"Besides, Jane, guess what?" Fisher's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as he turned to his sister Jane.
Jane raised an eyebrow, sensing sothing intriguing was about to unfold. "What is it, Fisher?"
"My eldest brother; he tried to beco the ntor's student too," Fisher said, a proud smile spreading across his face. "But in the end, the ntor chose only ."
Jane's eyes widened in shock. "What? Big Brother didn't make it?" She paused, her face now clouded with concern. "Is it because... does he not have the potential to beco a legend?"
The room seed to hold its breath for a mont. Logan, sitting nearby, felt his curiosity piqued as well. Gawa, Fisher's older brother and Jane's husband, was a quasi-legendary figure. Surely, soone with such imnse talent should have the potential to ascend to full legendary status. Could it be that Gawa had already reached his peak?
Logan shook his head slightly, finding the idea ridiculous. Yet, he knew that human potential could sotis be unpredictable, or even... cruel.
"Jane!" Fisher laughed, shaking his head as if she had just suggested sothing absurd. "You're jumping to conclusions. Brother is already a quasi-legend, and he reached that level incredibly fast. There's no way he lacks the potential to beco a legend."
Jane's brow furrowed, but she was listening closely now. Fisher leaned in a little, his voice dropping into a more conspiratorial tone. "The ntor didn't reject him because of his talent. There were... other reasons."
Though Fisher chuckled lightly, his words carried an unspoken weight. What he didn't share, and what would remain his secret, was the fact that the ntor had indeed ntioned sothing in private. Gawa's talent, while remarkable, might have reached its limit. The path to becoming a legend could be over for him. But this, Fisher decided, was not sothing Gawa or anyone else, needed to know.
No point stirring trouble within the family.
Jane let out a small sigh of relief. Her brother Gawa was the pride of their family, a shining example of what their bloodline could achieve. If even he lacked the potential for legend, what hope would there be for their father, who had longed for that status all his life? It would crush him. For now, the balance in the family's hopes and dreams remained safe.
Logan, anwhile, was relieved for different reasons. He wasn't particularly worried about Gawa, but the notion that a quasi-legend might not have the potential to ascend further would have been unsettling. If soone as powerful as Gawa couldn't make it, then how difficult was it really to beco a legend? The thought was a little too grim for his liking.
"Well, it seems congratulations are in order!" Logan smiled warmly at Fisher. "You've achieved what many only dream of; reaching the quasi-legendary level yourself."
Fisher's grin widened, but Logan could sense that it wasn't just luck or hard work that earned Fisher his place. The legendary ntor must have seen sothing extraordinary in him, sothing unique. In this world, becoming a ntor's student was not quite the sa as being a disciple, but it was still a bond that would last a lifeti.
It was especially remarkable, Logan thought, considering the nature of Fisher's ntor; an elf legend, known for their aloofness and pride. Elves were notoriously choosy, especially when it ca to anyone outside their kind. They didn't even care much for humans, let alone Beastn like Fisher. For an elf to ntor a Beastman... well, that was no small thing.
Logan glanced at Fisher again, his respect growing. The world was full of surprises, and today, Fisher had proven that the impossible was sotis within reach.
Fisher bead at Logan' words, clearly pleased with the praise, but he didn't linger on the sentint for long. With a serious shift in tone, he asked, "Now that the Windrunner United rcenary Group is officially up and running, when do you plan on delivering the first batch of goods?"
Logan didn't miss a beat. "Whenever you're ready!" he replied confidently.
Both the tribal winery and the Canyon City winery had been bustling with activity. Only a few days ago, he had visited the tribal winery, where over 200,000 kilograms of wine had already been produced and stored. He was certain Canyon City Winery had even more waiting in reserve.
"Good," Fisher said, smiling with satisfaction. "Then let's head to Canyon City tomorrow."
This collaboration was a significant move for Fisher. He had funneled half the strength of his father's Storm rcenary Group into the venture, eagerly awaiting the profits. Without them, his father would be breathing down his neck. Pulling troops from the Storm rcenary Group had ant less gold flowing into their coffers, and that was sothing his father would never tolerate for long.
Fisher knew he needed to make this cooperation profitable and fast, to keep the group stable and off his father's radar.
Suddenly, Fisher's eyes lit up with a thought. "Oh, by the way, last ti you left Canyon City, you ntioned sothing about a new type of wine and sugar. How did it turn out? Any success?"
Logan grinned, leaning back with a satisfied air. "Of course. When have I ever made a claim I couldn't back up?"
