Ethan blinked, momentarily thrown by the question. "Fairfield Mines company?" he repeated, not understanding what was happening. What was a company? He turned to look at Lia who looked equally perplexed.

"What are you looking at, brat? Are you playing dumb? Don't you know every adventurer in Rotherhollow needs to register and work with the company?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. The burly man's tone was as condescending as his posture was overbearing. "Hmph. Typical rookies," he muttered, folding his massive arms across his chest.

"Fairfield Mines owns the rights to all resources and monster hunting in the western regions. That includes the ridge you're so keen on exploring. Adventurers can't just waltz in and claim anything they find—it's company territory. You register, take contracts through them, and they take a cut of your earnings."

"How much?" Ethan asked.

"80%"

"And if someone chooses not to register?" Ethan asked casually, his tone betraying none of the irritation brewing beneath his calm exterior.

The man let out a bark of laughter. "Then they're trespassing, plain and simple. The company doesn't take kindly to poachers. You'd better believe they've got the resources to enforce their rules—guards, mercenaries, and the guild's backing. Trust me, you don't want to get on their bad side."

"Good to know. Thanks for the explanation."

"Hmmm? Don't think you can flake on the contract newbie. It's a system-enforced contract. If you do not pay up honestly, the blessed heavens will personally give out the punishment."

Ethan nodded slowly, absorbing the information. So, Fairfield Mines was essentially a monopolizing force in the area, controlling both the resources and the adventurers seeking them. It wasn't unlike a guild, but far more corporate in its structure—at least, that was Ethan's best guess.

The man squinted at him, clearly skeptical of Ethan's dismissive tone. "I'd think twice before stepping out of the guild right not without registering," he warned. "The company doesn't play games."

Ethan gave the man a polite nod, masking the frustration simmering beneath his composed exterior. "Thanks for the advice," he said smoothly, his tone neutral but clipped. "We'll keep that in mind."

The burly man grunted, clearly unconvinced, but turned away, leaving Ethan and Lia to their thoughts.

As the man's heavy footsteps faded into the background noise of the guild hall, Lia stepped closer to Ethan, her voice low and uncertain. "Master, what should we do? Are they going to target us? Sorry, Master. I didn't know about these people. I should have known more and warned you about them."

Ethan chuckled. "Don't blame yourself. You are already helping me more than enough. As for these people, don't worry. I don't plan to stay in this city for long. I will probably move along to the next city after checking out the beast nest. Then we shouldn't have any problems. Besides, they are all busy with the insectoids at the moment."

Lia's expression softened with relief at Ethan's reassurance, though a trace of worry lingered in her hazel eyes. "You're right, Master," she said quietly, nodding. "If we move quickly and avoid drawing too much attention, we should be able to check the beast nest and leave before anyone can interfere. I'll prepare everything we need for the journey, Master. I'll make sure we're ready to move quickly."

"Good," Ethan said with a nod, his tone approving. He started toward the hall's exit, gesturing for Lia to follow. "Let's not waste any more time here. The sooner we get to that ridge, the sooner we can figure out what's really waiting for us—and how much we stand to gain."

He also couldn't wait to leave this city. With the unknown threat still looming, the idea of staying too long in one place didn't sit well with Ethan. His hair was starting to grow back and it was only a matter of days before someone recognized him. The bureaucratic dominance of Fairfield Mines was just another layer of frustration he didn't need.

Being in this place and being near his so-called family made everything that much more complicated. He needed to leave as soon as possible. That would be for the best.

Mulling over things, Ethan absent-mindedly checked a few notifications that had popped in. Nice! It looked like his wolves kept themselves busy. All of them leveled up and he had gained a decent chunk of experience points. He should be leveling up anytime now.

[Ding! Level up]

Ethan was just about to do a fist pump when suddenly his jaw dropped and he froze as if he had seen a ghost. Standing in front of him was his so-called sister, waving her two arms like a lunatic.

"Ethan!" she called out. Her dark brown hair framed her face, and her eyes sparkled with anger as she weaved through the bustling crowd of adventurers. "Why haven't you called home, you twat!"