"You stated in this line that I can walk away and stop working anytime I want," Amber pointed at the contract, her finger tracing the words as she spoke.

"And there is no fine to be paid. I wouldn’t have to pay any compensation for any material given to me. I’m only forbidden to share the knowledge I gain from you with anyone else."

Her expression was difficult to read, a mix of curiosity and caution.

"Yes," Sokram replied, sitting beside her.

His tone was calm but firm. "But I also stated that’s only for the knowledge I explicitly classify as 'forbidden to share.'"

Amber’s brow furrowed slightly as she processed his words.

"But there will be knowledge I can share with my younger siblings, right?" Her tone was hopeful, though a faint undercurrent of worry lingered.

"Of course," Sokram said with a reassuring smile. "I don’t mind you helping them with their cultivation using what I teach you. In fact, I can even assist you with that. But there are certain things I’ll teach you that I don’t want the rest of the world finding out just yet."

As he spoke, the women in the room, even Moira, tensed visibly, their expressions shifting to one of guarded curiosity.

Sokram noticed their tension but chose to ignore it for the moment.

Amber and Savannah, however, were too engrossed in the contract to notice the subtle change in the room’s atmosphere.

Amber continued, her voice steady but tinged with hope, "Is there a chance you could also employ them in the future?"

"Of course," Sokram replied without hesitation. "They’ll receive the same treatment as long as they’re as hardworking as you."

He smiled, admiring Amber’s filial devotion and sense of duty.

Her concern for her siblings was evident, and it only reinforced his belief in her character.

Amber nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, but then her expression shifted again.

"And what will I be doing? This part wasn’t clear."

Savannah, who had been quietly reading alongside her, nodded in agreement.

She, too, hadn’t found anything in the contract detailing their specific roles.

Sokram leaned back slightly, his gaze thoughtful.

"You two, and hopefully Lucy, if she agrees, will work as my proxies. I’ll teach you everything you need to know to manage the businesses I’ll either create or co-manage."

He paused, recalling an example. "Take the Southern Gates Stables, for instance. There, I’ll need you to be ready to use binding spells to form blank contracts on captured beasts whenever Oliver calls, so he can sell them."

He glanced at both girls, who seemed unsure they could manage such a task, but Sokram reassured them.

"But as I said, I’ll teach you everything you need to know."

Then, as if remembering something important, he added, "Ah, are you two sure you don’t want a Thunder Peko like mine? He has three ready to sell."

"I do!" Savannah and Amber answered almost simultaneously.

Their enthusiasm was palpable, and Sokram couldn’t help but chuckle.

They had already calculated the benefits: with the compensation they’d received from the Silverfang, they didn’t need to worry about the cost.

Owning their own mounts was far better than relying on the Hall’s often subpar offerings.

Amber flipped through the contract pages once more, her finger stopping at a specific clause.

She hesitated, her brow furrowing as she struggled to voice her concerns.

"As for my last question," she began, her tone hesitant, "are you sure this is the correct amount? This is too much, don't you agree? Besides, you'll also be teaching us magic. That alone would serve as payment, but this much..."

Her voice trailed off, her doubt evident.

She glanced at Sokram, her eyes searching his for reassurance.

The weight of her family’s struggles, the cramped home, and the constant worry about money hung heavily in her mind.

This offer felt too good to be true, and she couldn’t shake the fear that it might slip through her fingers.

Savannah, curious, quickly flipped to the same clause.

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Her eyes widened in shock.

“For Belladona’s beauty! No, for Nhiria’s Gray Scales!” Savannah gasped, her voice climbing higher with each word until it nearly cracked under the weight of her astonishment.

Her wide eyes darted between the contract and Sokram, as though searching for some hidden catch.

Even Moira’s eyes widened as she leaned over to see the amount in question.

"How can you pay that much? And monthly?" she asked, her tone a mix of astonishment and concern.

Sokram smiled slightly, understanding their reactions.

"For now, I’m covered. I have the funds. As for the future, you’ll see." His confident smile, the one they had learned to trust, reassured them.

Savannah and Amber exchanged glances before nodding slowly.

"If you’re sure…" Amber said, though inwardly, she was beaming.

The amount he was offering would finally allow her to move her family to a better home, perhaps even into the Middle Ring, lifting them out of the slums.

Hilda, who had been quietly observing the exchange, leaned toward Moira and mouthed, How much?

Before Moira could answer, Sokram did. "I offered each of them five Golden Crowns monthly."

"What?!" His mothers and sister exclaimed in unison.

Their surprise wasn’t unjustified.

Golden Crowns were large gold coins, each worth five standard gold coins.

One gold coin was worth a hundred silver coins, and each silver coin held the same value against copper coins.

The average hunter generally made between one and three gold coins a month.

Sokram’s offer was several times the salary of the average hunter.

Margiory, however, knew Sokram wouldn’t invest so much without reason.

His business acumen had already proven him to be shrewd and calculated.

