There will likely not be another chapter until 24 February, as I'm leaving next week for a work trip and will have no phone or internet connection. Might try to have a chapter ready to post on 18 February, but no promises. I'll either have a ton of free time or none at all, depending on how the testing goes.

Also found out today that next version of the system I work on has been canned. The version after that will still happen with everything being rolled together, but that's still over a year away, meaning I technically have nothing to do for the next year. We're scrambling to sort out whether we can shuffle things around to keep me busy or if I'm about to be loaned out to other projects for a while. Either way, I still have a job and my pay is the same. Just waiting to see what sort of work the next year holds for me.

Lastly, there's a pair of time skips this chapter. First is right away. Second is at the divide. I tried to make it obvious, but just for reference, over a year will pass in this chapter. Tried to summarize some of the political landscape shifts with the news reports, but the main thing is that he's still training and improving. This should be the only real time skip in the story, but it makes more sense than trying to go through over a year of repetition.

The Council of Mistral met today to consider the proposed Faunus Anti-Discrimination bill to increase penalties for so-called hate crimes against any faunus individuals in response to an increase of incidents within the city. The White Fang has publicly supported the legislation, despite claiming it does not do enough to address the issue. Critics, however, question the need for further legislation, pointing to existing faunus protection laws. Debate stalled after several protestors interrupted the deliberations and had to be escorted from the building, while crowds of both supporters and opponents of the legislation were kept separate outside to avoid any direct confrontation.

The small radio chirped on, uncaring for the lack of attention anyone paid it. It was a little beat up and burned through batteries a little faster than it should, but Adam didn't mind too much. He could always recharge them at the next village, and it still lasted longer than the fancy scrolls they'd tried to upsell him on. Why would he need something like that? Everyone he knew was riding in the caravan with him. Reception could be pretty rough on the trail, especially once they reached Hinoki Forest. The CCT could only reach so far without a relay, but radio transmission had been around a long time before that, providing even remote villages with crude access to news and music. With little else to do on the long rides between settlements, Adam's small splurge had paid off a thousand times over.

For now, though, the dutiful device went ignored, its low, staticky sound all but drowned out by the sound of sparring in the middle of camp.

"You're getting better," Jean grinned, breathing a little harder despite how handily he was winning. "Faster, too. Must have a great teacher."

Adam twirled his sword once in response, smiling cockily as he panted for air. "Or you're getting slower, old man." The moment Jean opened his mouth to respond, Adam lunged forward, aiming to cut off his retort against his thin blade. It silently hissed through the air before crashing into Jean's sword - well, Jesse's sword, but the one Jean often borrowed for training.

'Nice try, Adam, but you're not that fast." Jean slapped at Adam's hand, but he held tight, refusing to drop his weapon as he dodged back out of range. Or not out of range. "Ow!"

"Watch your footwork," Jean laughed, even as Adam kicked the small dagger he'd launched at Adam's leg away. "Good work with your aura. Didn't flare up too much this time. Guess you're learning."

Adam found his sneaky trick a little less amusing. "No fair! We never agreed on extra weapons."

"Rules don't mean much in a fight." Adam bristled against Jean's favorite lesson. No such thing as a fair fight. Adam ignored the whispered words and charged in again, eager to get revenge for the trick.

As angry as he was at Jean's trick, he couldn't help but like the results. He hadn't seen the flash of the sleek blade until the last second, but his aura had reacted just the way it was meant to. Months of diligent, sometimes frantic training had started to pay off. A few months ago, he might have ended training with a knife in his leg - a painful reminder to use his aura properly, according to Jean. He'd lost count of the injuries he'd gotten from aura training, along with the number of complaints from Soji. It was sweet the man cared so much, but Adam hadn't asked for Jean to go easy on him. He'd demanded intense training, and Jean proved as good as his word.

When he finally learned to use his aura more instinctively, it would burn bright on impact, overreacting to the blow and using up more than was necessary. He'd finally gotten over that nasty habit recently, but that didn't mean his training was over. Not by a longshot. It just meant Jean had to test him harder and faster, always pushing the boundary a little further until Adam failed, then trying again the next night. It was cruel. It was relentless.

