One week later, Zael came to report to me.
"My lord," he said after lowering his head. "It seems Viktor and Erwin have arrived."
I immediately stopped what I was doing and headed out to meet them.
Several horse-drawn carriages had entered Constantia. The first belonged to Viktor, and beside him was Erwin, sitting near a covered wagon filled with stacks of paper. Behind them came a carriage carrying the slaves Viktor had purchased, and at the very back was a group of low-ranking mercenaries.
The slaves and mercenaries were gathered in the open field and lined up under the watch of Viktor's men.
The slaves looked exhausted. Their clothes were wrinkled, dirty, and worn thin in several places. Some were visibly hungry, their cheeks hollow and their eyes lowered as if they had already learned not to expect anything from the world.
The mercenaries were not much better. Most of them looked thin, nervous, and inexperienced. If I had to guess, the majority were probably Rank E. They carried weapons, but not with the confidence of people who had survived many battles.
Before this, I had spent 50 points to upgrade God Eye's. It had now reached Level 3.
Thanks to that upgrade, I could see people's abilities without the previous restrictions. I took a slow breath and began checking their statuses one by one, starting with the mercenaries.
At first, there was nothing impressive. Most of them had low stats, mediocre potential, and talents that were either ordinary or too weak to stand out. It was exactly what I expected from cheap low-ranking mercenaries.
But among the roughly twenty mercenaries, one man caught my attention.
He had a large frame and a body packed with muscle. Standing among the thin mercenaries around him, he looked less like a hired sword and more like a bear forced into human clothing. Long white hair fell behind his shoulders, his thick mustache and beard were the same pale color, and a scar ran near his temple, close to one eye.
[God Eye's Status Panel]
[Name: Arad Youssef]
[Stats: Strength A, Agility B, Defense A, Intelligence B, Potential: SSS]
[Talent: Fighting, Hunting, War Command]
[(Upgrade to Level 5 to see the next category)]
I stared at the panel for a moment.
Why is someone this strong a Rank E mercenary?
No matter how I looked at it, his status made no sense. A man with A-rank strength, A-rank defense, and SSS potential should not have been standing at the back of a cheap mercenary group. There had to be a reason he had fallen this low, but for now, the reason did not matter as much as the opportunity in front of me.
Then my gaze moved to the far right of the back row.
There stood a man with neatly combed black hair and glasses. He held a wooden magic staff with both hands, but his body was trembling so badly that the staff kept shaking with him. Compared to Arad, he looked almost painfully weak.
[God Eye's Status Panel]
[Name: Hans Carter]
[Stats: Strength F, Agility F, Defense F, Intelligence SS, Potential: C]
[Talent: Intellectual, Scholar]
[(Upgrade to Level 5 to see the next category)]
[Additional Information: He is currently feeling nervous.]
My eyebrows rose slightly.
A person with intelligence this high became a mercenary? His physical stats are terrible.
Hans looked like he would collapse if someone pushed him too hard, yet his intelligence was extraordinary. It was strange, but also useful. Constantia needed more than strong arms. If I wanted this place to grow properly, I needed people who could think, record, calculate, and manage.
I memorized both names before turning my attention to the slaves Viktor had brought.
There were around thirty of them. I had expected to find a few useful workers among them at best, but the moment I began reading their statuses, my expression almost changed.
There were more talented people than I expected.
[God Eye's Status Panel]
[Name: Stella Leslie]
[Stats: Strength D, Agility D, Defense E, Intelligence A, Potential: B]
[Talent: Doctor, Healer]
[(Upgrade to Level 5 to see the next category)]
A healer?
My gaze sharpened. Medical talent was rare and valuable, especially for a developing village. Injuries from construction, sickness during winter, childbirth, infections, and accidents could all become deadly without someone who understood treatment.
I continued checking the next few people, then stopped again when another panel appeared.
[God Eye's Status Panel]
[Name: Ivan Gregor]
[Stats: Strength B, Agility A, Defense D, Intelligence A, Potential: B]
[Talent: Master Craftsman]
[(Upgrade to Level 5 to see the next category)]
This time, I could not fully hide my surprise.
Ivan Gregor stood among the slaves with his head lowered, but his body was sturdier than the others. His features carried the faint traits of a dwarf, though not completely. A half-dwarf, most likely.
A talented half-dwarf craftsman was actually mixed in with them?
Damn. I'm really lucky.
I glanced across the line again, my mind already moving faster. Viktor had probably bought them cheaply without knowing their real value. To most people, they were just exhausted slaves and low-ranking mercenaries. To me, they were pieces that could change Constantia's future if placed correctly.
Viktor walked over with a proud smile, clearly expecting praise. "Lord Fragha, I brought what you requested. Paper, slaves, and low-ranking mercenaries. I admit, some of them do not look impressive, but they were within the price range you gave me."
"You did well," I said.
His smile widened. "Then I am relieved."
Erwin stood quietly beside him, looking a little tired from the journey but otherwise calm. His eyes moved across the gathered people, as if trying to guess what I intended to do with them.
I looked back at the line of mercenaries and slaves.
To others, this might have looked like a poor purchase. Weak mercenaries, starving slaves, and a few carts of paper. Nothing about it seemed grand.
But for Constantia, this was more than enough to begin the next step.