Kael thought while his eyes moved across the interior of the building and the constant murmur of voices surrounded him:

  This adventurers’ guild is completely active, my friend…

  // -- what the hell are you talking about…? Being an adventurer is horrible… -- //

  Kael frowned slightly, still watching the groups that came and went with worn armor, half-broken backpacks, and weapons that had seen too many battles.

  Why do you say that?

  // -- remember that I am the system. A large part of the standard information goes directly into my core, and being an adventurer is terrible… -- //

  Kael swallowed, intrigued.

  How… how difficult is it?

  // -- imagine you return to Latin America and you have a miserable job carrying cement bags fourteen hours a day… the pay is forty dollars a month… and on top of that your job is in the center of a Brazilian favela -- //

  Kael blinked, picturing the scene with a twisted expression.

  Wow… what a great offer… is it really that terrible?

  // -- of course it is. The girls told you that until they reach rank B they cannot enter the Indomitable Forest. They have unpleasant jobs: cleaning filth and killing minor monsters, weaker than a goblin… at rank C the most impressive thing would be escorting some stingy merchant… at rank B you go from one problem to a worse one, because entering the Indomitable Forest alone is almost a death sentence… and all for a few coins that barely pay for the inn and some food… and sometimes they cannot even afford a decent weapon… many only use sticks, stones to kill minor beasts, and their little magic… -- //

  Kael lowered his gaze and looked at the wooden floor, marked by years of boots, dried blood, and mud. The noise of the guild continued, but for a moment it felt distant.

  —What is wrong, young Kael? —Lyris asked with curiosity—. Did you want to go with your grandfather?

  Kael lifted his head quickly.

  —Eh? No, no… —he replied—. I was just thinking…

  He looked at the girls and, with genuine curiosity, asked:

  —Misses, since you recently started as adventurers… what equipment do you have to travel and defend yourselves?

  The girls looked at each other. There was a small uncomfortable silence before one of them spoke.

  —Well… —Elira said, touching the handle of her weapon— I only have my sword. It is iron, but it is already very worn… so I try to use my magic more.

  Lyris nodded, scratching the back of her neck with a nervous smile.

  —I still don’t have a weapon… they are a bit expensive, but with a good stick you can defend yourself quite well.

  While they were talking, three figures approached the group. Their steps were firm, but their armor showed wear and exhaustion. When she noticed them, Elira looked up.

  —You’re late —she said—. Adriel, Bezal, Arán.

  —Sorry —Adriel apologized—. We took longer selling the items.

  Adriel was a young rank D adventurer, newly joined to the guild. Her attitude was impulsive and she had trouble controlling fear, but she always rushed first when she believed someone was in danger. She wore light armor and carried a small shield, showing her defensive focus. She often acted without thinking, but her determination and good intentions made her lovable.

  —We didn’t get a good price —Bezal added—, but it will be enough to cover this month…

  Bezal was a rank D warrior who clearly understood his limits. He was not a prodigy, but he trained every day with discipline. His reinforced leather armor was marked by difficult missions and almost no heroic victories. Even so, he always fulfilled his role. He specialized in close combat and staying calm when others panicked. He did not stand out… but he never abandoned his group.

  —If we had stayed one more day —Arán said—, we could have gathered herbs and earned a little more money…

  Arán was a young rank D mage whose natural talent for ice magic was obvious… but his personality left much to be desired. Grumpy, serious, and not very social, he preferred reading grimoires in cold corners instead of talking with other adventurers. His elemental control was limited, but when he focused he could freeze the ground under an enemy’s feet or form small frost projectiles. Although he would never admit it, he cared about his companions… he just showed it in an extremely awkward way.

  Kael looked at their faces, their worn armor, and their rough hands. In silence, he understood that what the system said was true.

  Adriel looked at the girls with curiosity… and then at the small child between them.

  —Hey —she said—, what are you doing with that little kid?

  Kael took a small step forward and spoke politely.

  —Hello, Miss Adriel. My name is Kael. It is a pleasure to meet you, and also the gentlemen.

  The three looked at him in surprise. They did not expect such a small child to speak with that much formality.

  —What an adorable child! —Adriel exclaimed—. Can I pinch your cheeks?

  —Don’t you dare! —Lyris jumped in—. He’s with me now!

