Lynn looked at the faces, some familiar and some unfamiliar, and nodded, unsure why these "businessmen" had come to see him.
Harold stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"My lord, these people have a rather presumptuous request."
His voice was so quiet that only Lynn could hear him.
"They would like to place their shops under your name and use your Stigma Mark on their signs. They would pay you a 'mark usage fee' every year, of course. They wouldn't use it for free."
Realization dawned on Lynn. Now he understood why these owners and shopkeepers had approached him together.
Mark usage fee? That's just protection money, plain and simple.
With his name attached to their shops, nobody would dare cause trouble.
But...
He frowned.
"Use my name? What if they come to me whenever something happens? I'm not interested in having them show up one after another with petty problems."
Harold hastily waved his hands.
"No, no. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't trouble you. Your name would only serve as a deterrent. We can handle ordinary little problems ourselves."
"If something serious comes up that we truly can't resolve, we would pay you separately for your help. The compensation would absolutely be worthy of your standing as a Stigma Wizard."
Lynn considered it for a few moments.
The money was beside the point. What he disliked was dealing with trivial matters.
If it really was as Harold said, and they only wanted to use his name without bothering him, then this deal was worth making.
He glanced at Harold.
"Register them first. Give me the list afterward, and we'll discuss the exact amounts."
Harold's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.
"Rest assured. I'll take care of everything."
Old Kori, Master Todd, Kloss, and the others looked delighted when