By the end of the day, they earned a fair amount. However when he counted the coins again, the sight wasn't exactly pleasing.

After paying the men their shares and setting aside what they needed for the next day's bets, the pile on his table looked a lot smaller compared to the other days

"Haah… looks like I'm back to being poor again," Leonard muttered to himself with a helpless chuckle. He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the remaining pouches.

"I need to speed up my winery so we can earn more than now…"

Leonard sighed. Even if he couldn't see the physical money, he still knew that most of their earnings were already moving. After all, he already paid for the crates of fruits and grains. And right now, he was in a talk about the barrels he ordered from Old Marrek.

"So how was it, Old Marrek? Are you making progress with it already?"

Old Marrek sighed and looked at Leonard. A certain seriousness was written in his eyes.

"I'm already halfway through but there's a problem."

Leonard raised a brow, "A problem?"

"Yes, young man," Marrek walked closer and let out a sigh. "You said you wanted them sealed tighter, right? Durable enough to hold liquid for months, even when moved?"

"Yeah… I did."

"Well, that's not simple work," the old man said before sighing. "I had to use stronger wood and better iron rings. It took more effort and more material than usual."

Leonard stared at the old man for a moment, then sighed deeply. He could tell that Old Marrek was telling the truth.

"You're telling the truth, right?" Leonard rubbed his temples. And asked him just to make sure.

Marrek looked at him. "You think I'd waste my breath and walk here just to lie to you?"

Leonard chuckled at that. "Right. That's fair enough."

"So how much do you need, Old Marrek?"

The old man showed him a list of numbers with clear writing. In there was a number 30 circled around. Leonard looked at it quietly for a moment before nodding.

"Just thirty more coins, huh?"

"That's right."

Leonard reached into his pouch and took out the coins one by one. He pushed them across the table toward Marrek.

"Alright. As long as it's good, I don't mind paying more."

Marrek was relieved to hear that.

'Don't worry. You won't regret it, boy. I'll make sure it's the best barrel you'll see out there."

"I'll hold onto your words, Old Marrek," Leonard replied as a small smile crossed his face. He was half-teasing but also half-serious.

Marrek let out a laugh. He gathered the coins and put them in his pouch. "You've got my word."

As the old craftsman turned to leave, Leonard leaned back in his chair again, letting out another long sigh. He was tired, broke, and still had so much to do, yet, somehow, he couldn't help but smile.

"At least everything's moving," he murmured to himself, watching Marrek's back disappear through the door. "Now, I just have to make sure it all pays off."

- - -

The next morning came earlier than usual. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet when Leonard found himself already inside the den. The place was still quiet except for the faint creaking of the wooden floor as he moved around. A

"So early in the morning, huh… I hope Maren didn't forget." He yawned before stretching his arms. He didn't even take a shower or eat before coming here.

After a few minutes, the sound of wheels scraping against the rocky road echoed from the outside. It was followed by a familiar voice calling out for him.

"Sir Leonard!"

Leonard turned toward the door and smiled when he saw Maren waving from behind a medium-sized wooden cart. She looked slightly exhausted.

Unlike the other two days, she was dressed up messily, as if she had already done a lot, even though the day was just beginning.

Behind Maren were two farmers pushing crates stacked neatly on top of each other.

"Maren! You're right on time," Leonard said, stepping out to meet them.

"Yes. We thought we should be on time since it's important," Maren replied with a huge smile on her face.." That way, we can place everything before your customers arrive."

"Good thinking. You didn't have any trouble, did you?" Leonard nodded approvingly.

Maren shook her head. "No, Sir. The farmers were kind enough to help me transport everything here. They wanted to make sure the fruits stayed fresh, and also the grains."

"Really? That's nice of them," Leonard said, looking at the farmers. "Thanks for the help, you two."

The men nodded with friendly smiles. "No problem, young boss. Just make sure you turn these into good product!" one of them joked.

Leonard laughed. "That's the plan."