  —Did that kid get lost? —Bezal asked, looking around.

  —If he got lost, take him to the guards and let’s start the meeting soon… —Arán added in a dry tone.

  —Relax —Elira intervened—. Kael’s grandfather is inside with the guild leader. We can start our meeting; we’ll take care of him temporarily…

  Kael raised his hand enthusiastically.

  —Then can I participate in the meeting?

  —Sure —Elira replied—, no problem.

  At that moment, the receptionist approached with a professional smile.

  —Young Kael —Jane asked—, would you like me to bring you something?

  —If you have something to eat and some juices for the whole table, that would be excellent.

  The five adventurers were completely impressed.

  —Young Kael, it’s not necessary for you to invite us to anything… —Lyris said, slightly uncomfortable.

  The three who had just arrived began looking at each other, more and more confused.

  —Lyris… —Bezal whispered—, who exactly is this child?

  —Ah… —she replied—, he is the grandson of the great lord Garbard.

  The three froze completely.

  —The great lord!? —Adriel exclaimed.

  —This… is not something you see every day… —Bezal murmured.

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  Arán, with sarcasm, commented:

  —Sounds like we could take him and ask for ransom.

  —Don’t say nonsense like that, not even as a joke! —Lyris scolded him.

  Just then, Jane arrived with the snacks and the juices. Kael took his glass happily and began drinking calmly.

  —He’s not serious, Kael —Elira clarified—. He’s just quite awkward…

  —Ah, don’t worry… —Kael replied calmly—. Anyway, it would be difficult to kidnap me.

  —And why is that? —Adriel asked.

  —The last time they tried to kidnap me —Kael said naturally—, thirty bandits ended up completely destroyed, with parts of their bodies flying everywhere… and an earth Racatros was completely pulverized…

  Lyris opened her eyes in surprise.

  —So that was the reason for the fight with the earth Racatros?

  Kael smiled happily.

  —Yesss —he replied—. That day my mom was very angry.

  The five adventurers swallowed at the same time.

  And so, the rank D group began their strategic meeting.

  Bezal placed both hands on the improvised table and began explaining in a serious tone, trying to keep the meeting organized.

  —We already bought the supplies —he said—. The next mission will be in a village one day on foot from the city. They need help because a group of goblins has been attacking at night…

  Elira made a face of visible disgust.

  —Disgusting… goblins! —she growled—. I hate them…

  Arán crossed his arms, thoughtful, and spoke with cold strategy.

  —In open ground we won’t have problems. With my ice magic and your weapons we can reduce them. Lyris can sneak around and smash their skulls with a stone… —he paused briefly— and, if we are lucky, we could let one escape so it leads us to their lair and raid it completely. We would make a lot of money…

  —If you do that, you will die.

  Kael’s childish voice fell like a stone in the silence.

  All the adventurers looked at him, confused.

  —Didn’t know you had experience with goblins, kid —Arán said mockingly—. Did your soldiers protect you from them once?

  —Hey, Arán, don’t be like that —Lyris scolded him.

  Kael gently shook his head.

  —I don’t have direct experience with them —he replied—, but my teacher taught me a lot. They are creatures with an incredible sense of smell and great intelligence for setting ambushes. They know poisonous herbs very well and use them to their advantage… raiding a lair for you would be like signing your death sentence. Your scent is very easy for them to distinguish.

  Arán raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed.

  —Oh… and if your teacher is so wise, why doesn’t she come teach novice adventurers?

  —Arán, that’s enough! —Lyris intervened firmly.

  Kael answered naturally.

  —She can’t. She had to leave for her job… she said she had to fulfill her role as an international ambassador in other kingdoms.

  Bezal looked at him with interest.

  —Hey, little one… that sounds important. Who is your teacher?

  —Ah… —Kael said while taking a sip of his juice—, my teacher is Miss Freya.

  Silence spread like a heavy shadow over the table.

  Kael kept drinking his juice, completely unaware of the impact of his words.

  —Are you joking? —Arán exclaimed—. The mage of the Eternal Light gave you lessons? The very same Val’Thir?

  —Yes —Kael replied with a smile—, that one.

  Elira let out a small nervous laugh.

  —I guess it doesn’t surprise me that much, if you’re the child of the heroes… hehe…

  Adriel tilted her head, confused.

