Wraithwood Botanist

I grinned at Everen. "Oh, so you're the person who took his monopoly for granted."

His smile faded. "I don't believe that's the case. As you know, I am Aiden's business partner, but I'm also your wealth manager, agent, and assistant. While Aiden has focused on training, I have taken care of your bank accounts, legal obligations, family's housing situation, and all other financial-related operations. And as much as Aiden loathes business, I've taken care of all of his finances and have supplied him with everything he needs as well. As long as I'm here, you are both free to enjoy daytime hikes in the woods while your loved ones are financially secure and all your expenses and obligations are taken care of."

"That…" I ran my tongue over my teeth in my mouth, stopping at a canine as I thought. "That was a very qualified argument."

He nodded his head humbly.

"I appreciate that. And that's what I need. But we need to make something clear. You're way out of your league, Everen. In just a few years, the elixirs I'm making are going up for multiversal auction—with gods being the clients."

All feelings of control he had vanished, and he stared at me like a dumb child.

"My products are destabilizing the power structure of the five domains," I continued. "They're turning upstarts like you into titans and weak families into gods. War is inevitable. Markets will crash. Others will boom. And you can't handle that. To be perfectly clear, the only reason that you're alive right now is because I made a deal with the Melhans. Because unlike Aiden, you're not a Claustra; he's the only reason you're alive."

Everen swallowed the cue ball in his throat. I had only learned about legacy politics from Aiden during the winter—but he was living it.

"So, with that in mind, I'm going to continue making deals that protect me and the people I love. If you want to be part of that, if you want my protection, if you want to make exorbitant sums of money, you're going to need to change your mindset. Because if you fuck around and put my family and friends in danger, I'll spend a diamond request to make a permanent deal with Reasan Melhan. Do you understand?"

I'm not sure what Everan was expecting me to be like—but I wasn't her.

Maybe it was the mindset of war that Brindle's memories instilled in me, but I couldn't help but see Everen as an immature child. This wasn't a power play between equals—this was a general speaking down to a lieutenant. That's how it was and how it felt—not just for me but also to him.

"Now that we've made that clear…" I walked across the tent and opened a crate. "There are over a hundred types of elixirs in here, and I've allowed my Oracle to share their names and info with you. Half of my hypothetical elixirs are going to you as well, with the other half going to Reasan if he promises to play nicely with your firm."

Everan's soul snapped back into his body when the topic returned to money.

"I…" He paused and thought through his words. "As of this moment, you can sleep easy knowing that I'm handling every financial transaction for your family and business. And I will only ask… thirty percent to run this business."

"Of revenue," I said.

He smiled wryly.

"But you can use fifty percent for the next three years," I said. "In the meantime, I will keep Reasan at bay. So establish your roots."

His eyes lit up like jewels.

"Starting next year, send half my earnings in a spatial ring to my family. That way they can bring it to me in Areswood with the Dante's protection."

He frowned. "I can't invest it for you if it's not in Theovale."

"I can't start a village if I don't have it," I said. "And I can't do anything if it's stolen. There'll eventually be wars to get my products—so I want that money where I can protect it."

The gravity of the situation finally sunk in.

I nudged my head at the chest. "Now go."

I almost felt guilty when he left. Everen was making my life far easier, but this wasn't a joke. I was starting a village and preparing for conflict—I didn't have time for petty business agreements.

The same was true of Reasan. The first thing I said to him this year, the second he walked through the door, was:

"I'm supplying you with a portion of rare, exclusive elixirs and resources if you play nice with Heath and Roe. Generally speaking, I plan to give him bulk sales and you rare goods—but I will still act upon my discretion. Is that agreeable?"

His lips curved into a stunned smirk, and then he chuckled and shook his head and said, "I find that most agreeable. Now before that."

He handed me a core.

"What's this?"

"It's my ex wife's mana core."

I fumbled the core and dropped it on the table in horror. "Excuse me, what?"

"She was the one who ordered the hit on your life. It might disturb you, but it's tradition to provide proof of one's assassin's death to the affected party. Forgive me."

