"You have some nerve to stop the path of my Lady. Does that mean you want to fight with me?"

Mary asked as she readied her axe to fight the guard who blocked her way.

She was famous in the Duchy to the point where everyone knew at least her name and a general description.

When the guard saw her axe, he paled before quickly backing away.

"That would not be needed, Guard Mary. You and Miss Layla are always welcome here. Please! Make your way inside and make sure to keep your guests comfortable."

The guard at the entry opened the door quickly before he allowed the whole group to pass without any investigation.

He knew that he needed to keep his mouth shut about this.

If Mary and Little Lady Layla had chosen to enter the Duchy from this gate, they wanted to keep their entry a secret.

And the guard was happy to turn a blind eye toward this for now.

"I appreciate your help. I will make sure to repay this favor."

Layla spoke to the guard as her carriage entered the city gates last. She did not open the folds, but she could tell the guard was startled by her words.

"T-There is no need for my lady to show me such courtesy. I was just doing my job. Please, have a good time inside."

The guard kept his face down so as not to accidentally look at Layla.

She might be young, but she was still Duke Lockhart's ward. If she took offense to anything he said or did, there would be no way for the guard to come out of it alive.

Thankfully, Layla did not cause him much trouble, and she quickly disappeared into the Duchy.

The guard sighed in relief before he quickly sat down back to rest his shaking legs.

Layla and the elves passed the gate before they reached the clearing that had been prepared for the elves to live in.

A few homes had already been built, while many were in half-finished stages. This had been deliberately prepared because the elves had a psychological need to develop their society to feel welcome.

"Welcome to your new home. I half-finished this place for you while we were traveling, but you can finish this up. Please let me know if you need food supplies for the first few months.

I will send someone to come and deliver them for you. The details of what I need you to grow have not changed, so please keep to the schedule as much as possible. Thank you for your patience."

Layla bowed in front of the elf queen before it was time for her to leave.

Now she had the land to open her potion shop and the elf army to give her the necessary ingredients to make those potions.

The only thing left was to find the labor necessary to make those potions. And Layla had an idea for it.

...

"Madam, we are here. But are you sure you want to commission people from here? I am sure you can get someone better to work for you. This place is-"

The driver who drove Layla and Mary to the place they chose looked shocked at the state of his destination.

Most of the place was falling apart, but it looked held together by hopes and dreams.

The board on the outside read 'Labor Union,' but these people hardly did any work.

"Madam, tell you what! I know of a few places where you can get cheap and hard-working labor, and you won't have to pay a fortune. You should save your money and use it on things you need."

The driver spoke in a calm voice.

He looked like a criminal who told his successor all his secrets, and Layla almost felt a laugh leave her at the man's actions.

"Thank you for the offer, but I am at the right place. These people can only do the kind of work I need. Money is not an issue for me, but the quality and morale of the working force is."

Layla spoke, and her words made the driver's face red.

He had taken Layla as a kid he could take advantage of. She knew what she was doing, which made the guard sputter as he tried calming himself down.

"W-Well, who am I to stop you if you want to append unnecessary money? You can go ahead and do whatever you want, kid."

It was clear how mad the driver was at Layla and her hypocritical words. His mouth spoke one thing, but his eyes told another. He was also cursing Layla out in his mind.

"Would you like me to take care of him for you, Young Miss? I will make it so that he can never show his face in front of you again."

Mary offered as she looked at the man running away from them. But Layla raised her hand, and she just let that man go.

"Just forget about him. He is not what is important here; what is important is what is in front of us. I need your help persuading these people to help us out."

Layla gave Mary a task, but Mary looked taken aback by the sudden request.

It was not often that Layla outwardly asked her to help her out.

It made Mary smile a small smile before she quickly bowed her head.

"Of course, young miss! Assisting you is one of the greatest pleasures of my current life. I will make sure to help you out in any way you ask me to."

Mary assured before she straightened her back and knocked at the door.

Instantly, an unfamiliar face opened the door with an unhappy expression. The man looked like he had not showered or eaten in days, and his eyes looked even more hollow when he saw Layla.

"Excuse me, but we were wondering if you-"

"We don't want to buy anything or work with you. Please, head back now and do not disturb us."

The door was shut right in front of their face.