  —I knew the heroine by name, but… what does that name mean, Val’Thir?

  Arán straightened up, his eyes shining.

  —That name was given to her by the legion of beastmen warriors, after witnessing the devastation Freya caused on the battlefield.

  —Wow… you got excited —Adriel commented—. It’s the first time I’ve seen you like that.

  —Of course —Arán replied intensely—. I want to reach the level of magical power she has! She is one of the few who perfected her elemental magic to a level that surpasses expectations and knowledge.

  Lyris looked at Kael with renewed curiosity.

  —Hey, Kael… then you already know all the heroes.

  —Only the ones from Taratios —he answered calmly.

  Bezal sighed.

  —Incredible… I’m jealous. I would love to meet them all…

  Kael tilted his head thoughtfully.

  —The village you’re going to visit… it’s near an iron mine, right?

  —That’s right, little one —Adriel confirmed.

  —Perfect… listen, I want to propose something.

  The adventurers looked at him with curiosity.

  —Just focus on completing the mission —Kael continued—. And during the rest of the time you stay there… could you go near the iron mine or somewhere close?

  Bezal frowned.

  —Alright…? We can’t approach the mine. The iron is heavily guarded… and extracting it would count as theft against the kingdom.

  —No problem —Kael said—. It can be near the mine. If you could, would you look for this mineral?

  Kael opened his small pouch and took out a strange piece of stone: a black, dense, heavy rock.

  —This is tin —he explained—. If you can bring me a good amount, with the copper I have at home I could make bronze weapons and armor so you won’t have so many problems…

  —You know how to make bronze? —Arán exclaimed, incredulous.

  Kael smiled, visibly proud.

  —Yes. I built a small workshop in my house’s yard. There I can work bronze… it’s not as strong as iron, but to start it would be fine.

  Adriel shook her head with an embarrassed smile.

  —Little one… we truly appreciate your proposal, but we have no way to pay you…

  Kael looked at her calmly.

  —You can pay me with the material you bring and whatever you have left. I ran out of the bronze I had already gotten… and my Uncle Enta doesn’t have time to go get more for me anymore, hehe…

  Lyris opened her eyes wide.

  —You use the great Lord of Beasts, Enta, to collect minerals?

  —Yesss… —Kael replied.

  Bezal cleared his throat.

  —So, if we bring you enough of that tin… you can make equipment for us?

  —Of course —Kael affirmed—. When you return from the mission, go to the Sungley mansion with the material and say you are here for business with the young and sensual businessman Lord Kael.

  The five adventurers accepted the proposal, still somewhat incredulous.

  At that moment, Garbard and the others began leaving the guild’s meeting room.

  —Good afternoon —Garbard greeted—. We are finished here, boy…

  The three new adventurers bowed their heads respectfully.

  —I just made my first business contract, grandfather! —Kael announced enthusiastically.

  —Oh, really? —Garbard replied, surprised.

  —Yes —Kael said—. They are my five new clients.

  The five adventurers nodded with a mix of pride and embarrassment.

  When saying goodbye to the adventurers he had met, Kael took the grand prize: four affectionate kisses. Three came from rank D adventurers, and the last one… from an S-rank adventurer.

  Kael was slightly dazed, his cheeks warm and an innocent smile drawn on his face.

  Outside the guild, Garbard looked at him from the corner of his eye before speaking.

  —Since there is still time —he said—, we can personally consult the blacksmith about the invention you requested with blueprints, Kael.

  The boy’s eyes lit up instantly.

  —Really? —he exclaimed—. Excellent! Let’s go!

  They walked away from the noise of the city, leaving behind the busy streets and the merchants’ shouts. After walking a little more, they arrived at a forge hidden between old buildings, where the sound of a hammer striking metal echoed constantly.

  When they entered, they found a blacksmith completely focused on his work.

  He was a dwarf with a monumental beard, long and silver, so thick it looked like a rope forged by the gods themselves. His skin was tanned from the heat of the furnace, and his short but enormously muscular arms showed years of lifting hammers and handling burning metal.

  He had a prominent belly —known among dwarves as “the fire belly”— which symbolized experience and resistance to extreme heat. His eyes, small but intense, shone with the reddish tone of freshly forged steel. He wore a hardened leather apron, reinforced bracers, and held a hammer that looked more like a weapon than a tool.

