When Karl went back outside, there was some confusion among the children about what was happening now. The building had a new owner, and they had fully renovated it, so it wasn't suitable for their morning martial arts training, anymore, and it certainly wasn't going to remain an ultra-low cost hostel.
Karl smiled at them. "The goal is to get you all gainfully employed. Until then, Caretaker Jo will continue your early morning practice either on the second floor, or in the yard. There are enough rooms for now, and with our help, I think that we can get you good placements."
Many things in life were not about what you know, but who you know. Now that they knew Karl, he could ask around for people who needed apprentices in jobs suitable for their young residents.
Jo had a hard time of it, as she was not powerful and not respected. But still, she had managed to maintain a steady flow of apprentices through the hostel.
Karl was standing in the yard when a familiar face entered through the open gate and smiled at him.
"Monarch! Thank goodness you're here. This is nice, you did a beautiful job renovating. I know that we're just business associates, but I was hoping to ask you a favour." Loros asked, her usually vibrant white skin looking pale and dirty.
"You look like you've had a rough day. What happened?" Karl asked.
"The landlord, the guy who runs the furniture shop beneath me, offended someone he shouldn't have, and they trashed the place. I managed to save my materials, but my apartment is completely destroyed, and there are no hotel rooms anywhere in town.
Before deciding to sleep on the street until I can rebuild my cart, I thought that I might come and see if you had some spare rooms in your new house.
I think that half the town already knows that your team got the old barracks as a reward.
They're making jokes about it because the place totally isn't worth as much as your reward would be." Loros explained.
Karl chuckled. "Well, we have it now, and it's all renovated with the help of all these good people. I think that we might be able to work something out more long term. I want to turn this place into a shop for the goods that my friends make. So, if you would like to stay here and make your jewellery, I can sell it downstairs after it is upgraded. We will hire a few more staff as well, but we've got a caretaker already."
Loros' eyes lit up in joy. This place was nice, definitely in better condition than her old apartment, even before the debt collectors had smashed down the divider wall, thinking that her space was a hidden room where the furniture store owner was hiding what he owed them.
"I will take you up on that. I'm carrying everything I own already." She replied with a sad smile and turned toward the door.
Caretaker Jo ran outside with her arms wide and a look of panic.
Loros was covered in plaster dust, stone dust, dirt and alley grime from her day, and the cleanliness obsessed Demon was not ready to let her into the freshly renovated building.
"She can't get clean if you don't let her in." Karl reminded Jo.
For a few seconds, Caretaker Jo hesitated, then she pointed at the well. "There is a place to wash." She realized.
"The upgrade used fire magic and broke the water spell. I will have to fix it later."
Lotus laughed and pointed at the back of the house. "The emergency exit leads to the bathroom window. Or we can just have Remi carry her through the house." She suggested.
Remi appeared in the main room, and leaned out to grab the sculptor.
"I will make sure that she's clean before she comes back out. Rae put towels and bath robes in the showers. Then she can pick a room and get settled in."
Karl looked around the yard, and noticed a small building against the city walls.
"What is that?" He asked.
"The old stables. It's been converted into a storage room. Did you want something done with it?" Jones asked.
"I was thinking that it would make a good stone sculpting workshop. I can see already that Jo will cry if we let Loros carve Mana Jade in the house." Karl joked.
The transformed Magma Dragon renovated the building in a matter of seconds, and then Misty went in to add work benches and tables to the space for various crafting. It would be easy enough to store bulk stone on one side, and there would be room for a half dozen artisans to work in comfort.
Rain stuck her head in the crafting space and nodded in satisfaction. That was a good space.
Not as good as her own workshop, but good.
[I will let Loros know when she's out of her shower, so she doesn't set up right away.] Remi informed Karl happily.
Karl wasn't sure why she was in such a good mood until he realized that the second floor had a communal bath for the guards, as well as the rows of showers. It was huge, and even in Naga Queen form, she would have room to soak.
Normally, she took baths with Cara in snake form. But while that form was great for bathing, it did rely on Cara to scrub her down, thanks to the lack of arms, and the mediocre scrubbing that [Minor Water Control] gave her.
So, things were all but settled for the day before lunch. All that was left was finding sales people who could appraise trade items, which meant old enough to have a System interface, and some skills in either Appraisal or training in magical item valuation.
Usually, that sort of ability was related to a chosen trade skill, and it took time to master, which was the point of an apprenticeship.
Oh, and a cook. They would need someone in the kitchen to take care of this group as well. He couldn't expect the clerics to be cooking for everyone every day when they were at home.
They might still be asked to make most of the ingredients, though.