But it sure was effective.

Adam sliced low, nearly cutting through the slack in Jean's pants, before deflecting the return strike with an open palm, redirecting the much heavier blade before it could give him a very short haircut. His much thinner blade managed to scrape against Jean's arm for only a moment, but the brief glow of aura in response drew a cheer from Adam's lips. "Got you!"

"So you did." Jean rewarded him with a palm to his shoulder, knocking Adam off his feet. "Guess there's a first time for everything."

"It's not the first time." It wasn't! He'd managed to hit Jean before, though they were few and far between. He still couldn't win a fight, but it was a far sight better than before. All his practice, coupled with his custom made sword from the smith in Tsubaki, had turned him into a force to be reckoned with. Jean might be able to beat him, but Adam felt confident he could take on most people his age. Except those Combat School students, of course. Catching up to one of them would take a lot longer. But anyone not bred specifically to be a Huntsman would have a tough time holding their own against him.

He had even beaten Jesse once or twice, but Adam could never tell if those counted. Jesse was just too nice. Adam wouldn't be surprised if the man let him win, just to boost his confidence. While it did feel nice, he'd rather Jesse just go all out and really show him what he could do. An honest loss felt better than a cheap win.

And he had plenty of losses. "Get up, Adam," Jean said, offering a hand and hauling him to his feet. "We'll call it there for now. Get some laps in while I clean things up." Like there was much cleaning to do. He'd take Jesse his sword and that was about it.

"Already?" Adam complained. "I can keep going."

"Dinner's ready!" Soji called, summoning them all to the fire.

Jean smirked. "Maybe you can, but my stomach can't." With a laugh, he turned and followed the siren smell of Soji's cooking. "Five laps now. The rest can wait until after food."

Adam darted past him. "Nice try." Jean just wanted to get first dibs on dinner, picking out the choice bits for himself and leaving Adam with the leftovers. You could only fall for that trick so many times before catching on.

Adam ignored Jean's muttered insult, arriving alongside Jesse as he returned from a quick patrol of the perimeter. "Didn't beat you up too bad, did he?"

"As if he could," Adam joked, both of them aware that Adam wouldn't stand a chance if Jean actually meant him harm. "Anything interesting?"

"Other than Soji's stew?" Adam breathed deeply, salivating at the meaty aroma from Jean's last hunt. Even if he hoped his own Semblance would be something a little flashier when he discovered it, Adam was grateful for the meals Jean's power helped secure. "Not really. Just more of the usual."

The usual being trees, trees, and more hadn't seen much action since…well, since that first trip to Kuchinashi with the Beringels. There'd been the odd Grimm or two here and there, but honestly, it had been pretty quiet, especially in the east. With all the Huntsmen that had been deployed after the Yuris fell and Blaine's cruel plan with Cammie, Hinoki Forest had been enjoying a long rest from the Grimm. Practically every village they visited in the area confirmed it. The Grimm weren't gone, but there were a lot less for now.

The east was a different story. They'd had a few run-ins, but nothing out of the ordinary. An Ursa here. A couple Beowolves there. Nothing Jean couldn't handle. Adam had even helped with the last one, taking on the lone Beowolf himself while Jean lingered nearby, shielding the rest of the caravan and ready to charge in if anything went wrong. The whole thing felt more like an initiation than a life-or-death struggle. He hadn't come out completely unscathed, but thanks to his aura, the blows hadn't been anything serious and he'd triumphed in the end.

"Lame." It wasn't. Adam knew the lack of trouble was a good thing, but every now and then he found himself wishing for a change of pace, even in the form of a Grimm. Just one, though. Something he could handle. A true fight to test himself against. Getting beat up by Jean got old after a while.

"I'll take lame," Jesse countered, much more content with an easy night. Unlike Adam, he could go without a fight. A calm day and a full night's sleep were their own reward. Jesse nodded to Adam's hip. "How's the sword holding up?"

