Chapter 88 Lazy Time
After discussing all the terms, Elizabeth's subordinate, a wizard, managed to construct a two-way portal within two days. It was placed in a remote room of the estate, strictly off-limits to all the servants. For the sake of caution and security, Adam requested Amarantha to cover the room with formations, ensuring that any third parties entering the portal wouldn't be able to exit without permission.
Though Adam wanted to trust Elizabeth, he couldn't take any risks. Hence, he took these measures. After installing various types of formations, including alarms, Adam returned to his bedroom with Amarantha, where there was already some commotion.
"Ladies, please refrain from eating in bed," a calm and chilly voice, belonging to Ekaterina, echoed. Opening the door, Adam spotted Elyra and Elara, who were reading a book with amusement, and Mary and Claire, lying on the bed in everyday attire, enjoying pizza. This pizza had also been adapted for this world by Adam, who, along with Avalon, had established a pizzeria called "PhasePizza," which was already proving to be quite profitable and popular among the common people.
The majority of aristocrats declined to partake, citing it as unhealthy and fatty, lacking elegance and refinement. Nevertheless, Adam had witnessed Elizabeth's subordinate order ten boxes of pizza, each with different toppings.
Speaking of Elizabeth's subordinates, they had spent a considerable amount of money at the brothel. Even with Adam's discount, he still received 500 Platinum Dragon Stones.
"I see you're having a good time," Amarantha smiled at the woman and grabbed Adam's wrist, pulling him towards the balcony. "Well, I'm sure you wouldn't mind if Adam stays with me~."
Adam smirked and, from the corner of his eye, saw the women freeze in shock at Amarantha's unexpected words, and then whisked away towards the balcony, dragging Adam along.
The balcony was spacious, accommodating a couch, a magically designed refrigerator, and a box of alcohol. And so, after seating Adam on the couch, Amarantha settled on his left thigh, and Elyra on his right. Meanwhile, Mary and Claire snuggled up to him from both sides, and Elara's gentle hands draped around his neck.
To this affectionate behavior of his women, Adam responded only with a smile, simply relishing the situation. Such shared evenings had become their way of unwinding and enjoying quality time together.
"Ladies, tell me about your day," Adam smiled and gave a gentle squeeze to the soft thighs of Amarantha and Elyra. Elyra was the first to speak, shifting on his thigh and turning her head with a smile to begin her narrative.
"Today, I discussed details regarding the tree removal, and Her Majesty agreed to assist with the task if you select trustworthy individuals. Preferably women," Elyra started the conversation, providing an update on her work. "Apart from that, I ensured timely payment of wages for estate workers and our enterprises, and also identified potential families willing to sign contracts for school enrollment."
Elyra then proceeded to share about her day, excluding work-related discussions. Mainly, she spent her free time in the estate's garden, tending to the plants. Due to her active involvement in the garden's planning and overall vegetation, the gardener often found himself with little to do.
Her abilities as a water nymph also greatly aided in environmental care. Considering the properties of her created water, plants grew faster and withered later.
"You're doing great. Thank you for your efforts," Adam kissed her on the forehead, his hand gently caressing her slender waist.
"M-m…" Elyra smiled, shivering slightly from his touch.
Leaning back in his chair and relishing the massage from Ekaterina, who had taken a seat next to Elara and was diligently massaging his shoulders—now as hard as stone due to tension—Adam squinted in pleasure and let out a sigh, feeling truly relaxed.
With the warmth of his women around him, he felt as if he were in paradise, despite being a demon himself.
"Adam, today I discussed several details regarding the school construction and approved the project. The first primary school will be built within the next two months," Amarantha proudly lifted her chin and smiled. "I've also begun planning the buildings for the publishing house and printing press. Some modifications have been made to the printing machine, and I managed to simplify the mechanism, allowing text to be printed using the power of thought."
Upon hearing her words, Adam first felt elated, then shocked by her achievement. It's worth mentioning that matters like mind-reading were quite sensitive, and few dared to take such a step. However, Adam wasn't concerned about it, as he had the power and authority to silence anyone who thought of exploiting this concept.
Although Amarantha worried that Adam might view this as somewhat improper, she ultimately received his praise and a head pat, causing the sweet woman to blush and shyly smile.
