Evening descended slowly over House Veil.
The burning heat of the Southern afternoon had finally softened, allowing cooler winds to drift through the mansion grounds. The sky beyond the tall western windows glowed in deep shades of crimson and gold, while the first stars cautiously emerged above the distant mountains.
Inside the mansion—
The atmosphere remained busy.
Servants moved through corridors carrying ledgers, sealed documents, and supply manifests at a pace noticeably faster than usual. Guards rotated shifts near the outer courtyard while merchants continued arriving even this late into the day, requesting audiences regarding potion distribution rights.
House Veil had become restless.
Not from danger.
But opportunity.
And opportunity in the South was often more dangerous than war itself.
Within Landon's private office—
Warm lantern light illuminated the room in soft amber tones.
The large study had transformed significantly over the past year. What once would have resembled the working room of a minor noble now looked closer to the command center of an emerging power.
Maps covered one side of the walls.
Trade routes marked carefully in red ink.
Territorial influence zones outlined through strategic annotations.
Stacks of reports rested neatly across the massive darkwood desk while several unopened letters bearing noble seals remained pushed aside for later review.
Because currently—
Only one matter held priority.
Potions.
Landon sat behind the desk quietly, one arm resting against the chair while the fingers of his other hand tapped slowly against several financial reports spread before him.
His posture remained calm.
But his eyes betrayed concentration.
Not greed.
Calculation.
The kind developed by someone who had climbed too quickly to remain careless.
Across from him—
Kel sat comfortably near the window.
Still appearing as Heral.
Still wearing the simple dark attire of a potion maker.
Yet somehow—
The atmosphere around him felt more composed than the room's actual owner.
Moonlight filtered faintly through partially opened curtains beside him, illuminating the edge of his face while shadows concealed the rest.
He looked less like an alchemist—
And more like someone quietly observing the movement of an invisible game board.
"You underestimated the reaction speed."
Kel spoke calmly while holding a cup of tea between gloved fingers.
Steam drifted slowly upward through the dim room.
Landon exhaled softly.
"…I know."
A faint smile appeared briefly.
"I expected strong sales."
His gaze lowered toward the reports again.
"…not this."
Kel remained silent.
Allowing him to continue.
"The first batch wasn't even large."
Landon leaned back slightly.
"We intentionally limited distribution to test market response."
A brief pause.
"Yet demand nearly exploded within a single day."
Outside the office windows, the distant sounds of carriage wheels echoed faintly through the mansion courtyard.
More merchants arriving.
Again.
Landon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The merchant guilds are already attempting to negotiate exclusive contracts."
Another pause followed.
"And several noble houses sent unofficial inquiries this afternoon."
Kel calmly took another sip of tea.
No surprise appeared on his face.
Because this—
Had been expected from the beginning.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
This time carrying unmistakable amusement.
"…You really do enjoy watching people panic around money."
Far away—
At Scarder Lake—
Sairen rested upon the mist-covered lake surface, observing the office through Kel's senses while silver-white mist drifted slowly around her.
Kel answered calmly.
"Money itself is meaningless."
Sairen tilted her head slightly.
"…Yet you are creating enormous amounts of it."
Kel's gaze shifted briefly toward the financial reports covering Landon's desk.
"Resources create influence."
A brief pause.
"Influence creates control."
Sairen fell silent for a moment.
Then quietly—
"…And control creates kingdoms."
Kel did not answer.
But the silence itself felt like confirmation.
Before the conversation could continue—
A knock sounded against the office door.
Sharp.
Professional.
Landon immediately straightened slightly.
"Enter."
The door opened smoothly.
And the Head Maid stepped inside.
Tonight, even her usually flawless composure seemed slightly disturbed.
Not visibly enough for ordinary people to notice.
But Kel noticed immediately.
The tighter grip around the ledger in her hands.
The quicker rhythm of her breathing.
The faint disbelief hidden beneath her controlled expression.
She stopped before the desk and bowed respectfully.
"My lord."
Then—
Her eyes briefly shifted toward Kel.
"…Mister Heral."
Kel inclined his head politely.
Silent.
The Head Maid stepped forward carefully before placing a thick financial ledger upon Landon's desk.
The sound alone carried weight.
"The final calculations from the first potion batch…"
She paused briefly.
As though still processing the numbers herself.
