The moment they stepped outside Grathok's establishment—
Jax stopped walking.
The Vixens turned toward him curiously.
Without saying anything, Jax reached out and gently took Llandra's hand.
The elf blinked.
Then—
five system notifications appeared simultaneously.
SYSTEM TRANSFER COMPLETE
6,800,000 GOLD TRANSFERRED
The street noise around them suddenly felt distant.
Llandra stared at the number.
Then at Jax.
Then back at the number again.
"…Jax."
He looked genuinely confused by her reaction.
"That's your share."
Bunny nearly stumbled.
"OUR SHARE?!"
Nyxian physically grabbed Jax's arm.
"You're serious."
"Twenty percent," Jax said simply.
"That was the agreement."
Zee looked horrified.
"Jax, we only helped move the dragon."
"You taught me how to use my system," he corrected calmly.
"You guided me through the city. You introduced me to Grathok."
"That's not worth THIS much," Llandra said immediately.
For the first time since meeting him—
she sounded genuinely shaken.
Jax tilted his head slightly.
"A deal's a deal."
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without ego.
Without performance.
"I fulfill my agreements."
Silence followed.
Because in their world—
powerful people always found excuses to pay less.
To take more.
To renegotiate.
But Jax?
Jax honored his word like it was absolute law.
Llandra stared quietly at the transfer amount still hovering on her screen.
This amount alone eclipsed portions of her family's treasury.
And he had earned it—
within a week of arriving in this world.
Dangerous.
Not because of the money itself.
But because men who inspired loyalty this easily changed history.
Meanwhile—
the other Vixens were rapidly approaching emotional collapse.
Bunny looked ready to explode.
"We can buy SO MANY CARROTS."
Nyxian stared at her.
"…That's your first thought?"
"GOOD carrots."
Zee still looked overwhelmed.
"That much money could support families for generations…"
Nyxian slowly smiled.
"…Or fund an extremely irresponsible shopping trip."
"That too," Zee admitted softly.
Llandra exhaled slowly before finally accepting the transfer.
Not because she wanted the money.
But because refusing now would insult the sincerity behind it.
"…Thank you," she said quietly.
Jax smiled lightly.
"Of course."
Then immediately ruined the emotional moment.
"So," he asked casually, "how much property can we buy before people start assuming we're planning a coup?"
Nyxian grinned instantly.
"Oh I like this game."
Their next stop was Brannic's forge.
The moment they entered—
Merriweather froze mid-flight.
Then slowly lowered herself toward the group like a hunting bird spotting prey.
"Oh…"
Her grin widened dramatically.
"Oh my STARS."
The Vixens immediately looked nervous.
Merriweather pointed accusingly.
"You became women last night."
Every single Vixen turned bright red instantly.
Including Jax.
Nyxian recovered first.
Naturally.
"Well," Merriweather continued proudly, "you'll simply HAVE to take me to brunch sometime and tell me everything. I demand details. I intend to relive my youth vicariously through all of you."
Nyxian slowly turned toward her.
Then narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"…Interesting."
Merriweather blinked innocently.
"What?"
Nyxian smirked slowly.
"I don't think WE were the only ones enjoying ourselves recently."
The fairy froze.
The room became silent.
Brannic immediately stopped moving.
Nyxian's grin widened further.
"Oh my gods."
She pointed dramatically between them.
"You two finally—"
"WE DIDN'T—" Brannic barked immediately.
"We absolutely did," Merriweather corrected proudly.
The dwarf looked ready to jump directly into molten steel.
Merriweather floated dreamily beside him.
"Can you blame me?"
She gestured toward Brannic dramatically.
"He acts all gruff and intimidating but he's secretly VERY handsome."
All four Vixens slowly looked toward Brannic.
The dwarf was:
four and a half feet tall
built like an angry barrel
covered in soot
aggressively bearded
and currently dying internally
Nyxian forced enthusiasm.
"Oh absolutely."
Llandra nodded solemnly.
"Truly irresistible."
Zee bit her lip trying not to laugh.
Bunny failed completely.
Brannic pointed angrily toward the forge.
"WE ARE WORKING NOW."
Jax immediately stepped in before the dwarf suffered cardiac arrest.
"Right. Business."
That worked.
Mostly.
Jax laid out the plans carefully:
expansion
new workshops
larger production
magical integration
enchanted material manufacturing
Merriweather's eyes widened more with every sentence.
Brannic slowly became very quiet.
Then Jax casually added:
"I already purchased the building."
Brannic stared.
"…Ye WHAT?"
"The abandoned warehouse near the eastern market."
Silence.
Then slowly—
the dwarf grinned.
"A man who puts his gold where his mouth is."
"Preferably before competitors do," Jax agreed.
Now Brannic looked impressed.
Truly impressed.
They moved deeper into the forge afterward.
Heat rolled through the massive chamber while enchanted furnaces glowed bright orange against the stone walls.
Then—
Jax summoned the dragon materials.
Scales.
Bones.
Organs.
Teeth.
Blood crystals.
The forge itself seemed smaller suddenly.
Brannic stared quietly.
Then exhaled slowly.
"Up until now," he admitted, "I still had doubts."
Jax glanced toward him.
The dwarf folded his arms.
"Not anymore."
Jax activated Transmutation.
The system guided him instinctively now.
Materials rose into the air as heat and mana swirled together in violent spirals of light.
Dragon scales softened.
Bones condensed.
Essence separated.
Merriweather gasped softly.
"…You're actually doing it."
Even Brannic looked stunned now.
Because what stood before them wasn't ordinary crafting.
It was the birth of entirely new magical materials.
Industrialized enchantment.
A revolution.
Jax handed over prepared schematics afterward.
Brannic studied them carefully.
Then nodded once.
"Two weeks."
Merriweather smiled brightly.
"We'll have prototypes ready."
Hands were shaken.
Deals finalized.
Partnerships formed.
And somewhere beneath all of it—
the future of Solmere quietly began changing shape.
As they eventually stepped back outside, Bunny stretched happily beneath the warm summer sunlight.
"So," she asked brightly, "what now?"
Jax smiled.
"Now we register officially at the guild."
Llandra raised an eyebrow.
"As?"
Jax looked toward the four women beside him.
Then smiled slightly wider.
"Jax and the Vixens."
Nyxian looked deeply pleased by that answer.
Then Jax's expression shifted slightly afterward.
More focused.
More serious.
"And after that…"
The Vixens looked toward him.
Jax glanced toward the distant horizon beyond Solmere's walls.
"…We train."
The tone of his voice changed the mood instantly.
Because suddenly—
they all remembered.
Jax wasn't building all this for comfort.
He was preparing for something.