"Great," Adam answered honestly. His hand fell to the familiar hilt. It was hard to imagine he'd ever fought with anything else. The old, clunky sword he'd started with had been sold off months ago after collecting dust in the wagon for far too long. He'd spent more time with his thinner, sleeker blade than the previous weapon, to the point it almost felt like a part of him now. It was a quick blade, long enough to engage with another full weapon, yet short and lithe enough to use in closer combat as well. He'd expected a curved blade, but the straight, unyielding weapon suited him just fine.

"So chatty tonight," Jesse joked, giving him a friendly shove as he teased Adam for his one word answers. "Must be a good sword. Don't think I've seen you take it off since you got it."

"I like how it feels." There. That was more than one word. "Besides, you carry your sword around all the time."

"Only on the trail," Jesse countered as Soji began divvying up the meal for everyone. "I don't usually go parading through towns with my weapon out for everyone to see."

"It's not out." Adam pushed down on his hilt, lifting the scabbard housing his sword up behind him. That had been another surprise from the Tsubaki smith. His sword had come with a black scabbard, making it easier to sheathe his new blade. Plus, it just looked cool on his hip. "You're just jealous."

"You two comparing swords again?" Jean interrupted, earning an eye roll from the pair. Adam might've been embarrassed by such a crass joke back when he first joined the group, but after all their time together, he knew better than to give Jean the satisfaction.

Jesse had even more experience, moving the conversation on before Jean could make any other stupid comments. "Just chatting about Adam's sword."

"Did he tell you he named it?"

Adam's eyes widened. He hadn't told anyone about that yet, especially not Jean. He'd read a while back that great warriors often named their weapons - a tradition that most Huntsmen carried on even now. It was like a rite of passage for some people. "How did you-"

"What's her name?" Jesse asked, curiosity trumping whatever amusement Adam had expected.

"I-it's dumb," Adam hedged. The names he'd seen of famous weapons were always so epic sounding. He'd wanted the same, but he'd struggled to come up with anything that he could really relate to. Most of the names he'd tried sounded more comical than epic. A few were a little cringy.

"It's not bad," Jean encouraged, reminding Adam that the cat was already out of the bag. Adam muttered a reply. "What was that?"

"Thorn," he repeated. "I named it Thorn." Adam felt embarrassed saying it out loud.

Jesse ignored his embarrassment, as well as the slight chuckle from Jean. "Thorn, eh? Why?"

"Because I couldn't think of something cooler."

"No," Jesse refused. "A weapon's name means something. So why Thorn?"

Adam had never taken Jesse for such a weapons nut. Then again, he didn't hang out with Jesse that much. They were friends, but only in a loose sense. Adam mostly stuck to Jean. "I dunno," Adam shrugged halfheartedly. "I used to grow roses, back before…when I was young."

"You're still pretty young, kid."

"Young-er." Adam glared at Jean before continuing. "They protect the flower from animals and stuff, and, well, I figure I want to protect people…"

"So you see yourself - and by extension your sword - as the protector of a beautiful bloom, which symbolizes life and innocence."

Adam nearly gave himself whiplash turning to Jesse. Silence hung in the air between them. Jesse was normally so quiet and simple. Hearing him suddenly was lyrical and deep caught him completely off guard.

Naturally, Jean ruined the moment. "You've been hanging out with Soji again, haven't you?"

"Who's been with me?" Soji asked, as if simply saying his name had summoned him.

Thankfully, it also summoned their food. "Nothing," Jean promised as he tried to claim two bowls. Adam managed to snatch his before Jean could. "Can't wait to get home tomorrow."

Higanbana. Jean always seemed to brighten a little when they approached his hometown, even if they rarely stayed more than a night or two. The food was always good, and Flanagan spoiled their group every time. More than that, it served as a sort of dividing line in Adam's mind between the two halves of their route. To the west lay the outer settlements that the Yama brothers had traveled for many years, ending at the port towns that always had a plethora of goods from Vale. East of Higanbana were the deserted paths through the Yuris. The area had been mostly cleared of Grimm with the Huntsmen teams being recalled once the threat subsided. No one really went that way anymore. It was bad luck to pass through those places. Rumors even spoke of people mysteriously vanishing along the way. Adam didn't believe the tales, but they stayed away nonetheless, both because there was nowhere to resupply and because the south had become a true bounty for them.

