Building A Business Empire From Scratch In Another World

Thorne looked at Thraill and Soni, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "The reason I was able to escape was because of the bicycle!"

"What kind of thing is this bicycle you're talking about?" Thraill asked, confusion etched on his face.

"Oh! I know! It's those two-wheeled devices that have been all the rage in the Royal Capital lately, right?" Soni exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with recognition.

"Yes, you're absolutely right!" Thorne nodded enthusiastically. "Cyrus forced me to buy one. At first, I thought it was too expensive and insisted I didn't need it. But he wouldn't take no for an answer. Little did I know that this bicycle would end up saving my life!"

"So Cyrus indirectly saved your life, huh?" Thraill chuckled.

"Yeah," Thorne replied with a serious nod. "If it weren't for him, I'd be dead by now. I really owe him my thanks."

"You definitely should," Soni agreed earnestly.

"Speaking of this bicycle, is it really as useful as you say?" Thraill asked skeptically.

"Absolutely! This thing can come in handy—l, it might just save your life like it did mine," Thorne said earnestly, locking eyes with Thraill.

"I think you should listen to Thorne and get one for yourself too," Soni chimed in from the side.

Concern flickered in her gaze. "You know how dangerous things can get for people like you; facing peril day in and day out isn't easy. Even if it's a bit pricey, I'm sure you can manage."

Thraill fell into thoughtful silence before finally nodding his head. "Okay, I'll buy one. Who knows? Just like you said, it might save my life just as it saved Thorne's."

"Good decision!" Both Thorne and Soni smiled at each other with approval.

-----------------------------

"Family Head," Claire reported excitedly as she stood before Felix, "the sales team for the Flying Nimbus has seen a dramatic increase over the past two months, so much so that we ran short on supply for five days straight!"

Felix raised an eyebrow in surprise. "How did such a sudden surge happen?"

Claire flipped through some reports eagerly before continuing, "After noticing the spike in sales of the Flying Nimbus bicycles, we conducted an investigation to find out why."

"And what did you discover?" Felix leaned back in his chair with interest.

"We found out that an adventurer managed to escape from two Four-Winged Lions in the outer region of Twilight Mountain Range using a Flying Nimbus bicycle!" Claire explained animatedly.

"Hmmm! That's intriguing, a mere adventurer escaping from such ferocious beasts? He must be quite extraordinary," Felix mused thoughtfully.

"And the other one managed to escape with his life after being ambushed by fellow Adventurers in the Twilight Mountain Range, using the Flying Nimbus bicycle to flee," Claire continued, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Felix smiled slightly, but deep down, he sighed in relief.

Finally, the Flying Nimbus bicycle had gained some fame and was becoming a hot commodity among Adventurers!

He raised his head and looked at Claire, curiosity piqued. "By the way, why were two Four-Winged Lions spotted in the outer region? Aren't they usually found deeper within?"

"I'm not entirely sure of the details," Claire replied thoughtfully. "But you know how it goes with Winged Lions, wherever they are, there's often a Mythrill Apple nearby."

"So there might be a Mythrill Apple Tree around here that's attracting these two Four-Winged Lions," Felix mused while rubbing his chin.

"Exactly what I was thinking!" Claire nodded eagerly. "Once this news spread, many Mana Cultivators rushed to the location hoping to find those coveted Mythrill Apples, but all they discovered were ruins and devastation."

Felix chuckled softly. "I figured as much. Those two Four-Winged Lions are quite intelligent; they'd naturally try to escape with both Mythrill Apple Trees."

Claire didn't respond but simply nodded in agreement.

"If there's nothing else to report, you can return to work," Felix said with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, Family Head," Claire replied before leaving the office.

"Two Four-Winged Lions, huh?" Felix's eyes narrowed slightly as an evil smirk crept onto his face. "I wonder how they look..."

Suddenly, Nixie, who had been quietly sitting nearby, interrupted him. "Big bro, what wicked plan are you concocting this time?" She took a few cautious steps back.

"I'm warning you: if you're thinking about using me as your practice dummy again, I'll fight back!" Nixie's voice trembled slightly with mock fear.

Felix looked at her incredulously. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Well," Nixie shrugged playfully, "every time you narrow your eyes and smile like that, it means you're plotting something devious!"