"…have been completed."
Landon's fingers stopped tapping immediately.
The room quieted.
Even the lantern flames seemed calmer.
"Well?"
His tone remained composed.
But focused.
The Head Maid opened the ledger slowly.
Several pages filled with precise calculations and distribution records became visible beneath lantern light.
Then—
She spoke.
"The total profit…"
A brief pause.
"…after production costs, transportation fees, guild percentages, and taxation…"
Even now—
Her voice lowered slightly.
"…is approximately three times higher than our original projections."
Silence.
Heavy.
Landon's eyes narrowed faintly.
Not because he doubted her.
But because he already understood what that implied.
"…Three times?"
The Head Maid nodded immediately.
"Yes, my lord."
She adjusted the ledger carefully.
"The recovery potions sold out completely within hours."
Another page turned.
"The stamina mixtures performed even better than expected among mercenary groups."
Then another.
"And noble households have already begun offering premium rates for future priority supply rights."
The room grew still.
Only the faint crackling of lantern fire remained.
Landon slowly leaned back into his chair.
His expression remained calm.
But internally—
His thoughts moved rapidly.
This wasn't simply profitable.
This was transformative.
Because potion markets were unlike ordinary trade.
Once customers experienced superior quality—
They rarely returned to inferior products willingly.
Especially mercenaries.
Especially nobles.
Especially soldiers.
And that meant House Veil had not merely sold products.
It had secured attention.
Dependence.
Influence.
The Head Maid continued quietly.
"Several merchant organizations also requested meetings regarding long-term distribution partnerships."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"And…"
A faint hesitation.
"…some attempted to investigate Mister Heral's background."
Kel finally spoke.
Calmly.
"As expected."
The Head Maid looked toward him briefly.
Still unable to fully understand this quiet potion maker.
Because despite hearing such enormous financial success—
He displayed no excitement whatsoever.
No pride.
No greed.
Nothing.
Only calm understanding.
As though everything unfolding now…
Had already been calculated long ago.
Landon noticed it too.
And inwardly—
He felt the same unsettling realization he often experienced around Kel.
The feeling that he was always standing several steps behind someone who had already seen the entire board.
The Head Maid continued.
"We blocked all direct inquiries regarding Mister Heral's personal information."
A brief pause.
"However…"
Her expression darkened slightly.
"…that may become difficult if interest continues increasing at this pace."
Kel placed the teacup down quietly.
The soft sound echoed through the office.
"It's fine."
His voice remained calm.
"Curiosity is useful."
Landon frowned faintly.
"…Useful?"
Kel's eyes reflected the warm lantern light quietly.
"People value things more…"
A slight pause followed.
"…when they cannot fully obtain them."
The Head Maid's brows narrowed slightly.
Not disagreeing.
Simply thinking.
Because he was correct.
Already rumors had begun spreading throughout the city about the mysterious potion maker protected by House Veil.
And rumors—
Created desire.
Sairen's voice echoed softly again.
"…You're deliberately increasing your own value."
Kel answered internally.
"Scarcity creates pressure."
The mist around Scarder Lake shifted slowly as Sairen watched him silently.
Sometimes—
She genuinely wondered whether Kel viewed the world as people…
Or pieces.
Back inside the office—
Landon closed the financial ledger slowly.
The weight of the profits still lingered heavily within the room.
"…This is only the first batch."
His voice lowered slightly.
Almost thoughtful.
Kel nodded once.
"Yes."
The single word carried terrifying implications.
Because if this level of profit and influence came from merely the beginning—
Then what would happen once production expanded fully?
The Head Maid herself seemed to realize it too.
Her fingers tightened subtly around the ledger.
House Veil was no longer simply rising.
It was accelerating.
Rapidly.
Dangerously.
And everyone within the South would eventually notice.
Outside—
The night deepened over the capital.
Lanterns flickered across noble districts while merchants whispered behind closed doors about the mysterious potions reshaping market balance.
Mercenary guilds fought over supply rights.
Noble houses quietly investigated House Veil.
And somewhere beneath all of it—
Kel von Rosenfeld sat calmly within the shadows of a growing household.
Watching.
Calculating.
Preparing.
Because to him—
This was never about money.
Money was merely the first thread.
And soon—
He intended to pull the rest of the South along with it.