"Is my cooking really so bad?" Soji questioned with a sly grin.

"Terrible," Jean replied, even as he shoveled another bite into his mouth. "It'll be nice to get some real food for once."

"In that case, I'll spare you the torture of having to eat mine."

Soji reached for Jean's bowl, but the larger man leaned away. "It's my job to protect the caravan, even from your cooking. If that means eating it all for them, then I'll do what I gotta do." Jean eyed Adam's bowl. "Starting with Adam."

Adam twisted to block Jean's arm, practically inhaling his own food before Jean could nobly defend him from dinner. "Back off."

"Don't be brave, Adam," Jean insisted, trying to turn him around. "Let me help you!"

Adam abandoned any sense of civility and tilted the bowl directly to his lips, slurping down his food as his free hand swatted blindly at Jean to keep him away. Jesse scooted further from them both, quietly eating before they could turn their valiant efforts on his own meal. Soji watched it all unfold with an amused smile.

And there, in the rowdy campsite hidden along the dark trail, Adam felt more at home than he had in years.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Authorities continue to investigate the recent string of thefts in Mistral, urging citizens to remain calm. Graffiti depicting the symbol of the faunus rights organization, the White Fang, was sprayed on the wall of a local dust shop that was robbed last night, leading many to call for the arrest of anyone associated with the group. Eyewitnesses claim to have seen visible faunus features on at least two of the suspects, but no arrests have been made at this time.

Ghira Belladonna, leader of the White Fang, has publicly disavowed the actions, claiming that his organization seeks change through words, not violence. Some have begun to question the sincerity of his claims, while others wonder whether he has lost control of the organization entirely.

Adam had always had a mild interest in world events, but ever since the protest in Mistral well over a year ago, he'd become a diligent follower of events in Anima. Especially with faunus and the White Fang being the center of attention most of the time. Something was changing. Even Adam could feel it. Sometimes, it was for the good. New anti-discrimination laws. Investigations into corrupt businesses. Prominent charities raising money for victims of faunus abuse.

But not every change was a good one. For every person who supported improvements for the faunus, there was someone who opposed them. Adam couldn't understand how anyone could be against protecting people in need, but Soji had once explained there was more to it. Some saw it as forcing painful changes for minimal benefit. Others saw it as discrimination against non-faunus. Hiring quotas meant qualified humans were passed over simply because they weren't faunus. Large sums of lien were spent looking for and cracking down on minor transgressions instead of focusing on bigger issues that affected everyone. Both sides fought fervently for their own goals, and when the two sides clashed, the resulting chaos would be all over the news of damaged property, injuries, and in rare occasions, even deaths.

Which all served to fuel the fires of both sides even more.

The White Fang had become a major focus in the middle of it all. As one of the most active organizations pushing for faunus rights, their symbol could be seen at practically every rally and protest. And they weren't just limited to Mistral. The White Fang practically ran the island of Menagerie. Their members had been spotted in every Kingdom. Mistral wasn't even their main focus. Atlas had been the site of countless protests, mostly aimed at the SDC, even though lengthy inspections claimed no evidence of negligence or lawbreaking at their mostly faunus run mines.

Adam had gone to one of the White Fang protests in Mistral on a separate visit, more out of curiosity than an effort to support them. He'd chatted with a few of the local leaders for a bit before a shouting match with counter protestors had police dispersing the crowd, eager to avoid any violence between the two groups. While he couldn't pretend to know everything about the organization, the recent claims of them attacking supply caravans and being responsible for practically every crime in existence left Adam a little skeptical of the major news outlets.

A good thing, according to Soji. Skepticism that was, not the recent turmoil. According to Soji, questioning was a healthy exercise, as long as you sought the truth. Too many people accepted whatever they were told, usually from groups with their own biases and motives. Listening to both sides of an argument and coming to your own conclusion was Soji's recommendation.

