up for it in quantity. Dozens of crates filled with a wide assortment of clothing were already stored in the Supply Room, ready to be shipped and sold in the city. I had no idea yet how to handle the logistics of transporting all those goods in the city, but I think I could borrow a few wagons from the Chief when the time comes.
My attention wasn't only focused on the final outputs of the factory. I also boosted the output of the Retting Room through the use of my Life magic.
The retting process involved making use of bacteria to rot the outer layer of the plant stalks to make it easier to harvest the precious fibers within. Normally, this process took several days, but with my Life magic, I could multiply the bacteria population and boost their metabolisms, speeding up the process.
I had to undergo several failed trials to master the technique. Metabolize the bacteria too much and the fibers would weaken. Metabolize too little and the retting process would shorten, but not by much. It took me two days and dozens of trials to find the sweet spot, resulting in a lot of bushels wasted. But all of it had been worth it if it meant finishing the retting process within a day, boosting our production several-fold.
I made use of the goblins' free labor for my endeavors as well. My deal with Zerza had been the tribe's labor in exchange for protection, so I put their little asses to work.
Since I didn't allow any of them inside the cave, I limited their work to the clearing outside. Their job was to hang the fibers that were finished retting on racks located in the center of the clearing where the sun shone brightest. The sun exposure would dry the wet fibers before being brought back inside the cave for the Breaking process.
I was worried that the goblins would think I was treating them as slaves, so after a hard day's work, I would always have some of my puppets prepare a feast for them. The little bastards were very happy about it.
The days passed by quickly. The company never slept, the puppets continuously working even throughout the night. My mana pool now took almost a whole day to replenish, what with the number of puppets constantly working. The mana costs even overwhelmed the regeneration rate at times when the puppets did arduous tasks, such as carrying sacks of goblin manure to the dryads. For the first time, I had to carefully manage my mana consumption if I wanted to keep everything working smoothly.
After two weeks of constant work, the day of my departure finally arrived. I already borrowed two more wagons from Bran the day before, and right now, I stood in the clearing in front of my cave with three large wagons being loaded with crates by my puppets. My chest was filled with pride and excitement as I imagined the future where I basked in the riches my company would make. The day has finally arrived! Time for the world to know the true meaning of fashion!
My delusions were interrupted by another stupefied gasp beside me. “Selise, will you please stop making that stupid noise? I'm having my moment here.”
The young huntress, who came with me when I borrowed the wagons from Bran, gave me a look, as if I was wearing a hat that said ‘I'm the biggest idiot in the world!’
“Are you out of your mind?!” Selise shouted incredulously. “Not only did you let goblins camp in front of your home, but you're also protecting them as well?!”
“I still don't see the reason why you think it's so bad. Is it so evil to try and help those in need?”
“It wouldn't have been so evil if they weren't monsters!” Selise shouted angrily.
“The word ‘monster’ has many definitions, Selise. A rapist or a murderer is a monster, but I find it hard to put the same label on innocent creatures who only want to survive.”
“Innocent?! Those bastards steal food from the villages all the time!” Selise shouted, glaring at a nearby goblin who was watching us curiously. The goblin ran away.
“Well, did they kill anyone?”
“Of course not. Goblins are weak and could be easily overpowered by any adult human. Only the hobgoblins are real threats, and they're smart enough not to attack any human settlement.”
“See? The worst crime they could have possibly done is to steal,” I replied. “Answer me this: is a death sentence a proper punishment for food theft? Is that how you punish thieves in Wildpost?”
Selise scrunched her face fiercely. She already knew she'd lost the argument, but she didn't back down. “We have laws, Mr. Marion, but they only apply to humans.”
“Then if you're so convinced of your righteousness, then you can go ahead and tell Belka of the goblins living in my territory so she can mobilize her hunters and massacre this tribe that didn't even provoke Wildpost. Tell her to bring a lot of hunters to surround the area since the children are fast on their feet. Wouldn't want to let a single one escape now, would we?”
Selise glared at me for a few more seconds before she finally relented. “Fine. Fine. I will not reveal their existence to anybody else, but their actions are your responsibility, Mr. Marion. If they threaten Wildpost, I'm holding you accountable.”
