"Alright, gentlemen," After a few more rounds, Leonard raised a hand. The people leaned forward, waiting for him to say something. However, his next words leave people speechless.

"That's enough for now."

A chorus of groans erupted around him.

"Eh? Already?"

"Come on, boss! One more game!"

"Yes, yes! We're on a winning streak!"

"One more round!

Leonard chuckled, collecting the dice and slipping them into his coat pocket.

"I apologize but I have something to take care of," he said simply.

That only earned more protests from the crowd.

"Nooo, don't leave us hanging!"

"You can't drop a winning hand like that!"

But then Leonard smiled. He waved his hand as if telling the people to calm down for a moment.

"It's for your own good," he said to them..

And just like that, the crowd fell silent for a moment, before breaking into laughter and nods of approval.

"Oh, if it's for us, then fine!"

"Boss Leonard always has a plan, huh?"

"He's probably preparing something big again!"

"Just one week and he's already planning a surprise for us again?"

"I wonder what it is!"

The earlier disappointment of the crowd changed instantly into excitement. The men were already talking among themselves about what Leonard might be up to this time.

Leonard shook his head in amusement before stepping away from the table. The players were already hyping each other up, their curiosity enough to keep them busy.

When he finally approached the long table at the back, Maren straightened in her seat instinctively. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath the whole time.

"Thank you for waiting," Leonard said as he stopped beside her table.

Maren blinked up at him.

"O-of course. You told me to."

"Good." He smiled, pulling out the chair across from her. "Sorry for the noise here. They tend to get carried away."

"It's… fine," she said softly, her voice was barely above a whisper. "They seem to like you a lot."

Leonard leaned back slightly, resting one arm on the chair. He had a confident smile on his face, now that it was mentioned.

"Don't worry, they won't harm you"

"I-I mean… I didn't think of them like that…" Maren looked down at her lap, her fingers tightening on the pouch.

Leonard smiled faintly. "Good then," he muttered before letting out a light chuckle.

"Speaking of it, let's talk about the offer I mentioned yesterday."

Maren straightened slightly. "Y-yes?"

"I want to open another place," Leonard said, leaning forward a little. "I'll open a warehouse where we can make alcoholic drinks from fruits and grains. And I want you to manage where we can get those supplies."

"M-me? Managing…?" Maren blinked in surprise. "I don't have any idea how to make alcoholic drinks!"

Leonard rested his elbows lightly on the table.

"You don't need to know how to make the drinks," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That part's mine to handle."

Maren blinked, still confused.

"Then… what do you want me to do?"

"Just like what I said, I want you to find the ingredients for it," Leonard replied simply.

"Things like grapes, berries, grains such as barley, wheat, and also sugar. I want it to have good quality, but at a fair price. You've lived here long enough to know who sells what, and where to find the freshest ones."

"I… I guess I do know some places…" Maren's lips parted slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes.

"Good. Then let's start there." Leonard's smile grew wider.

"Bring me a crate of each in 2 days."

Maren nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard that. "I-in 2 days?!" Her eyes widened, her voice rising too. "Immediately?"

"Yes, immediately." Leonard couldn't help but laugh.

Her jaw dropped a little as she stared at him. "But that's so sudden!"

"Everything worthwhile starts suddenly," Leonard said with a shrug, amusement clear in his tone. "Besides, you'll get paid for every delivery. More than your current boss gives you, I imagine."

Maren froze at that. Her fingers tightened slightly around the pouch on her lap.

"I…" She bit her lip, her mind flashing to the shop where she worked.

Leonard tilted his head, studying her quietly. "Don't worry, I'll give you enough money for it. I guess you can look today and come back here tomorrow for the money." He muttered.

"I apologize if I can't provide you with money right now. I also got to make sure about it." Leonard continued.

"I-i mean that makes sense," Maren nodded her head. She understood Leonard's worry. After all, they don't know each other quite that much.

"Don't worry, I'm going to pay you today for taking up your time and also for you to have some sort of allowance as you go around."

Maren's eyes brightened at that. "A-alright!" She immediately muttered. "I'll try to bring what I can to you in 2 days!"

The thought of getting paid immediately made her excited.

Leonard reached into the inner pocket of his clothes and pulled out a small pouch of his own coins. The faint sound of coins clinking together immediately drew Maren's attention.

He loosened the string and carefully counted a few coins, the silver glinting under the lantern light, before he placed them neatly on the table between them.

"Here," Leonard said, pushing them toward her. "Ten silver coins for taking time off your work today, and another five to help you go around the market."

Maren's eyes widened. "T-ten silver…? A-and five more?"

"That's right," he said casually, as if it were nothing. "It's only fair."

For a second, Maren didn't move. Then, realizing he was serious, she quickly reached out and gathered the coins with both hands. She is trying to suppress the trembling in her fingers.

"I—thank you, Sir Leonard! I'll… I'll make sure to use them well!"

"I'll be looking forward to tomorrow, and in two days, then." Leonard gave a small smile.

"Yes! Of course!" Maren nodded eagerly; her voice was now bright and full of life. "I'll find the best ingredients I can!"

Leonard chuckled. "Good. That's what I like to hear."

Maren carefully tucked the coins into her pouch and tied it securely. The weight of the silver was heavy, but it's better than having none.

'Fifteen silver coins…' she thought, her chest swelling with relief. 'Finally, I can give Mother something today. Maybe I can buy some food too, so we can actually eat well tonight.'

She couldn't hide the big smile on her face. However, when she looked up, she noticed that Leonard was already standing up.

"Take care, Maren. I hope you find what I asked you," he said with his usual calm tone.

"I will, Sir!" she said quickly, clutching her pouch tightly. "Thank you again, Sir Leonard!"

Leonard just nodded. After a moment, Maren quickly moved. She hurried toward the door, almost running as if she had just found a new meaning in her life.

"Pft—" Leonard couldn't help but laugh at it.

When she was gone, he turned his gaze toward the side of the room where Gareth was hosting the game on his own table.

It seemed like they would need Old Marrek's help once again to build some barrels.

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