When he put it that way, I was forced to accept it. It was as if I were handed scalps and teeth from Apaches during the Mexican-American War, but I welcomed it as gracefully as I could.

"Thank you… I guess."

He bowed his head. "As for my trades, I have brought you some of Theovale's most capable leaders to help you build your village. That includes city planners, builders, financiers, merchants, and diplomats. All are seasoned experts with experience running the biggest city south of the Nyx. Rest assured, with them on your team, you can focus purely on alchemy and enjoying your life in the forest."

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I raised an eyebrow. "And they're just… going to walk into Areswood?"

"I hold contracts over their lives," he said. "I've offered to trade those rights over to you, and they all accepted. So yes, they are prepared to sign their lives over to you and your mission, subject to provisions that you will generally protect, feed, and clothe them. Within reason, of course."

"So slavery," I said.

"If that bothers you, you're free to make another agreement with them," he said. "Once I release my contract, they are willing to sign their mind, bodies, and souls to you, but if you want lesser pacts, you can sign those as well."

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "It seems everyone speaks my language today." I looked up. "Alright, you have my attention. What are you trading for?"

"You've already satisfied my desires. Generally."

"Generally," I repeated.

"Yes. I would like to establish a deal that guarantees us an equal share of your products. If you do that, there will be a peace agreement between the Melhan and Heath and Roe. That said, treaties and contracts require something… more concrete."

I smirked. "If you want something concrete, I'll use a diamond request to organize a proper, lasting deal."

Reasan's face hardened, and his glassy eyes studied me with sharp interest.

"This is what I propose, Mr. Melhan. I propose you go home and prepare for such an arrangement, as I will be selling products on the multiversal auction soon, and you won't have a choice."

His eyes widened.

"But in the meantime, you will accept my good-faith offer with gratitude and play nice with my family and wealth manager."

He chuckled darkly. "What happened to the angsty child I was dealing with last year?" he asked.

I smiled. "She was trained by a god."

A smile crept onto his lip. "Okay… I accept. With gratitude."

I shook his hand and gave him a box of hypothetical elixirs and powerful ingredients and tempers. His eyes bubbled over with excitement, and by the end, he left me with a gift that left me just as excited as he was.

—---

Name: Cloak of the Predator

Grade: Platinum

Description: Reward your cat's hard work by getting an Active Camouflage cloak. That way, the fancy magic he worked so hard to learn wouldn't be worthless when his loud, highly visible, smelly human is near him. The cloak hides your scent and provides you the second stage of Active Camouflage. It's nowhere near what Kline has, but anything is better than the present.

—---

"Kline's going to love this…" I said. I looked for Kline and found him sleeping on the negotiating chair that my clients were supposed to sit in. "You little shit."

He yawned.

"Fine, don't see the cool stuff."

It was at that point that more people flooded in. One after the other, I gave them powerful elixirs for their children, and each, in turn, brought me illustrious members of their extended family. Beast tamers, healers, blacksmiths, heximedicists, soul cooks, butchers, and a whole other mixed bag consortium of trades workers and powerful guards.

I then found myself outside in front of one hundred and twenty people, running my fingers through my hair.

Nethralis is going to be pissed… I thought. Or at least Zyphrael.

I thought about Nethralis's sycophantic guard. He was a man of justice who hated me on contact. I could only imagine his outrage.

I'll save the pacts, I thought. It'll probably ease their mind to see them.

"You'll all sign the same basic secrecy pact right now," I said to the crowd. "I'll sign our loyalty oaths when we get to Wraithwood Village. Contrary to what anyone has told you, I'm not dealing in life-long anything. We'll do a… ten-year contract or something. Then you'll be free to do whatever you want. But during that time, I'll give you power beyond your wildest dreams. With the amount of aura you'll have, you could technically live for tens of millennia. It won't be easy. My world is dangerous, and there's sure to be conflict with the outside world. That said, my desire is to create a settlement of quality living. It'll be worth it. So if you want to join me… um… take a knee. It'll be easier to see."

Everyone took a knee instantly.

