“Where did you take Alex?” Cobra asked, her eyes suspiciously gring down at the half elf.

  “I took him to one of the rooms to chat,” Adam replied. “He wao speak alone.”

  “What about?”

  Adam let out a light chuckle. “He told me about how much he cherishes you all, and his dream to eat pe with milk.”

  Cobra blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly with shame for a moment, before she inhaled sharply. “Please, tell me.”

  “Your brother is very adorable, and I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. You don’t have to worry. You’re all VIPs, so everything’s going to be okay.”

  Cobra stared down at Adam, the plex emotions filling her heart. “I’ve been hearing the stories from Fred and Jonn. They told me that you helped them. They both were at their lowest, but you helped them.”

  Adam shrugged his shoulders. “The business likes to i in people.”

  “They said this was before the business was made, back when you were adventuring a few years ago. They said you helped them, and that when they joihe business, you gave them magical ons.”

  “The Enter made magical ons, and I merely gifted them, so all the thanks should go to the Enter.”

  “Nobby, too, they say he got a shield from you, from a bet you made with someorong.”

  “Vasera, yeah. Have you heard of her?”

  “Not much, but they say she’s strong. I think she pced iour st year.”

  “Yeah, I beat her up, and got a magical shield as part of the bet.”

  Cobra was surprised he was so casual about it. “I believe that you’re strong. Fighting in an arena and fighting oreet is different, but I’ve seen the way you fought with my sisters. Is it true that you’re only an Expert?”

  “I might be an Expert, but I punch above my weight css, as they say.”

  Cobra wasirely sure what he meant by that, but she nodded. “Are you strong enough to fight the Marquise?”

  “If the Marquise sends an army, then I’m going to get myself killed,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders. “If she sends anythihan an army, we’ll be fine.”

  “How you be so sure?”

  Adam leaned back, thinking back to what he had dohe previous year. He closed his eyes, the fire fshing through his mind. “This isn’t the first time nobles have sent armies to hunt us, and it certainly won’t be the st.”

  “…” Cobra wasn’t sure how serious he should take her, since most of the time he spoke so casual and light, but this time, his voice was lower, darker, and more… hungry?

  “As I said, you don’t have to worry.” Adam’s eyes fell to the returning forms of Korin, Sara and Brittany. They carried sacks with them, hiding the tents of the various items they had procured. ‘I should have made some healing potions too. Ah, right, I should make the basic stuff too, I fot…’

  Cobra inhaled again. “You said you wahe kids to join the business?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Alex…”

  “Yes?”

  “You know what he is. He’s… I grew up in the alleyways. I know Alex is going to be important to the business, he’s really useful like that. If t w for your business, I want you to promise not to exploit him.”

  “It depends on what you mean by exploit,” Adam said. “As aive, I work hard, as expected of me. I don’t expect Alex to work that hard, but I expect everyohin the busio work properly. Alex has some ualents, so we train him to bee someoh some importan the business, and he’ll o work hard in his position, but I won’t be f him to work until he’s ragged.”

  “I’m pretty strong, maybe not as strong as you, but I’m better than the average Joe,” Cobra said. “I’m fast, nimble, and you’ve seen how many guys it took t me down. I’m useful, and so are Viper and Python. You look after the kids, teach them like you said you would, and we’ll work for you. You work us to the bone, ragged, but you have to promise to look after the kids.”

  “I don’t want to work you to the bone, I want you to work the appropriate amount, whietimes may mean w more than expected, but you’ll be fairly pensated,” Adam said.

  “If I work hard, will I get magical items too?”

  “Of course,” Adam replied. “You want to work as a guard, or in a bat role?”

  Cobra nodded. “It’s all I know.”

  “The business is in potential, and it also likes to make sure that potential doesn’t end up dying because it didn’t give them the proper tools for the job,” Adam said, before realising how cold that sounded. “What I mean is, the business won’t abandon you.”

  “I’ll talk with the others ahem know.”

  Adam nodded, letting her leave. His eyes theo the others, noting how they were chatting, mostly with Nobby and Fred. He saw Brittany was off to one side. He approached her, the young woman sitting with Korin and Sara.

  “Hey,” Adam called, nodding his head to her. “You okay?”

  “Yes?” Brittany replied.

  “Are you or are you not?”

  “I’m fihe woman replied, sitting up a little taller.

  “How e you’re not talking to the girls?”

  “I don’t have much to talk about.”

  “You don’t want to tell them about all that you’ve done?”

  “I haven’t done much,” she replied.

  “You haven’t?”

  She shook her head.

  “I would have sworn I saw you fire some arrows iwo beast waves we handled,” Adam said, thinking back to those times. “You’ve done quite a bit, I gather. You should go speak with them, tell the girls how you use a bow better than any of us.”

  “I ’t,” Brittany replied. “Kitool’s much better with the bow.”

  “Executive Kitool may be great with a bow, but her arrows don’t hit quite as hard as yours, do they?” Adam replied, raising his brow. “Plus, you’re pretty quick, you keep up with her pretty well, and you’re pretty good at not being seen. All very valuable skills.”

  “Right…”

  “You’re the oh the deadwood bht?” Adam gnced around. ‘ht.’ “Well, you don’t have to chat with them now, but make sure you show off your bow, at least to the girls.”

  “Okay…” Brittany wasn’t sure why it had to be the girls. Her eyes fell to the side, noting how none of the woman around were speaking to the children. Amira was off to the side with Dunes, while Sara was beside her, and Vonda was o be seen. There was something about the situation which seemed… wrong.

  ‘Kitool, you should e back soon and show off to the kids too.’

  Adam uood that half the battle with dreams was the marketing. If none of the women around showed off, then would the girls growing up uanding they could be like them too? ‘It should be alright, since we’re a party full of monsters, men and women alike.’

  “My deepest apologies, but we’re currently at maximum capacity,” the worker said, their voice low, almost a stutter.

  The otion caused the patrons to turn, and suddenly stiffen up. Standing at the doorway was an unmistakable group. Each wore attire, something against their typical reputation, though the heavy furs they wave hints at their heritage. They were all heavily armed and armoured, which had seen some use that day, as they were still caked in dried mud and blood, no doubt some belonging to themselves. Many of them also carried rge sacks, including the man up front who carried a rge sack over each shoulders.

  Cobra’s eyes darted to the group which appeared, each filled with that kind of aura, the aura which said they had taken more than a few lives, which wasn’t a surprise sidering who they were.

  ‘Are they here to hunt us?’ Cobra thought, her eyes wide. ‘Did the Marquise send-,’

  “Ah, sorry, they’re with us,” called a voice, the young half elf chug lightly. “Oh dear, oh dear, what are you all doing? Yetting the entire pce dirty.”

  ‘What?’ Cobra thought, her eyes glued to Adam, who was reag into his pocket, sliding out anem to pay the inn.

  “What’s the emergency?” Lucy asked, huffing quietly, seeing as how they had rushed back to try and save Adam, only to see him all smiles and teasing them.

  “What do you mean?” Adam asked, his eyes growing slightly wide as he motioned his head to the children. “There’s no issue, I just wao introduce you all to the new members of our business. Right now, they’re currently VIPs, so we’ve got to put in our whole effort into proteg them.”

  Though Adam was smiling, Luoted the tension in Adam’s jaw and neck. ‘What happened?’

  ‘…’ Jurot also he way Adam was smiling, and the look in Adam’s eyes as the pair locked eyes.

  Oh yeah.