"Stop overthinking things!" Felix shook his head dismissively. "I was just contemplating those two Four-Winged Lions."

"Oh? What about them?" Nixie asked curiously as she relaxed back into her seat.

"I was considering that since I don't have a mount yet... maybe those two would make worthy companions for me."

"You want TWO Four-Winged Lions as mounts? You really have guts! Even if you manage to tame them, keeping them will be another story; Winged Lions are rare and majestic beasts!" Nixie rolled her eyes skeptically.

"That's none of your business," Felix waved his hand dismissively.

"Well, suit yourself," Nixie rolled her eyes. "But if you are going count me in, I want to see how you catch those two Four-Winged Lions!"

"Okay, let's drop that for now," Felix replied, waving his hand again. "Now, report on your current progress."

"Yes!" Nixie stood up from the couch, her expression shifting to one of seriousness as she faced Felix. "The school project is complete! We've built everything we need and currently have three courses ready to teach: Management, Training Waiters, and Blacksmithing."

"Oh good! Well done!" Felix nodded with satisfaction.

"So, big bro, how are we going to recruit people to come study?" Nixie asked curiously.

"Of course, we'll start by letting our own people enjoy it first," Felix explained.

"How?" Nixie's brow furrowed in confusion.

Felix shook his head slightly. "What I mean is that we tell our staff or waiters to bring their relatives or friends, anyone they know who's looking for a job, to enroll in the school. After four months of training and gaining all the knowledge they need about our business, we can employ them at our various restaurants or stores."

"Okay," Nixie nodded but hesitated before asking again, "Big bro, will they have to pay tuition fees?"

Felix simply shook his head. "Currently, we will not be accepting tuition fees."

"Why? They can't just come and receive resources for free!" Nixie protested.

"I've thought about that," Felix replied calmly. "Here's what we're going to do: when they decide to enroll in the school and learn from us, they'll sign a contract stating that they must work for us after completing their four months of training. They can't go work for anyone else but us."

"That really works!" Nixie's eyes lit up with excitement. "So if they don't agree to this condition, then we won't enroll them?"

"Exactly!" Felix smiled back at her.

"But big bro," she continued thoughtfully, "you know blacksmithing is a difficult trade that can't be mastered in just four months! It might take years for someone to become a Starred Blacksmith."

"Of course! What I said earlier doesn't apply to those wanting to learn blacksmithing; it's different because it depends on talent and comprehension. Anyone who aspires to be a Starred Blacksmith will have a different path," he clarified.

Nixie nodded slowly. "But what should we call the school?"

Felix pondered for a moment before saying confidently, "Let's call it Morningstar Academy."

"Okay! Nice choice!" Nixie grinned widely.

Felix shifted gears and asked casually, "How is the progress on the wine stores?"

"How's the progress on the wine stores?" Felix inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"It's going really well! We have already finished building 80 stores, and by the end of this month, we should have another 28 completed," Nixie replied enthusiastically.

"Great to hear!" Felix nodded approvingly. "What about the team I asked you to select and train specifically for these wine stores?"

"That's also on track! By the time all the stores are built, we'll have a fully trained team ready to go," Nixie said confidently, her eyes sparkling with determination.

"Excellent!" Felix nodded again. "And how's everything with the vineyard and planting for our wine production?"

"Everything is progressing smoothly! The professionals are already hard at work, and planting has officially begun," Nixie assured him.

"Good, good, well done, Nixie!" Felix said, clearly pleased as he looked at her with admiration.

"Oh, and what about finding someone to take over the wine business?" he asked.

Nixie's expression shifted slightly as she shook her head. "I haven't found a suitable candidate yet; I'm still searching."

"You need to pick up the pace! If this keeps up, you'll be overwhelmed," Felix warned gently but firmly.

"Don't worry about me, big bro! I can handle it," Nixie replied with a smile and a wave of her hand.

"No," Felix countered with a shake of his head. "You're already juggling so much. Adding this responsibility will only wear you out, even if you are a Mana Cultivator! It's crucial that you find someone soon; otherwise, I'll just have to step in myself."

"Okay," Nixie said with a playful pout, realizing he had a point.