“Splendid! Now, how about a tour around my home? You're always so uptight and short-tempered all the time. It's bad for someone as young as you.”
Selise glared at me again, but instead of a rebuttal, the young woman closed her eyes and exhaled slowly before apologizing. “I'm sorry, Mr. Marion. It's just… the past months had been a bit stressful. I must have been taking it out on you. I'm sorry.”
My jaw fell open in surprise. I wanted to tease the young woman about her abrupt change, but I quickly realized it would be an asshole thing to do. She was being honest with me, and the last thing I wanted to do was make light of it.
“It's fine, Selise. We're just human, and humans are easily influenced by emotions,” I said as I placed a hand on her shoulder. I considered asking her what was on her mind, but I ultimately decided against it. She'd tell me if she wanted to. “Come, let me show you around my home to get your mind off of it.”
Selise gave me a wan smile. “Thanks, Mr. Marion.”
While waiting for my puppets to fill the wagons, I took Selise around my home. I acted as a tour guide and showed her around the rooms, although we had to avoid the Retting Room. The smell of rotting plants wasn't exactly something I wanted to expose a visitor to.
“Wow,” Selise whispered as she looked around the Scutching and Combing Room. Dozens of puppets labored tirelessly, pausing to wave at me in acknowledgement before returning to their work. “You must have dug out tons of rock just to build this single room, and you have ten? How in the world did you manage that?”
“Heh, I'm the best of the best, Selise. What else did you expect?”
Selise gave me a bland look. “The last time I visited, the ‘best of the best’ lived in a dark and dingy cave.”
“It was thanks to my powerful magic, of course,” I said as I created a tiny Force Drill on the tip of my finger. It was invisible, but when I pushed it against the wall, bits of rock flew as a small hole was drilled into it. Selise looked awed. “Impressive, eh? Of course, this is only for demonstration. I could make a larger drill that could excavate an entire room in a single day.”
“With how you act all the time, I sometimes forget you're a powerful mage,” Selise said with an impressed nod. “By the way, where did you get all these people? And why are they wearing those weird skinsuits? And why are they so quiet?”
“Oh, I forgot to mention them. All of them are puppets I created, just like Taloress.”
Selise shook her head with a ‘why did I even ask’ expression. “Of course they're puppets. Being an Ascendant and choosing to be a businessman is so unfair. Business owners would kill to have this kind of free labor.”
“I know. That's why I'm keeping them a secret. Besides, even if I created them for labor, they're still my family, and I'm not letting them fall into the greedy hands of others.”
“Only your greedy hands, then?”
“It hurts my heart that you think of me so.”
The rest of the tour went pretty quickly, and when we emerged from the cave, Wennena and Disserla were waiting for us. The presence of the dryads immediately caused Selise's eyes to light up. Without preamble, the young huntress ran up to the Sentinel and hugged her.
“Wennena! I'm so glad to see you again!”
“I-I'm very happy to see you too, friend Selise,” Wennena said with a flustered expression. It seems the warrior-dryad was not used to displays of affection.
“What about me?” Disserla asked beside them, her arms outstretched as she expected a hug.
“Er, sorry. I don't remember you much…” Selise muttered.
Selise and Wennena proceeded to catch up with each other, blatantly ignoring the sad Steward beside them, her arms still outstretched.
“You didn't tell me Wennena was staying here!” Selise said as she turned to me.
“Yes, well, it may have slipped my mind the last time I visited the village…”
Selise just snorted and returned to her conversation with Wennena. Moments later, Taloress joined them as well. To my surprise, Wennena and Taloress hit it off well even though the latter couldn't speak. I think it had something to do with Taloress reacting enthusiastically every time the Sentinel mentioned something about fighting and combat.
After a few more minutes, the puppets finished loading the wagons and it was finally time for us to leave. I summoned Manny, Spider, and Tedd to give them some final instructions.
“I will be away for a while, although I'm not sure for how long. In my absence, I expect the three of you to watch over our territory and make sure everything remains peachy. Manny and Spider, your tasks will be the same, managing Grisly Hall and maintaining security respectively. While I'm gone, Tedd will be the leader and all important decisions will fall on him. Is everything clear?”
