"I'll take all six of you."

The 6 men's faces brightened right away.

"But," Leonard quickly added, raising a hand, "four of you will stay here in the den. The other two will go help with a new business I'm setting up."

The 6 exchanged looks, a bit surprised. They became confused as they looked around the area.

"A new business, sir?" one of them asked carefully.

Leonard nodded. "Yes. It's still being prepared, but I'll need some help there soon. It's honest work and just like here, I'll make sure you're paid fairly."

"Will the pay be the same, sir?" another asked in a small voice.

"Yes. But I need to burst the bubble right away. You won't be earning the same as the others right now, especially since you're just starting." Leonard muttered to them.

The men tensed again, worry showing on their faces. Most of them were used to earning just a few silver coins from odd jobs, so they were hesitant if the pay is less here than what they're currently earning.

When Leonard saw their reaction, he chuckled a little. Of course, he was no bastard. He will still pay them good enough.

"Don't worry. The pay is still higher than average. 10 silver coins."

When they heard it, their reaction was instant.

"Ten silver coins?!" one of them shouted. "Per day?"

"Yup, yup," Leonard chuckled softly. "Since you would be moving around. I think that's fair, don't you?"

The six nodded quickly, their eyes wide with disbelief and excitement.

"Yes, sir!"

"That's more than fair!"

"Thank you, sir!"

Their voices was now filled with so much energy. The huge smile on their face was obvious. Even Ferio and Eric couldn't help but smile as they looked at their friends.

"Good. Then it's settled. Gareth, Ferio, and Eric will tell you where to go tomorrow morning. Be here at 8 in the morning."

"Yes, sir!" they all said together.

Leonard nodded in satisfaction. "Alright then. You may go now."

The six men straightened up right away. "Yes, sir!" they said in unison before quickly scrambling to their feet.

It was already late, so they wasted no time heading out of the den. Their footsteps echoed faintly from the ground, followed by the sound of the door creaking open.

Once they stepped outside, the cool night air hit them. For a moment, they all just stood there, grinning like fools.

"Did you hear that?" one of them burst out, eyes wide with excitement. "Ten silver coins a day! That's more than what I made in a whole week before!"

"I know!" another one laughed, slapping his friend on the shoulder. "We finally met a generous boss! I told you coming here was a good idea! I also thought that Eric was just fooling me first!"

An obviously older man shook his head, still smiling. He was one of Gareth's friends, so it was evident that his age was higher than the rest.

"It's been years since I last felt this hopeful. That young man… he's different."

"Yeah," another said, his grin wide. "I can't wait to start. It feels like our luck finally changed!"

Even if the 6 barely knew each other, they kept talking among themselves, their voices full of life.

Then one of the younger ones clenched his fists, eyes shining. "I'm going to tell this immediately my family! They'll be proud of me for once!"

The others laughed, cheering on him.

"Then you better show up early tomorrow," one teased.

"Of course! I'll be here before the sun rises!"

Their laughter continued to echo in the quiet night as they walked away together.

- - -

Early in the morning, the 6 really arrived at the gambling den early in the morning. They were already standing in front, even if the den hadn't been opened yet. They were waiting patiently for Leonard and others to arrive.

Each of them looked more presentable than the night before. Their clothes were freshly washed, and their hair was neatly combed. Though a few of them looked like they barely slept, because they were too excited for today.

"It feels strange dressing up this nice for work!" one of them said with a small laugh. "I used to just wear my old clothes and not even shower!"

"Hahaha! Me too! But it's our first day of good work. We can't let the boss think we're sloppy." Another one quickly grinned.

To ease their boredom, the 6 of them just talked among themselves. Fortunately, as soon as the time neared eight, footsteps echoed from down the street. In there, Leonard arrived with Anikar, Gareth, Ferio, and Eric walking beside him.

When they saw it, "Good morning, sir!" the 6 new men said in unison, bowing their heads slightly.

"Good morning. You all came earlier than expected, huh?" Leonard smiled, clearly pleased to see them so early.

"Yes, sir," one of them answered quickly. "We wanted to be here on time."

"That's good to hear." Leonard nodded before chuckling.

"Alright, listen up." He looked over the group before continuing. "For now, you'll all stay and learn here in the den. Gareth, Ferio, and Eric will be the ones to teach you everything you need to know."

The six nodded eagerly, listening closely.

"As for the two who were supposed to help in my new business," Leonard added, "I haven't picked anyone yet, so all of you will work here for now until I finish setting things up. Once everything's ready, I'll pick 2 from you."

"Yes, sir!" they all answered again in unison, their faces lighting up with relief and pride.

Leonard gave a small nod of approval.

"Good. Do your best and learn fast. If you work hard, you'll have a good place here and maybe more in the future."

The six men couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, sir!" they said again, their voices filled with determination.

Leonard turned slightly to the three beside him. "Gareth, Ferio, Eric, you know what to do."

"Got it, Boss," Ferio said, grinning as he motioned for the six to follow.

"Come on," Gareth added, "we'll start with the basics."

The group began moving inside, chatting as they went.

Leonard and Anika were the last to enter the den. The sound of laughter and chatter from inside already filled the place as the others began teaching the new recruits what to do.

Anika stretched her arms a little and glanced around with a bright grin.

"Woah! We're really growing, Leonard? Can you imagine that in the past, it was just us two, but now we're ten already!"

Leonard chuckled as they walked through the doorway.

"I know, right? Must be because I'm such a good boss." He said it with a playful smirk, puffing his chest out slightly.

Anika rolled her eyes right away, though she couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Whatever, whatever," she said before laughing.

Leonard raised a brow at her teasing tone, pretending to glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Anika quickly stepped back with a grin. "Nothing! You're the worst boss ever!" she said out loud before running off toward the others.

Leonard just laughed, shaking his head. Sometimes, Anika had this side of her that was so childish, yet he found it amusing.

"Don't worry, I already know I'm good," he muttered to himself with a grin before walking deeper inside.

Instead of going to his usual table at the front, he turned toward the back corner. There, a few bags of silver coins were stacked neatly under a small lamp. He sat down, rolled up his sleeves, and placed the heavy pouches on the table one by one.

It was their accumulated profit for the last 2 days. Because too many people are going into their den, day by day,, after closing the store, their energy is almost gone already. And counting coins wasn't exactly a fun job since they do it one by one.

That's why even if Leoanard was too lazy to do it, he had no choice. After all, he knew for sure that Maren and Old Marrek would come later to collect money for the tasks he gave them.

He didn't want to delay their work just because he wasn't prepared. And also, he already wanted to start their winery. Just by thinking of it, he couldn't help but be excited.

For sure, their alcoholic drinks will be the best in this town!

"Hahaha, if that time comes, then I'm pretty sure we'll earn a fortune!" he muttered to himself as he laughed on his own.

Leonard had to momentarily stop to look to his left and right just to see if anybody was watching him. They might think he was a fool for laughing alone. When he saw that everyone was all busy, he laughed even more.

Leonard leaned back in his chair, still chuckling softly to himself. But then his gaze shifted toward the pouches piled in front of him.

His laughter faded.

"Alright…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's start this."

He reached for a handful and began counting, letting the coins slide between his fingers.

"This might be a problem…" he murmured, looking at the overflowing pile in front of him.

"…But this is the kind of problem I don't mind having every day," he said softly, smiling to himself.

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