So Adam flipped through the channels until he found another report about the White Fang. When talk turned to a report on Huntsmen activities, he surfed his way to a new channel covering recent legislation and protests. Back and forth he went, eating up the morning and trying to get as much information as he could.

Until Soji finally came back.

"Are you ready, Adam?" Soji's question was punctuated by Adam shutting off the television.

"Ready." Adam stood from his chair, smoothed out the button down shirt he'd bought specifically for today, and did a quick check of his hair in the mirror. Soji had offered him a tie, but Adam still hadn't gotten the hang of tying it properly and didn't love the feel of it, either. Besides, he felt dressed up enough already. "Whaddya think?"

"I think you could use a tie." Soji held out the accursed object.

Adam shook his head. "It's fine."

"Suit yourself," Soji said, tossing it on his bed. "Want to go over anything before we head out."

Adam took a deep breath. "I'm good." He'd reviewed all the details a million times. He knew the target prices, the demand for their goods, the history of sales, shelf life, profitability…everything really. He doubted another cramming session would help at this point. "We're gonna be late."

Soji paused for a moment, looking him over like a proud father might. It had been two years since Adam joined the caravan - since they'd rescued him from a trip to Kesseki for a crime he'd never committed. Actually, two years and two days, but who was counting?

Soji, apparently. He'd surprised Adam two days ago with a celebration when they made camp that evening. They'd kicked things off with a formal tea ceremony to match the one from his first night with the group. Soji had given some fancy speech commemorating their meeting and thanking the gods for their protection and provision before encouraging everyone to share stories of their time with Adam. Most of them had been humorous, especially Jean's. Failed spars. Aura overuse. Even his non-stop nagging for training - Jean's words, not Adam's. The whole thing had been too much, but Soji didn't stop there.

"Your first trade meeting," Soji said as they left the room. "Let us see if that mind of yours is as sharp as your sword."

"Sharper," Adam promised. He did his best to look calm as they walked down the street together, but there was no denying how excited he felt.

When Soji had offered to let him lead a trade meeting at their next stop, Adam thought it some sort of joke. Soji and Rikyu handled all of that. The entire caravan lived or died by their negotiations. Sure, they had plenty of lien thanks to the growing demand for Tsubaki oil, even more than a year after their first delivery to Mistral, but their expenses had grown, too. Two new wagons. Horses. Drivers. Increased supplies. The Yama caravan continued to prosper under the brothers' careful watch.

Which made the idea of Adam taking over for a day all the more nerve wracking. He'd sat in on some negotiations before, but listening to an experienced merchant work his magic and doing it yourself were two very different things. It helped when Jean reminded him they had history with the businesses in Shion. The prices didn't change all that much, so Adam didn't have too much to worry about. It wasn't like he was opening a brand new trade deal. Soji just wanted to see if he could negotiate a slight price increase with a longtime customer - something Soji assured him was routine. The store owner would push back for a lower price until the two sides came to an agreement. It all came down to who had better leverage in the end.

Adam knew they had the advantage right now. Shion was fast approaching a busy season. Schools would be on break and the weather was just right for hiking and camping. Families from all over would be descending on the popular site, as they did every year, meaning every business would be overstocking in preparation. If they held out for a lower price, they might be outbid by another store and lose potential business. The Yamas wanted to keep them as customers given the long history of sales, but that could be ended if they weren't willing to negotiate.

It didn't take long to reach the first business - a small store that dealt primarily in camping supplies. Adam and Soji made their way to the counter. They'd barely come to a stop before the owner - an older gentleman with a pair of pointed, white dog ears poking up from his hair - spotted them and hurried over.

"Soji, my friend. It's been too long."

"How is business, Samoy?" Soji asked as the man embraced him.

"Slow," Samoy answered before spotting Adam. "Ah, I see you've brought my favorite faunus merchant with you today. You want to look around while Soji squeezes some extra lien out of me?"

"N-no. I-"

"We are having a sale on sleeping bags right now. Maybe you need replacement for your old one?"