The three puppets gave energetic affirmatives that reassured me. As long as they watched over things, everything should be fine. I even gave specific instructions to Wennena and Disserla to help keep an eye on things just to make sure everything was still in one piece when I got back.
With all preparations finished, I climbed the driver's seat of my wagon while Taloress and Selise climbed the two other wagons I borrowed from Bran to drive them. “Then we're off! See you soon!”
The rest of the Third-Generation puppets exited the cave to wave goodbye. The goblins saw us off as well with Zerza in the lead. The dryads said their farewells as our convoy passed them by, although I was sure Wennena only addressed Selise and Taloress.
When all was said and done, our convoy finally left the clearing and made its way to Wildpost, where we would meet with Rella.
●●●
Rella gave an impressed whistle as her convoy approached Wildpost's gates. The former wall made of haphazardly-erected logs was now replaced by a five-meter high wooden wall complete with a parapet and guard towers at set intervals. Hunters vigilantly patrolled the walls, their sharp eyes constantly scanning the treeline for monsters. Their gaze roamed over Rella's convoy once, but they immediately deemed them harmless. Rella chuckled in amusement.
“Halt!” a hunter cried as they arrived in front of the gates. It was a young and handsome man, one that Rella had met many times before. It was the same hunter that would greet her every time she visited the remote village. His face was a neutral mask, but Rella knew he was just trying to put on a front. “Please open up the wagons for inspection, ma'am.”
“If it isn't my cute friend, Ned,” Rella cooed, eliciting a blush from the young man. She smirked, amused at how easy it was to take advantage of the hunter's youth. “We've visited several times before, and I'm sure you remember me well. Would you be a dear and let us pass through?”
Rella batted her eyelashes and squeezed her arms together, emphasizing her bosom. Ned's gaze roved over her cleavage for a split second before quickly returning to Rella's eyes. His cheeks flushed further. “A-Ah, I apologize, Miss Rella, but it's standard protocol.”
“But you let us pass last time without an inspection,” Rella said with a pout.
Ned stuttered a reply. “U-Uh, that was…”
“I'll take it from here, Ned. Go join your squad at the shooting range and help them train the new recruits.” A lithe and older man emerged from a side door and dismissed Ned, much to the young hunter's relief. The man turned his gaze on Rella, and she couldn't help but compare it to a wolf's. “I apologize for my subordinate's lack of professionalism, ma'am. Now, please open your wagons for inspection so you may proceed inside the village.”
Rella immediately knew that her charms wouldn't work on this one. She quickly recognized him as Dalton, the Head Hunter's second-in-command. The man's appearance and demeanor screamed ‘military,’ and they were not the type to fall victim to a woman's wiles. They were too stuck up on their rules and protocols. Oh well, it won't matter much in the future, Rella thought as she ordered her men to open the wagons for inspection.
Other grizzled-looking hunters went to inspect her convoy, but Rella wasn't worried. The contraband had their own hidden storage compartments.
The inspection was quick, and soon, they were allowed inside the gates. Dalton gave them a respectful nod. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
Rella smiled sweetly, although her mind wondered at the weird change. Security wasn't this tight last time she went here.
Her convoy made its way to the Bitter Philter where she was greeted by Kath Swiller, the village's resident alchemist. “Ah, Miss Rella! It's very nice to see you!”
“I'm glad to see you too as well, Kath,” Rella greeted with a smile before turning to her men. “Unload the cargo before the mage arrives. I'll be speaking with Kath for a while.”
Despite the building belonging to Kath, Rella led the way as if she owned the place, with the alchemist following behind her meekly. Once they were in a secure room inside the Bitter Philter, Rella's smile was gone. “Give me your report, Redhood.”
“Yes, Blackhood Rella. The workers are almost finished with the wall's construction. My estimate for the construction's completion is three days, although I could order them to delay it and stretch the construction time to five days.”
“Three days is enough time for my plans,” Rella replied. “Is everything else in place?”