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The results were already clear. Sweet potato candy had been successfully produced, and about ten days ago, the first batch of sweet potato and potato liquors had been distilled. The process had gone off without a hitch, and the liquors were now in the early stages of large-scale production.
The only catch was the ferntation ti; sweet potato liquor needed a full month to fernt properly, so it would still take another couple of weeks before they could produce it on a larger scale.
"That's amazing!" Fisher's excitent was hard to contain. "So how many new varieties of wine and sugar have you co up with?"
"Two types of liquor and one type of sugar," Logan replied, his voice filled with pride.
"Perfect! We should try them out over dinner tonight and see if we have any feedback," he added with a grin.
Fisher waved a hand dismissively. "Please, I wouldn't dare critique a master winemaker like you."
In truth, Fisher had an almost blind faith in Logan's abilities. Even if the new creations weren't perfect, Fisher was convinced they would still outshine anything other winemakers could produce. His confidence in Logan was unwavering, and his casual dismissal made everyone at the table chuckle.
Jane and Begon, who had been quietly listening, joined Logan in the laughter, the atmosphere light and cheerful.
Just then, the mood shifted again as the heavy doors to the tribal hall creaked open, drawing everyone's attention. A figure rushed in; moving with urgency. Fisher and the others imdiately turned toward the intruder.
Logan blinked in surprise. It was his fifth uncle, Reynolds. But sothing was off. Uncle Reynolds looked anxious, almost frantic, and that wasn't like him at all. What could have happened to make a man as calm and steady as Reynolds look this shaken?
"Chief!" Reynolds called out as he rushed toward Logan, saluting with a formality that felt at odds with the urgency in his voice.
"Uncle Reynolds, what's going on?" Logan asked, concern already growing in his tone.
"Chief, we just apprehended an old elf... caught him red-handed in the wine cellar. He managed to steal over 200 kilograms of our wine!" Reynolds explained, his face flushed with embarrassnt. He clearly felt responsible for the breach.
Reynolds had been on a routine patrol when one of the cellar guards reported strange noises coming from the storage area. He hurried to investigate, only to find an old elf, standing amidst empty barrels, having made off with an alarming amount of their precious wine.
Rage had coursed through him; how had this elf even managed to break into the wine cellar, especially when access to the key required his explicit permission?
But the key had remained untouched. That was the troubling part.
And how, Reynolds wondered, had an elf even made it into the heart of the Silvermane Tribe unnoticed, let alone into the wine cellar? Elves weren't exactly common around here, and they were far too proud to resort to sothing as petty as thievery.
Logan exchanged a bewildered glance with the others. Jane and Begon looked equally stunned. The idea of an elf sneaking into the tribe's territory, much less stealing wine, was absurd.
"An elf? Here? Stealing wine?" Jane muttered, incredulous.
Logan turned his head slowly, his eyes landing on Fisher, who had suddenly developed a deep interest in the far wall, his back turned to the conversation as if nothing unusual was happening. Suspicion flickered across Logan's face.
Could it be... Fisher's legendary "ntor"?
The pieces clicked together in Logan's mind, though the notion seed far too ridiculous to believe. A legendary elf? Sneaking in to steal wine? That couldn't be right. But the way Fisher was avoiding eye contact made him think otherwise.
Jane, too, seed to have caught on. She shot a questioning look at her brother, trying to piece together the sa puzzle. anwhile, Begon just looked confused, as if he thought Reynolds was playing so kind of bizarre joke.
"Uncle Reynolds," Logan asked hurriedly, "where is this elf now?"
If it really was Fisher's ntor; a legendary elf, there could be serious consequences. One wrong move and they could find themselves in the crosshairs of a being of imnse power. The last thing the tribe needed was to provoke a legendary figure. What if they'd already insulted him?
"I've detained him," Reynolds replied, standing a little taller. Then, with a shout to the outside, he called, "Bring in the old elf thief!"
Logan felt his heart skip a beat. What if they were about to humiliate or anger a legendary elf? His mind raced with the possible fallout. Was it even possible to capture soone of such power? No, surely not. And if it was possible, what did that say about this elf?
A legend would never let himself get captured... right?
Just as these thoughts swirled in his mind, two Beastman warriors entered, dragging a disheveled figure between them.
Logan blinked. The elf was... well, sloppy was the first word that ca to mind. His once-fine clothes were wrinkled and stained, and his hair was a wild, tangled ss. He didn't look like the picture of elven grace or dignity.
Logan's eyes darted to Fisher again, whose lips were now twitching as if he was trying to suppress laughter.
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