"I'm good," Adam tried again. "I'm actually-"

Samoy snapped his fingers. "Food! We have plenty of trail mix and jerky. Ideal for those long trips in the woods."

Adam looked to Soji for help, unable to get a word in edgewise with the energetic old man. Soji's knowing smile said he knew what was coming. Ada couldn't help but feel he'd failed his first test as Soji stepped in. "Actually, I thought Adam could discuss prices with you today."

Samoy's eyes lit up, making Adam worry a little. The older man could clearly sense the opportunity to scale back prices by taking on an inexperienced merchant. "Is that so?"

"Yes sir," Adam answered.

"Please, call me Samoy," he insisted. Adam knew the look in Samoy's eyes. He'd seen it from Soji far too many times. It was the look of a predator that had just spotted its prey. "So, Adam, what do you have for me today?"

Showing weakness was the first step toward losing. No matter how cunning and experienced Samoy might be, they both knew Adam had the advantage of the market right now. Besides, if Adam messed up, it wouldn't mean disaster. Soji was right there. If he thought they were getting shafted, he'd step in. After all, the outcome reflected on him as well. Worst case, Adam had a fallback to catch-

"Well, I'll leave you two to it, then," Soji suddenly announced, ripping the safety net out from under Adam without warning. "Let me know when you're done."

Adam turned to complain, but Samoy beat him to it. "We have some of that spicy jerky you like. Feel free to grab a bag, Soji. On the house."

In other words, go to the other end of the store and leave Adam to fend for himself. The bag of jerky might as well have been a thank you for throwing Adam to the wolves. Soji wasted no time abandoning his protégé, leaving Adam alone with the suddenly emboldened owner.

Adam gulped as he turned to face his fate. "Let me show you what we have."

What followed was an agonizing half hour of back and forth with Samoy. Adam stumbled through his prepared points. Upcoming increased demand. Current prices versus last year. Import prices. Every scrap of information he felt benefitted them as sellers.

Of course, Samoy didn't take that lying down, nor did he come unprepared. The recent closure of a competing store. Extra purchases on their last trip to start overstocking early. A shift in school break schedule in Vale, meaning less overlap of demand. Adam lost the momentum almost as fast as he gained it.

And then came Samoy's secret weapon.

"We got word this week of a large shipment of supplies coming later this month."

"A shipment?" Adam checked his lengthy notes. There were no shipments. At least, none that they'd be competing with other than one that came in about a week after they left. But they were another small group that mainly traded with Samoy's competitor. Had they upsized and planned to muscle in on the Yama territory?

The smile on Samoy's face said he knew he'd won this round. "Airship from Mistral. Nearby village called for support to deal with a Geist. Airship's gonna be loaded with supplies for Shion, too."

A surprise shipment? And by airship? They'd have fresher goods straight from the capital. What if they had the same stuff Adam was selling? All the pressure he'd put on Samoy meant nothing if he could just hold out for this extra delivery. Adam had a feeling Samoy knew exactly what would be on the airship, but he wouldn't be sharing any of that info. Whether he truly had the upper hand or was just bluffing, Adam couldn't tell.

And he couldn't risk calling it outright.

"Airship tra-" Adam swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat. "Airship travel is expensive. We both know those prices will be higher than what we're offering." At least, he really hoped so. "Not to mention you'll be in a bidding war with everyone else. Can you really afford to risk it that close to the busy season?"

Samoy paused, allowing Adam to breathe a little. If he had to think, then that meant Adam at least had his attention again. "Depends on the price." So much for the walk in the park Jean promised. Was this really what Soji got up to at every stop? How could anyone enjoy this kind of stress?

Seizing on what little control he'd wrested back, Adam presented his proposed figures. Samoy looked them over slowly, brow furrowing at a few points. He wrote down his own figures, altering most of the prices to lower levels. Adam saw a few that he was okay with, but others were well outside what he felt was appropriate. Samoy had made his move, and Adam knew this was the make or break point.

