Louis Simy smiled and said, "Kainan! If you’re looking for treasure, I have an idea. There are many adventurers outside. They’re affordable, experienced, and much safer than your current team."
As a merchant dealing in magical artifacts, Louis Simy had a sharp eye. He could tell that the five members of the Giant Axe Adventurer Team had no Transcendent abilities. If danger arose, they’d be nothing more than cannon fodder and wouldn’t be able to protect Charlot. Hence, he suggested hiring more people.
Although the adventurers outside were unlikely to have Transcendent powers—those who had embarked on the Transcendent path wouldn’t waste time taking White Wolf’s trial to gain demon hunter abilities—having more people would still improve safety.
Charlot’s eyes lit up slightly. He responded, "Thank you for the suggestion, Louis. After White Wolf selects his heir, I’ll recruit some new members."
White Wolf didn’t seem inclined to rest. He ordered his subordinates to prepare breakfast and invited Louis and Charlot to the dining room. He also sent food to Louis’s subordinates and the members of the Giant Axe Adventurer Team.
After breakfast, the three of them chatted for a while. By the time their conversation ended, daylight had fully broken.
White Wolf stepped out of the massive wooden cabin, brimming with energy, and shouted, "Young people! Who among you wishes to inherit my legacy?"
A thunderous roar echoed outside the cabin. Clearly, even more people had gathered, waiting near the wooden cabin after leaving their accommodations.
Every transmigrator has dreams!
Charlot had originally planned to live a stable life as a civil servant in the government. If the opportunity arose, he might even marry a wealthy and beautiful woman like Miss Annie Bretagne to improve his social status. His ambitions weren’t particularly lofty.
But he hadn’t foreseen Miss Menielman, his supposed ally, getting entangled in a political storm. Nor had he expected the new Warden Magru Trell to force him into exile.
At that moment, had he hesitated even slightly, he’d have been cornered step by step, forced into actions he didn’t want to take. His fate would’ve been grim, at best ending with imprisonment for decades.
After all, the new warden was determined to investigate the misappropriation of Extraordinary weapons from the prison. Being implicated in such a case would ruin him, if not cost him his life.
Louis Simy’s casual remark flung open a door in Charlot’s mind.
This world hadn’t yet embraced the concept that “talent is the ultimate resource.”
But Charlot knew that assembling a team of hundreds of adventurers would create a formidable force. He’d even begun envisioning plans for farming settlements, rebellion, or other schemes to amass wealth. With enough time, he could expand his influence like a snowball.
White Wolf’s method for selecting an heir wasn’t complicated. First, he announced the criteria: candidates must be under twenty years old. Then, the aspiring demon hunters were pitted against one another in combat until one remained—a tall, muscular individual brimming with raw strength.
As the unsuccessful adventurers prepared to leave, Charlot stepped out of the massive wooden cabin and shouted, "I am Kainan, leader of the Giant Axe Adventurer Team! I need people for a job, and the weekly pay is one flor. Who’s interested in joining?"
A weekly salary of one flor wasn’t high, but it wasn’t low either. For adventurers, it was quite appealing, especially since many had made the trip to Yorktown without earning anything and needed to patch up their finances.
One adventurer asked, "What kind of people are you looking for?"
Charlot smiled and replied, "This time, I need laborers. The more, the better. Anyone who considers themselves strong and sturdy can join."
"However, let me make this clear: I will withhold the first week’s pay. Salaries will only be issued after the second week. Anyone who leaves before payday won’t receive any payment. On payday, you’re free to decide whether to stay with the team or leave."
Withholding part of the wages was standard practice in every profession on the Old Continent. After all, employers risked paying workers who might disappear the very next moment.
The members of the Giant Axe Adventurer Team exchanged glances with Charlot. Mason, curious about how Charlot had suddenly become their leader, was tempted to ask questions. However, upon hearing the offer of one flor a week, he hesitated and remained silent. He even signaled to the other four team members, implying they should seize this opportunity to earn extra money.
Hannah and Homonsa had no objections. In fact, they preferred seeing the charming and wealthy Charlot as the team leader.
When they had arrived yesterday, there had been only forty or fifty people in front of the wooden cabin. Now, the crowd had swelled to over a hundred and fifty, composed mostly of small adventurer teams. After discussing among themselves, over ten teams agreed to work for Charlot.
To attract even more manpower, Charlot added another incentive, smiling as he said, "I plan to employ you all for at least one month, maybe even two!"
This statement instantly swayed seven additional teams. Stable, long-term income was a rarity for adventurers, making Charlot’s offer highly enticing. In the end, nearly a hundred adventurers accepted his employment.
Looking at his newly recruited team, Charlot declared loudly, "I come from the south. My ancestors had orc blood."
Many adventurers burst out laughing. Having orc heritage wasn’t a point of pride on the Old Continent. The Orc Kingdom had long since fallen, its people scattered and marginalized, treated as second-class citizens in every country.
However, adventurers weren’t overly concerned about their employer’s lineage. They were here to earn money. For most of them, the identity of their employer mattered far less than the wages offered. Some would even work for the Black Phoenix Dynasty, the sworn enemy of the Fars Empire, if the price was right.
Charlot continued, "I recently inherited an uncle’s estate. Among his belongings, I found a treasure map of the Orc Kingdom. My goal this time is to locate the ancient treasure. I swear before the goddess: if I find the treasure, I will share five percent of it with those who help me."
His declaration stirred the remaining adventurers. Greed and ambition flickered in their eyes. Many began calculating in silence, thinking, “If the treasure is real, why not kill this young man and take it all for ourselves?”
White Wolf glanced at Louis Simy and whispered, "Your friend is quite the liar."
Louis shrugged, saying nothing.
When Charlot had first mentioned the treasure map, he’d claimed to have bought it from a secondhand store. Now it had become an inheritance from his uncle. Even if Louis wanted to help cover for Charlot, he wouldn’t know how to explain the inconsistency. Besides, he was certain Charlot didn’t have any orc blood—no way would a noblewoman like Miss Annie Bretagne associate with someone of orc lineage.