"What are their classes, baby?" she asked, a glint of curiosity and greed shining in her eyes.

Sokram met her gaze earnestly.

"Amber is self-taught but still managed to awaken as a Mage. As you saw in the recordings, she used Lightning Rain, and she was talented enough to master it in a few hours."

He then pointed toward Savannah. "And she’s a Forest Runic-Warden, very talented, too. Not only did she learn the runic barrier, but she also mastered mana siphoning in one evening."

But his gaze sharpened as he added, "But they are mine."

Margiory smiled at his display of territorialism.

Seeing that the girls only blushed but didn’t contest, her smile grew wider. "Of course, Nana would never poach your people from you."

But Sokram knew better.

It was she who had taught him that the best assets to invest in were people.

The greed concealed in her smile didn’t escape his Draconic Sight. "I trust you. But don’t worry, Nana. There will soon be room for you to invest, too. I merely need to take care of a few things first."

"Great! You spoke like a true Androny!" Margiory’s pride replaced her greed, but Sokram knew he had only bought himself some time.

Amber’s voice brought his attention back to her.

"Here, it’s signed. I’m yours now." She smiled, clearly teasing him about his previous statement, as a rosy blush colored her cheeks, "Should I call you boss? Or would you prefer master?"

Savannah, who wasn't even part of the joke, turned red as a tomato.

"Amber! Don't talk like that; you're going to pass on the wrong idea!"

But Amber only shrugged.

The room erupted in laughter once more, and Sokram was happy to see Amber feeling comfortable enough to make jokes like that, even if it seemed somewhat out of character.

Savannah, too, was surprised by Amber's boldness and somewhat envious of her courage.

It took her a few more minutes to calm herself and another hour to finish reading the contract before signing it and dripping her blood on it.

She confirmed that her questions were the same as Amber’s.

"Well, now I’ll go pick Lucy up. Wish me luck," Sokram said as he stood up.

Then, pretending to remember something obvious, he turned to them and asked, "Do you know where she lives?"

Savannah’s laughter caught him off guard.

"Hahaha," she chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Sorry, I’m just getting used to you knowing everything, so it surprises me that you don’t know where the Purple Pavilion is."

Sokram scratched the back of his head, pretending to be embarrassed, "Oh, haha."

But then he extended his hand to help her stand, "Well, lead the way."

She took his hand, blushing slightly as she was still getting used to Sokram’s easygoing attitude toward physical contact.

The narrow, cobblestone streets were lined with ramshackle buildings, their wooden frames warped and weathered by time.

The air was thick with the mingling scents of damp earth, rotting wood, and the faint tang of smoke from distant cooking fires.

Children played in the alleys, their laughter echoing off the walls. While elderly figures sat in doorways, their eyes were hollow and resigned.

This was the slums, and Sokram couldn't help but frown as they walked through its narrow streets.

Savannah noticed Sokram’s troubled expression. "Not used to the sight?" she teased, though her tone was gentle.

"It’s not that," Sokram replied, his voice low. “I just… I can't grasp why so many people pick Stagnation over Evolution. Don’t they see how much more life has to offer?”

Leona, walking beside them, chimed in, her voice brimming with disgust. "Some people prefer to live like parasites, leeching off the city’s resources instead of building their own lives."

She nodded toward an old man ordering children around, taking the money they gave him to buy booze, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not insensitive to their struggles. I understand the difficulties they face living in extreme poverty. But the city's administration always offered them the chance to change their fate. Even before the Law of Obligatory Service, the academy was there, free for all. We’ve made many campaigns to incentivize them to seek Evolution, but they chose to remain the same."

Hannah added, her tone more measured, "Some among them are just afraid of venturing outside the city walls. Having to fight for Evolution is not for everyone."

Sokram still shook his head. "I understand this, but why would someone choose death instead of striving to live and evolve?"

Hannah ran her hand over his braided hair, "Darling, a slow, painless death is a good life for those without the will to live forever."

Margiory, ever the pragmatist, offered a more nuanced perspective. "In most cases, it’s just a lack of proper education. The new Law of Obligatory Service is fixing that, but it will be a generational process."

But Sokram knew the new law alone wouldn't be enough; most of these people, even with everything handed to them, would still choose to stagnate and die.

As they approached the Purple Pavilion, Savannah pointed to a building entrance where two large, muscular Wolf-kin stood guard.

Their energy flow indicated they were both Tier 8, and the weapons they carried marked them as warrior types.

The guards stopped Savannah, their expressions stern. "You can go in, but they’ll need approval, especially Lady Leona. We don’t want any trouble with the City Lord’s family. Most of the girls are already working."

Savannah frowned. "They have a meeting scheduled with Mistress Lucille."

Hearing that, one of the guards hesitated.

While the other showed a sly grin as he spoke, "We weren’t informed of anything like that, but..."

Before he could finish, the sound of clicking high-heeled steps echoed from the dark corridor.

Savannah’s smile returned as she recognized the approaching figure.