They went back and forth, slowly coming to agreement on some of the lower priced items while fighting over the more expensive ones. When Samoy finally agreed to a full offer, Adam had still secured a price increase from their previous delivery, but the gains were smaller than he'd hoped. A full twenty percent smaller. Relief came crashing in for it to finally be over.

"All done?" Soji asked as he miraculously reappeared the moment Samoy signed the papers. "You didn't go too hard on him, did you?"

"Your boy's sharp," Samoy praised, though they all knew his smile was one of victory. "Had to fight him for every lien."

"And just how many did you fight for?" Soji glanced through their scribbles before coming to the final page and the summary of prices they'd agreed upon. "So that's what they're bringing in."

"Who?"

"The airship," Soji answered.

"You knew!" The betrayal in Adams' voice only made Soji laugh.

"Of course I knew. It's my job." Adam's confusion must've shown on his face, so Soji explained, "Where do you think I was this morning?"

"I don't know. Out for a walk?"

"More or less," Soji answered. "I went to chat with a few friends of mine. They told me about the airship. What they didn't tell me was what they'd be delivering." Likely because they were merchants as well and didn't want to give up too much to the cutthroat Soji. "Now I know."

Samoy chuckled. "Was I too obvious?"

Too obvious? Samoy hadn't said anything! He'd kept the details of the shipment secret, just to make Adam sweat. After all, if he knew what would and wouldn't be available, Adam could tailor the prices to match the demand. Instead, he'd had to operate under the assumption that everything could be on there.

Soji scanned the list for a moment. "Looks like mostly canvas. Probably some produce. Doubt there's much freeze dried food. Clothing, but no footwear. Plenty of dust, too. Sound about right?"

"You got all that from our prices?" Adam asked, leaning over to make sure he wasn't cheating somehow. Adam didn't see any extra notes. Just the final prices.

Soji pointed to a few line items. "You have to look at things in context. Samoy gave in far too easily on things he knows he can't get later. The ones he fought on are things he knows he has a backup for. If we held out on canvas, he knows he can just say no and get it from the delivery, but he practically agreed to your price on thermal socks and rainboots. That's because there isn't any on the airship. Or not enough to be worth competing for."

It seemed so simple when Soji explained it all, but Adam hadn't picked up on it beforehand. It really was terrifying to see how Soji's mind worked. Nothing ever surprised him.

Almost nothing. "Pretty much nailed it," Samoy confirmed, handing over a new paper. Soji's eyes widened comically at the sight.

"You're giving us the manifest?"

"Sure am," Samoy confirmed. "Full list of everything they're delivering. You know the basics already, but I figured you could use the full picture. Call it a gift for Adam's first time."

"They say you never forget your first." Soji probably didn't understand what that saying meant, and Adam wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

"That's really generous," Adam added, sensing there was some sort of catch. The answer was fairly obvious. After all, he'd already gotten his deal. "You're giving us an advantage on the other stores."

Samoy's more feral look returned. "Give 'em hell, kid."

"Thank you, Samoy." Soji was practically drooling over the sneaky tactics of his counterpart. "Come, Adam. I believe we need to amend our estimates before our next visit."

An hour later, the two of them were armed with brand new price points. Adam felt a little more confident, but Soji recommended not overplaying his hand. As far as their customers knew, they were still in the dark on specifics. Better to let them think they were winning first. The stores would make concessions on the items they couldn't get from the airship, banking on making up the difference where they had backups.

"And then we blindside them," Adam summarized. There'd be no pulling a fast one on them twice.

"You're learning," Soji laughed. "Fletcher's up next. Let's see you work your magic on him."

Fletcher, as it turned out, owned a much larger store than Samoy did. It had the basic camping gear that Samoy carried, but it seemed Fletcher focused more on hunting supplies. Dust would be a tough sell, given the amount coming in on the airship, but Adam knew they didn't transport much of that anyways. They'd make bank on things like hand warmers instead.

Unlike Samoy, Fletcher didn't meet them at the counter. Probably because he wasn't anywhere near the counter. The sizable store could probably hold at least four of Samoy's location. Soji introduced himself to the young man at the register, who put a quick call in to someone.

