"Weren't we told we'd see the sphinx and dragon here? Why haven't they appeared yet?" demanded an elderly man with a beard so long it nearly reached his waist.
His complaint was quickly echoed by others.
"Exactly! I've been here since dawn!"
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"Dawn? Ha! I heard the story from my apprentice last night and came running immediately. It's a pity I couldn't catch them after the banquet."
The innkeeper chuckled inwardly. After a night of drinking, isn't it reasonable to expect people to need some rest?
The crowd outside the inn grew more restless, but the innkeeper had no intention of intervening beyond his business interests. Whether their knees give out or not isn't my concern; I'm here to sell snacks and drinks, he thought smugly.
Inside the inn, Treasurer Laurence finally emerged from his room after a leisurely breakfast. It was fortunate that he had instructed the innkeeper to keep the doors firmly shut the previous night.
The moment the doors opened, Laurence was greeted by a sea of people that spilled out into the street.
"Ah! At last! Now, where are the dragon and sphinx? Show them to us, quickly!"
Laurence, a veteran of countless negotiations and chaotic markets, wasn't the least bit flustered. Instead, he unfurled a set of papers in his hand and shouted over the clamor.
"Listen up! If you want to meet the dragon or sphinx, please queue here. If you're here to purchase magical items showcased last night, queue over there. No pushing or shoving, or you'll be escorted out immediately! Take a number and wait your turn—we'll call you in numerical order."
Michael's idea of distributing numbered tickets quickly restored order. Though initially surprised, the crowd soon fell into line, each person taking a ticket and moving to the appropriate area.
By the end of the distribution, there were 78 individuals eager to speak about the dragon and sphinx, 39 ready to purchase magical items, and 15 others seeking private investment discussions. Many sent their attendants to hold their places, the streets echoing with chants of numbers as the attendees memorized their spots.
Laurence set up shop in a separate room to handle the merchants. After all, no noble or knight of standing would stoop to haggling with traders themselves.
"Fifty magical lamps in exchange for 300 oxen, 50 pack horses, and 2,000 sheep? Based on current livestock market prices, that's about 15,000 gold. It's a bit of a loss for us, considering it's a barter deal, but we'll agree—on the condition that you transport the livestock to our fiefdom, and we'll hand over the lamps upon delivery. Deal?"
"Ten magical trays for 100 gold ingots? That's absurdly low. You're offering only ten finger-sized ingots per tray? Do you know how much nobles are willing to splurge on luxury items ? These trays are practically eternal, as long as the mana stones are replenished. The short transfer range doesn't diminish their value. Double the offer, and we have a deal."
Laurence concluded deal after deal, his grin widening with every agreement. Watching the coffers swell with gold and goods brought him unbridled joy.
Meanwhile, Michael handled the knights and mages in a neighboring room.
"So, you wish to converse with Neferetari, the sphinx? And you're affiliated with… the Royal Academy's Mage Tower? Impressive. What's your specialization? Fire magic, fifth tier, I see. However, Neferetari is quite selective about whom she meets. If you're truly interested, you could gain an audience by investing in our fiefdom's development or contributing to the frontier effort. Would that work for you?"
"You want dragon's essence? Ha! You're hardly the first to ask. What sets you apart from the rest? If you wish to stand out, I suggest supporting our endeavors—perhaps through development aid or financial backing."
By day's end, Michael had secured pledges from 24 knights and 48 mages willing to relocate to his fiefdom.
Others who couldn't leave immediately promised investment funds and planned future visits to the territory. Some mages even proposed sending their disciples instead. Michael negotiated to accept three 7th-tier, five 8th-tier, and several 9th-tier disciples as proxies.
As word spread, other mages followed suit, eager to offload their disciples onto the venture. By the end of the day, 20 senior mages had committed 160 disciples—60 of 7th and 8th tier, and 100 of 9th tier—to the endeavor. The senior mages themselves also pledged to visit, ensuring the fiefdom wouldn't be short on magical expertise.
While Michael and Laurence busily reaped the fruits of their efforts, Dominic was handling a more delicate matter.
Accompanied by his intimidating father-in-law, Alfred, Dominic visited the main temple to register Leonardo and Ispher as contracted demons and secure their status as property of the Crassus family.
As executioner and enforcer, Leonardo and Ispher would require official registration, including restrictions such as needing authorization to leave the territory and maintaining their initial forms when outside the fiefdom.
Though Michael had hoped to use Ispher's shadow concealment ability for covert operations, these restrictions made that impossible—for now. Still, Alfred and Miaomiao had noted the extraordinary refinement of Ispher's shadow magic, which remained nearly undetectable.
For the registry, Ispher's tracking skills would be documented, while Leonardo's artifact crafting was highlighted. Their more dangerous capabilities—like Leonardo's enthrallment and Ispher's combat-oriented stealth—would remain concealed, thanks to Alfred and Dominic's intervention.
The temple's standard protocol involved two verification stages for demon abilities, but Alfred and Dominic's reputations ensured that their declarations would suffice.
When they arrived at the main temple, a black-robed priest greeted them warmly. His expression lit up upon recognizing Alfred.
"Ah, High Priest Alfred! It's been far too long. What a delight to see you again. Dare I hope this means you're considering returning to the temple?"
Alfred raised a hand to cut him off, his tone curt. "Unnecessary chatter. We're here on other business."
Dominic, standing beside him, looked visibly taken aback.
High Priest? Returning?
Alfred paid no mind to Dominic's puzzled expression. The priest, glancing at Alfred briefly, cleared his throat and led them inside the temple. Dominic, who had never been close to his father-in-law, merely found himself curious. He had always suspected Alfred wasn't just an ordinary executioner. Shaking off the thought, Dominic reminded himself of what mattered most: Alfred was helping Michael.