“Yes, Blackhood, although there might be a complication,” Kath said hesitantly.
“Speak.”
“There had been an incident in the Chief's house shortly after you left several weeks ago, presumably between the Night Wardens, the Head Hunter, and the masked mage. I had been unable to gather more information since the Chief is being tight-lipped about the incident, but all we know is that the masked mage had been enraged and inadvertently released his aura.”
Rella's expression turned curious. “Oh? And what can you tell me about the mage's aura?”
Kath looked uncomfortable as she explained. “The aura had been powerful, Blackhood. Really powerful. It managed to encompass the entire village and everybody felt it. I mean no offense, but I'm afraid our preparations may be lacking if we wish to continue with our plan.”
Rella chuckled mirthfully. “The aura encompassed the whole village, you say? Well well, it seems we've really found our golden goose. Don't worry, Redhood, no offense was taken. I appreciate your valuable input, but we will still proceed with the plan, although I will have to take you up on your offer. Tell the workers to delay the construction. If the mage is as powerful as you say, then more time to enact the plan would be more prudent.”
“As you will, Blackhood.”
“Do you have anything else to report?”
“The Chief had started imposing stricter security measures in the village about a week ago, although he did not announce an official reason for it. Rumors had been spreading in the village about an imminent threat, but the Chief never confirmed nor denied them.”
Rella's eyes suddenly turned sharp and her voice became glacial. “Had our plan been exposed? Are there traitors in our midst?”
“I-I can assure you that there had been no treachery from our side, Blackhood Rella,” Kath stuttered. “As of now, only you and I are privy to the plan, and I swear by my life that I had not betrayed you.”
Rella quietly stared at the alchemist for a few seconds, her eyes narrowed. Kath squirmed nervously as sweat dripped down the side of her head. Finally, Rella nodded. “You speak the truth. You are not a traitor.”
Kath almost collapsed from relief. “I am happy to serve, Blackhood Rella. With regards to the Chief's decision to suddenly tighten security, I believe it is not related to our plans.”
“How so?”
“Although uncommon, the village is sometimes besieged by waves of monsters, and the Chief may have received information about an imminent monster attack.”
“It makes sense. It cannot be a coincidence that the old man had decided to upgrade their walls out of the blue. The tighter security is an unfortunate setback, but one that can be easily surpassed,” Rella said with a sinister smile.
“Is that all for your report?”
“Yes, Blackhood.”
“Then continue with your work and avoid gathering attention on yourself in the coming days. We must be discrete.”
With those last words, Rella left the room and exited the Bitter Philter. Just in time, too. The beautiful woman's lips curved upwards as the masked mage's convoy finally arrived.
●●●
When we arrived at the village square, Rella was already there with her convoy. The beautiful woman had a big smile on her face as she greeted us, her eyes stuck on the canvas covering my wagon. “I see you've been busy while I was gone. I like the trademark, though I'm wondering what kind of woman would break a heart of a gentleman like you, Mr. Marion.”
I chuckled at her words. One of my preparations for the trip was creating a logo for my company. A logo was very important since it would be the symbol that will differentiate my creations from the rest of the rabble, so I made it simple to make it easier to remember: a large red heart cracked right in the middle. The logo was sewn on the canvas of my wagon as well as on each of the clothes I was transporting. Once I announced the name of my company, people would easily attribute the logo to my business even without the name written itself. It was the best marketing strategy I could think of given that a lot of people in this world couldn't read.
“So what will be the name of the soon-to-be rising star in the world of business?” Rella asked with a glint in her eyes.
“We don't even know for sure yet if my business is going to take off, Miss Rella,” I chided, even though I knew it would. “When we finally arrive in Halros, I'll be introducing my company as the Broken Heart Company, hence the trademark.”
“It's a good name, although don't you think it's too depressing?”
“I have my reasons for it,” I said mysteriously. Better for her to think that there was a deeper meaning behind my company's name rather than find out I just used two words that rhymed with my real name. “So, do you have an itinerary for our journey to Halros?”
“Yes, but I intended to tell you all about it during the trip. Do you want to hear it now?”
“Let's wait for the others to arrive so you wouldn't have to repeat yourself.”