  —Drakum, old fox! —Garbard greeted enthusiastically.

  The dwarf looked up.

  —Oh, Lord Garbard, good afternoon… —he replied—. I did not expect to see you here today.

  Garbard smiled and stepped forward.

  —I bring you one of your most important partners.

  He stepped aside, revealing Kael, who looked at him with almost childlike excitement in his eyes.

  —Good afternoon, sir —Kael said formally—. I am Kael Sungley. It is an honor to meet you. My grandfather has spoken highly of you, the great blacksmith who forges and refines the swords of the soldiers of Cautares.

  Drakum raised his eyebrows, visibly impressed, but with a satisfied smile.

  —Good afternoon, young Kael. The pleasure is mine —he replied—. I am Drakum Ironbelly. Forty years of hammer and forge in this city.

  —And I must admit that when I saw the blueprints you sent… I was confused.

  Kael made a small jump of excitement.

  —Then the pieces are ready? Really?

  Drakum let out a deep laugh.

  —Of course. When I understood what you were looking for… I knew immediately this device would be something everyone would need.

  —It’s not a weapon, it’s not a common tool… it’s a machine.

  Kael watched, fascinated, as the blacksmith removed a thick cloth, revealing several carefully arranged pieces: an iron cylinder, two valves, a piston with reinforced leather, a heavy lever, and the main frame.

  —I had never forged something like this before —Drakum continued—. But what you asked for is clever: a cylinder, two valves… and this lever here.

  —When you move it, the piston goes up and down.

  Kael smiled proudly.

  —And when it rises, it creates suction —he explained—. The water from the well goes up through the copper pipe I ordered… the lower valve closes and the water stays trapped above.

  —Then, with the next push… the water comes out through the nozzle.

  Drakum opened his eyes in admiration.

  —Exactly —he said—. It is as if the machine breathes water.

  Ken, who still did not fully understand, intervened.

  —So… that is for drawing water?

  —That’s right —Enta replied—. If it is installed over a well, there will be no need to constantly raise and lower buckets.

  —And not only that —Kael added—. It will also keep the water sealed and protected from the weather, so it does not get contaminated and cause diseases.

  —This pump is special… it is a bit larger, but we will use it a lot in the mansion. At least Ken and the soldiers will be able to keep the rooftop tank always full.

  Ken nodded with a mixture of resignation and acceptance.

  And so, the visitors stayed a little longer coordinating and planning future business proposals.

  Back at the mansion, almost at dusk, both servants and guards welcomed the great lord who had spent the day outside.

  Suddenly, three desperate women emerged from the crowd. They had one single goal: collect their daily payment, as if there were an unbreakable contract. They were Holley, Tana, and Caria, and they demanded their respective cheek squeezes and kisses.

  —Kael, my little candy, come here! —Caria shouted.

  When Caria reached him and lifted him in her arms, she stopped suddenly. The other two women noticed it immediately as well. The newly arrived figures looked puzzled at the sudden change in atmosphere.

  —Kael… —Caria said slowly— …you smell like another woman…

  The air in the reception hall changed immediately.

  Three demons had awakened.

  // -- my friend, you’re done… they’re going to break your neck… -- //

  Oh, damn… Kael thought. They have a better sense of smell than Chocolo or a damn goblin. I won’t survive the three of them… I have to spread the blame if I want to stay alive. Sorry, guardians…

  Kael smiled with obvious nervousness.

  —When we went to the adventurers’ guild —he explained— I met some very kind adventurers who took care of me while grandfather spoke with the guild leader.

  —They admired the guardians of House Sungley a lot. Enta acted quite flirtatious with an adventurer who admired him… and Ken kept saying he was the most powerful guardian to impress them… he even said he was stronger than the hairy gorilla of Guardian Holley…

  The two guardians froze completely, their faces showing absolute betrayal.

  —Very well, my lady —Tana said with a dangerous smile—, you handle Kael… I will deal with that cat in heat…

  —So I’m a hairy gorilla? —Holley roared.

  The two guardians had no choice but to run for their lives.

  And Kael…

  Kael had to pay with several soft hits on the head for letting himself be pampered by novice and experienced adventurers on his first day in the city.