Emmanuel Joe's mercenary station stood in the outskirts, between the underground market and the Gallop Chamber of Commerce. As Landen's status continued to rise, the former mercenary boss was no longer what he had once been. Over the past few months, he had bought up the neighboring courtyards, turning his station into a comprehensive complex combining a chamber of commerce, barracks, school, training grounds, and dormitories.
Knowing that Landen preferred children with an educational foundation, he had specifically hired several down-and-out children of nobility to teach the newcomers reading and arithmetic. He brought in reliable wandering knights to train them, and even found some Magic Plants through Gatsby's Black Market to add to every meal.
After several months of experimentation, the children he sent to Night-Kirin City had a greatly increased chance of Bloodline awakening. The commissions and Magic Potions he received had doubled as well. Now, having taken a second Mana-Wielder wife, he was trying either to advance into a Senior Knight or find himself a low-level Magic Beast as a mount.
Beyond that, his own sphere of influence had risen with the tide. From a few streets in the past, it now covered nearly a quarter of the outskirts, encompassing all the Gallop Family's major buildings outside the city.
The main building of his station had also grown several times larger than before. The quarters belonging to the mercenary boss occupied an entire floor of the six-story main building. Besides ordinary rooms such as a reception hall, bedroom, and training room, there was also a room specifically for housing White-Owls. As the city's most important means of communication, his quarters were comparable to a small Lord's residence in both function and size.
Now, in Emmanuel Joe's reception room, he sat somewhat stiffly behind his desk. Across from him