"Okay… one second." I turned to Aiden. "Is this pure coercion?"

"No," Brexton said, materializing out of nowhere. "On the contrary, these people loathe their families so much they're practically trembling with fear that you'll reject them."

My forehead throbbed. "You have a lot of balls to show yourself after what you did."

"Oh, please. Your unrequited lover is chained to me. That practically makes us step-siblings." He smiled and walked away, waving back. "Take the workers."

I sighed and turned to the crowd. "Okay. Let's sign that pact."

Once I finished that hellish night, Kline dragged a massive beast into the plaza in his panther form and then shrunk down, grooming his tiny paws as if it were only natural. I thought their reactions were hilarious. But not everyone reacted that way.

A group of cooks and butchers who swore fealty approached me. "Please allow us to butcher this."

"By all means," I said.

To my surprise, they could cut the meat. These were legacy family cooks, and they used mana-sharpening. Not an hour later, I was cleansing perfectly cut steaks. The difference between what I had been eating and what I was seeing was night and day.

"It seems you'll actually be a queen this year," Tyler said.

I nodded. "Yeah, guess so."

"Mira!" Felio cried.

I looked up at her energetic expression. "Good news?"

"Great news. I get to live with you."

"Another year?"

"Indefinitely."

My face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah. Well, we're giving you alchemists like the other families. But my father said that I can live there if there's a Wraithwood branch of the Hellara Alchemy Company."

"Ah…" I said. "So they want to run their business there."

She smiled nervously, shifting on her toes. "Well, that's what I would be doing. They would just be helping me… but. They'll still make the pact, and it's only to help me. So…"

"It's perfect," I said. "You can have five alchemists to aid you. I'm sure there'll eventually be a need to work out our business arrangements and security concerns, but for now, everything's cool." I smiled at her. "Welcome home."

She squirmed and flashed a smile and squealed as she hugged me.

I loved Felio.

She was just so genuine and brought out my emotions at a time when I felt they were getting too cold. So I hugged her back, grateful she was coming.

"Don't you dare think about living there," Mom warned Tyler.

"Hey, we should see how it goes," Dad said.

"That's not funny."

"It's not." He looked between me and her and the others with a serious glint in his eyes. "It's probably safer."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "I'm officially an adult—so I'll do whatever I want. And you don't need to worry. Wraithwood is cool, but I have stuff going on outside. You know, in civilization."

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Tyler's popular with the women now."

"Hands off, cat lady," he said.

"Tyler," Mom said. "Be nice to your sister. She's doing a lot for you this year."

"Be nice to your queen," I corrected. "I'll rule your life for the next year."

Dad subtly extended a fist. I bumped it, and my mom huffed.

Classic family moment.

The rest of the harvest was like that. I did business in the morning, then enjoyed meals during the evening. It was a time of business deals and relationships. Harvesters would bring back their quarry, and I'd cleanse and cook it for all. Then, on the sixth day, as the deadline for the harvest was nearing its end, I stacked up extraordinary amounts of meat—second and third evolution—and we had a cooking spree.

The event was something like an outdoor barbeque, with everyone getting in line for grub and then leaving with it as they walked past.

It was so popular that I determined I would do it again.

Before long, it was time to go. I sent the signal flare and waited until nightfall for stragglers to reach us before leaving Kline, Tyler, Aiden, Felio, the lurvine, and the ensemble of powerful workers and guards camping out of the mouth as I took my family to Galfer's gate.

Yet another harvest had come and gone—and it was time to get my teleportation arrays, ward, and alchemy equipment in the Bramble.

Or so I thought. The second we walked out the gates, I was met with a sea of reporters that ruined any chance of an emotional goodbye I could get.

"Why did you close the harvest early?"

"Is it true that you've gone into business with the Hellara?"

"What deal did you make with the Melhan?"

I turned to my mom and dad. "Let's say goodbye on the path."

I turned and started walking back, but reporters flew into the path after us.

And that pissed me off.

I turned back and said, "Leave," as I released enough magical pressure to bring them to their knees.