Every month, Carl would make a trip to the Wizard Tower. Although the pharmacy used the name of Wizard Archi, most of the shares belonged to the Six Rings Tower. Especially this year, as Wizard Archi was about to leave, he had transferred all his shares to the tower. Collecting monthly earnings and scrutinizing the revenue was all part of the normal procedure. "SIGH..." Carl rubbed his hands together and accepted the hot tea from Oma. "It’s so cold today!" The breath he exhaled turned into a white mist that mingled with the steam rising from the hot tea and lingered for a long while. "Yes." Oma nodded. "Gando Kingdom has never had a season this cold before; even Knights are struggling to endure it." She then asked, "Do you want a heater to warm up?" She practiced alone in the Wizard Tower. While she had grown accustomed to the solitude, which allowed her to immerse herself deeper into the knowledge of witchcraft, sometimes she still hoped for someone to talk and chat with. So whenever Carl came over, she would temporarily stop her practice to sit and chat with him. After all, both were members of the "Star Secret Society". "I’m not that delicate." Carl said with a smile, shaking his head and looking towards the plaza in front of the Wizard Tower. "There seem to be more people today than usual?" "Three lumber mills are settling accounts." Oma explained. "Wizard Archi and his group are about to leave, and an inventory of the wood-spirits and wood they are taking needs to be compiled. This is a great merit! Every ten years, the Six Rings Tower sends a group here, eyeing the resources of the Magic Forest. They cultivate, chop, and collect valuable items for ten years to bring back. The more they bring, the greater their merit, and the better the rewards the tower offers." "I heard the lumber mills haven’t stopped working?" Carl asked. "No." Oma pulled over a chair, sat down, and crossed her legs as she began, "Everyone is working overtime, busy as can be. As long as the beast tide hasn’t arrived, they won’t stop. In the past few days, workers have been freezing to death at the lumber mills, but Wizard Archi still hasn’t agreed to give them a rest." As she spoke, she gently shook her head. She had nothing more to say on the matter. If Wizard Archi wanted to take more wood, he had to exploit the workers. And other Wizards did not intend to offend the group about to return to the Kaliem Continent over some workers. Carl did not respond. He had grown accustomed to those in power, the wealthy, and the strong, desperately exploiting ordinary people. It was the same in Gando, in Otherworlds, and in the Magic Forest; it seemed the rules were always the same. "By the way," Oma turned to look at him, "you should know, Hodgson has taken over the store next door. In a few days, he will hold a ceremony. We could go together; it’d be nice to have some company." "A ceremony?" Carl shook his head. "I haven’t received an invitation." "HM?" Oma was momentarily surprised, then smiled in realization. "Still not lending money?" "No." Carl sipped his hot tea. "I don’t have many Magic Stones on hand." "I hardly believe that when you say it. Among our group, aside from Hodgson, you should be the wealthiest." Oma shook her head. "No loan then, no loan. Hodgson really went big this time. I heard that the Magic Stones he borrowed come with high interest rates. If he doesn’t make enough profit, he might find himself in a tough spot. But who knows what the outcome will be?For Nancy’s sake, I hope his business prospers.This time she had lent some Magic Stones too, though not many, unlike some people who would mortgage themselves to invest." A chill wind surged in from outside. The two of them stood and bowed to the figure walking into the Wizard Tower. "HMM." Daniel, dressed in a white Wizard Robe, nodded casually, his face unusually restless. "Is Wizard Bella here?" "Yes," Oma hurriedly said, "the tutor is upstairs." "Good!" Daniel strode toward the staircase. As if remembering something, he paused and turned to look at them. "Don’t wander around much these days, especially you, Carl. Pay more attention to the movements in the market." Carl looked surprised. "Senior Daniel, has something happened?" "HMM." Daniel nodded. "The frontline beast tide is out of control, and a defensive line has already collapsed. I fear it will impact the Leipzig Market." "AH!" Carl and Oma exclaimed in shock. "How could this be?" Carl looked puzzled. "The beast tide has just started; it’s not even at its most dangerous yet. Plus, the frontline is bolstered by two Second Circle Wizards from the Cape family. How could it be out of control?" "The Cape family..." Daniel frowned tightly. "There have been some problems." He did not specify the problems, but the information he revealed was still frightening. If the Cape family was encountering issues, the Leipzig Market could very possibly face a catastrophic blow. Watching Daniel ascend the stairs, Oma turned to look at Carl. "If there is trouble with the market, come over here," Oma said seriously. "The tutor once told me, as long as this Wizard Tower stands, we wouldn’t have to fear even Third-tier creatures." "HMM." Carl’s brow was furrowed. "I know." 「Just two days had passed.」 Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥 A tense atmosphere seemed to permeate the air above the market, and the pedestrians on the street moved with more haste than usual. "Mr. Karl." During a break in the bustle, Barbara, whose belly was growing larger, approached him and whispered, "Charlie sent someone to tell me to be careful recently. Has something happened on the frontline?" The others paused their movements for a moment, then continued their work, but their ears perked up. "No worries." Carl lay on a soft chair, eyes closed as if feigning sleep, and slowly said, "The Cape family has two Second Circle Wizards, and we have the tower nearby for assistance. Even if some issues arise, it shouldn’t lead to a major disaster."