They began unloading the crates one by one and carried them to the back of the den, where a small door led to the storage room. The air inside was cool and faintly smelled of old wood and earth.

The space wasn't large. It was just enough to fit several barrels, boxes, and sacks, but it would do for now.

"Please be careful with that one," Leonard said, motioning to a crate filled with grapes. "We'll need those fresh."

"Yes, Sir," One of the farmers replied quickly, wiping the sweat from his forehead as they organized the crates by type. They placed fruits on one side, while they placed the grains and sugar on the other.

By the time everything was set, the light of the morning sun was starting to show.

Maren dusted off her skirt and took a step back, admiring the neatly arranged stacks.

"That should be everything already, Sir Leonard," she said, smiling faintly. A genuine happiness surged through her heart as she looked at the produce. "The farmers said if you ever need more, they're willing to sell again to you directly."

"Whoa... that's good! Tell them I'll make sure to buy from them again once we start production." Leonard smiled at it.

"I will, Sir," she replied softly.

He turned toward the crates again, tapping one lightly. "Fruits, grains, sugar… finally, everything's here. Now all we need are the barrels."

"Barrels?" Maren's eyes lit up. "Then… it means you can start making the drinks soon?"

Leonard chuckled. "Exactly. Once the barrels are finished, we'll begin the first batch. After that…" He looked around the den and smiled faintly. "We'll finally distribute it."

He's sure those gambling men would love the drinks.

Leonard glanced at her and smiled. "You did well again, Maren."

"I-I'm just glad I could help, Sir." Maren's cheeks flushed slightly

"Alright," Leonard said, clapping his hands lightly. "You've worked hard enough for the morning. Go take a rest now."

After hearing it, Maren hesitated a little bit. "D-don't you have anything to task—"

"Don't worrry, I'll handle the rest," Leonard interrupted, waving her off with a grin. "Go on, before I change my mind."

"Thank you, Sir Leonard." Maren immediatley nodded.

Finally! She could rest for today!

As Maren left, Leonard stayed behind in the storage room for a moment, his eyes staying on the crates. A satisfied grin crossed his face as he stared at it.

"Everything's falling into place," he murmured to himself. "All that's left now is to make sure it tastes good enough to sell."

After double checking the room, he turned off the lamp, pushed the door open, and stepped back into the den. Leonard stepped out of the storage room just as Maren and the farmers were brushing the dirt from their hands, readying their cart to leave.

He turned toward the three of them with an approving nod.

"You all did a great job today, Sir," he said with a satisfied grin. "Everything looks perfect, especially the fruits. They looked fresh and well-packed. You saved me a lot of trouble."

The two farmers exchanged amused looks, a little surprised by how genuine his praise sounded.

"Thank you, Sir," one of them said, bowing his head slightly. "I'm glad everything arrived safely."

Leonard reached into the pouch hanging from his belt and fished out several small coins. he counted carefully, then handed ten silver coins to Maren.

"Here. That's your pay for today's work," he said, his tone warm. "You've earned it."

"T-Ten silver coins? A-again? Sir, that's—" Maren's eyes widened slightly.

"No arguing," Leonard interrupted, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "You've been running around nonstop these past few days. Consider it payment and a bit of appreciation."

Her protest turned into a soft laugh as she accepted the coins with both hands. Maren's cheeks reddened as she bowed her head. "Thank you, Sir Leonard. I'll make sure it's put to good use."

Leonard then turned toward the two farmers, pulling out five more silver coins and dropping them into each of their palms.

"And for you two... Thank you for helping Maren deliver everything safely."

The farmers blinked in surprise, their eyes lighting up. "Five silver each? That's more than fair, Sir!" one of them exclaimed, beaming. "We didn't expect that much!"

Leonard chuckled. "Well, I didn't expect such fast delivery either. So, let's call it even."

The men laughed heartily, bowing their heads in gratitude. "You're too kind, young boss! Please order from us again! We'll make sure to bring only the best next time! Maybe even add a few extra fruits for free!"

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