“Others..?”
Rella gave me a blank stare, and that's when I remembered that she didn't know about our plan about bringing Emily along with us to Halros and whatnot. I quickly explained the situation and told her that I wasn't the only one she would be touring around Halros.
“Are you telling me,” Rella said with a forced smile. “That the Head Hunter and two Night Wardens would also come along with us?”
“Emily too,” I added.
For the briefest of moments, I felt a small flash of aura emerge from Rella. It was so brief and weak that I thought I was hallucinating it, but one look at the beautiful woman's strained smile was enough to tell me that the aura did come from her, which meant she was annoyed. And that she was an augmenter. Something to note for the future.
“I would have appreciated it if you told me about this sooner, Mr. Marion,” Rella said as she combed her hair with her fingers absently. I had no idea if she realized her blunder with her aura, but if she did, she showed no signs.
“Sorry, but I don't see a problem with bringing extra companions,” I said with genuine confusion. “If it's a matter of payment, I could cover the cost for my companions' presence.”
“No, it's not about payment, Mr. Marion,” Rella said curtly. I thought I detected a hint of venom in her tone. “The issue lies with the… nature… of your companions.”
“Is this about Kazimir and Samantia being Night Wardens?” I asked with a bit of heat in my voice. I had no idea why I was getting angry on behalf of those two people when they weren't even my friends, but hearing Rella's words annoyed me.
“Yes,” the woman answered bluntly. “Their presence is always abhorred in cities, and bringing them along would make things harder for us. Especially for you who wish to establish your company.”
“It doesn't matter, they'll still be coming with us. We've already planned this weeks ago.”
I thought Rella was going to try and convince me otherwise, but she just sighed. “Fine, you're the one paying anyway. Just know that I'm not responsible for how they'll be treated once we're in the city.”
“I'll take care of that.”
Moments later, the last members of the group finally arrived. Belka came dressed in heavy leather armor that covered her entire body except for her frowning face. She carried a large rucksack on her back, but I could see no other weapons on her body. Unsurprising when the main weapons she always used were her fists.
Walking beside Belka was a young huntress dressed in the same leather armor, albeit several sizes smaller. She was of average height, although she looked more like a dwarf when she walked side by side with a large woman like Belka. She looked shy and meek, and I would have deemed her cute and harmless if not for the large bow strapped to her back, the quiver full of arrows by her waist, and the plethora of knives sheathed all over her body. Holy shit, she was armed.
Following behind the pair of hunters were the Night Wardens, looking as grim as usual. Kazimir, who had been nothing but bones and skin after our battle, was almost back to his former glory. He was decked in plate armor and wore the classic black cloak of the Night Wardens. Strapped to his waist was the silver sword he used in his battle against me, fully repaired.
Walking beside the large warrior was Samantia, her face set in its usual frown. Her body was entirely covered by her cloak, but I was sure she hid all sorts of talismans and ritual paraphernalia underneath it.
Belka was the first to address me. “Mr. Marion. I believe you haven't met Emily yet.”
The young huntress stepped forward and gave me a shy smile. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Marion. Thank you for giving me this chance to visit the city.”
“I'm happy to help,” I replied as I shook her hand.
Belka also introduced herself and the rest of the group to Rella, although I couldn't help but notice that their interactions were a bit strained.
Once all introductions were finished, Selise climbed down from her wagon and said her farewells. She hugged Emily and wished her safe travels, and I belatedly noticed that Selise was crying. That's when I remembered that if everything went well, Emily would be leaving the village for good to become a Night Warden.
“Don't be a stranger, alright? Write us letters,” Selise said as she broke off from the hug.
“I will,” Emily whispered, her eyes glistening.
When everything was done, everybody climbed aboard their respective wagons. Belka and Emily chose to ride in my wagon, although they had to sit with me in the driver's seat since the wagon itself was fully loaded with crates. The Night Wardens chose to ride the wagon that Selise was driving earlier, with Kazimir acting as the driver. Taloress remained in her wagon, grumbling quietly that she couldn't sit with me.
With everything finally ready, our large convoy departed for Halros.