When it came to tapping into the talents of his women, Adam tried to find what suited them best, even if it were something as simple as watering flowers or the like. Though he didn't want to burden his women, he understood that leaving them without work would lead to him spending a considerable amount of time doing everything himself, and he would end up using them as mere decorations.
When a man and a woman enter into marriage, a bond is formed between them, and they become like one entity, especially if the marriage is built on love. Sharing problems, solving them together, discussing difficult situations, and sharing experiences are key to a healthy relationship.
Therefore, Adam always endeavored to share his feelings, and concerns, and seek advice from his women. He saw nothing wrong in seeking their assistance. After all, he only needed to appear all-powerful to others; in front of his wives, he displayed his true self.
And while there might be women who would shout and claim that a man shouldn't show emotions or weakness, such women would often end up calling a manager in their old age, complaining about life and attributing it to being a single mother.
Either way, Adam was pulled from his thoughts when Elara began to speak. She pressed her chest against the back of his head and cupped his face with her tender hands, affectionately stroking his cheeks.
"With Ekaterina, we thwarted several attempts to rob the bank, as well as manipulated and schemed to obtain compensation. All the offenders were fined and imprisoned in the recently constructed prison. Considering the design of the facility and magical suppression, they won't be able to leave until they pay the fine," Elara laughed and shared this as if it were an everyday occurrence. "Oh, and their fine amounted to about 500 Platinum Dragon Stones. Upon learning that, they cried loudly and went into hysterics. It was hilariously pitiful."
As Elara narrated this, she laughed heartily, as if she had heard the funniest joke of the millennium. Adam smirked, as did the other women, finding it amusing as well. Some people won't realize their mistakes until they feel a sting in their ass.
Nevertheless, it was beneficial for Adam. Even if these fools managed to pay the fine, he could find another reason to detain them and extract every last Copper Dragon Stone from them.
"Good job, darling. You did the right thing. The harsher the punishment, the fewer conceited fools who believe themselves the cleverest." Adam grinned cunningly, giving Amarantha and Elyra's buttocks a squeeze, earning himself sensual moans as a reward. "With this in mind, there won't be as many idiots willing to rob the bank or attempt to deceive us. After all, only a much smarter and experienced deceiver can deceive a deceiver. And in their case, unfortunately, we're the second type of deceivers."
The Idorvam Bank was structured to exploit traders to the maximum extent, but that was in the distant future. Taking into account credits and persistent advertising (which wasn't always honest), Adam had already secured several high-interest-rate credit contracts with extended terms.
In this world, most people could live over 120 years (ordinary people), while practitioners or the wealthy who used elixirs could push beyond 500 years. Hence, Adam adapted to this reality to avoid critical situations and falling into a deficit.
Idorvam Bank also discreetly added clauses regarding the right to possess Side B's (bank clients) lives if they failed to pay the full loan amount along with interest. And this clause couldn't be seen unless someone was identified in the "SS-" rank, which was nearly impossible for ordinary traders.
As for those who managed to uncover this, Adam simply offered them a standard contract. Such manipulation ultimately targeted weak individuals, provided they violated the terms.
Next in line for updates was Claire, who had devoured an entire box of pizza during the conversation and had crumbs around her mouth. Despite her serious expression, her announcement was met with laughter. Blushing, Claire wiped her mouth and cleared her throat, eliciting affectionate smiles.
"Ahem... Today, I found a new supplier of precious gemstones!" Claire began speaking, and Adam immediately became serious upon hearing the mention of gemstones. Seeing Adam's seriousness, Claire continued, "His name is Barley, and he's from the Siren Kingdom, where abundant resources of gemstones and pearls exist. I used magical instruments to inspect the merchandise's quality and can assure you it's 100% genuine and high-quality. I've asked him to wait two or three days while I get permission from the Master."
Hearing her, Adam nodded and stroked her wheat-colored hair, smiling gently. "You did everything right. In such cases, Amarantha and I need to perform a second verification stage to avoid forgery, as magical instruments don't always work accurately. You amazing!"
"Hehehe." Claire smiled shyly, looking happy.
Although developing the city of Sedyon posed challenges, Adam was gradually building a strong foundation. He preferred to have his close associates in leadership positions, even if it was considered nepotism. Of course, he didn't ignore genuinely talented individuals and wouldn't appoint useless people to manage a busy operation.
To be continued...