"Mister Fletcher is in his office," the cashier advised, looking around for a moment before realizing he was the only employee nearby. "I can call for someone to show you there, if you want."

"We know the way," Soji assured him, leading Adam off to the side. He wove through a few racks until they reached a heavy door. Soji didn't hesitate, pushing it open and making his way up a flight of stairs to a sizable room with windows looking out over the store rather than outside.

"Soji," a large man said as they entered. His eyes shot to Adam for a moment, drifting up above Adam's head. A quick frown was all Adam received before he returned his focus to Soji. "Let's make this quick."

A bigger store didn't mean better manners, it seemed. Soji bore it all with the patience of a saint. "Thank you. This won't take long."

"What's with the boy? They forcing diversity hires on you all now?"

Adam bristled at the suggestion, but Soji kept his cool. "Adam has been with us for two years now. He's been a diligent student under my tutelage."

Fletcher looked unimpressed. "Never seen a merchant with a sword. This some new tactic of yours? Good merchant, bad merchant?"

Adam's hand itched for the familiar hilt, but he had a feeling reaching for his sword would be a mistake. Soji treated the whole thing like a joke. "Not at all. He is also training to fight. A jack of all trades, if you will."

"Master of none," Fletcher finished snidely. "Whatever. Show me your prices, then I'll tell you what I'm going to pay."

This time, Adam could see Soji tense up a little. Even he had a limit. "Actually, as part of his training, I'm going to let Adam-"

"No."

The room fell silent at the single word.

"No?"

"No." Fletcher repeated. "I'll do business with you, but your little faunus boy can wait outside." Fletcher nodded for the door before adding. "And just so you're aware, we've got cameras across the entire store."

"What's that supposed to-"

Soji cut Adam off, holding a hand out to silence him. "We're leaving."

Fletcher raised an eyebrow. "Don't be a fool. You know I'm your biggest customer in this town."

"You were," Soji corrected, stepping in front of Adam and ushering him toward the door. "Thank you for your time, Fletcher. I look forward to doing business elsewhere."

"You can't be serious."

"Good day." Soji flung the office door open, letting it smack against the wall far harder than needed. Adam would've slammed it shut, but Soji vindictively left it open, leaving Fletcher to have to close it himself after they left.

"You didn't have to-"

"Keep walking," Soji instructed, the closest thing to a snarl Adam had ever seen on the man's face. By the time they reached the counter again, an intimidating man stood there watching them. No prizes for guessing why he was there. It was probably a good idea, because right now, Soji looked ready to torch the place. Or probably just knock over a display stand. Okay, he'd probably just say something mean. Evil Soji was kinda hard to picture.

The pair kept going, heading in the opposite direction of their next meeting. To be fair, that was still over an hour away, but Soji instead stormed all the way back to their hotel. They passed by their room and instead headed for Rikyu's.

"What happened?" Rikyu asked as they stomped in. Soji explained the whole scenario, huffing and puffing by the time he was done. His face burned bright red as he finally collapsed into a chair. "Ah, I see."

"I'm sorry," Adam offered, knowing exactly how much lien they'd just lost out on because of him.

"None of that now," Rikyu answered, far more calm than his brother at the moment. "You did nothing wrong. Neither did Soji."

"You mean-"

"I agree with his decision," Rikyu nodded, instantly gaining more respect from Adam. "I had thought Fletcher a better man than that, but if he cannot do business with one of us, then he shall not do business with any of us."

"He's our biggest customer," Adam pointed out. Losing someone like Samoy wouldn't be too bad. Losing a contract the size of Fletcher's would really hurt.

Rikyu held a finger in the air. "He is our largest customer here," he corrected. "He is hardly our most important, especially after today. His actions have proven he is not the man we once thought, and in the end, a man's honor is worth more than any sum of lien."

Yes, but honor didn't put food in their bellies. Lien did, and he'd just cost them a tidy sum. "You can dock my pay to make up the difference."

"We will do no such thing," Rikyu promised. "I will, however, be advising some of our trading partners of his actions. Perhaps he will see the error of his ways once his shelves begin to grow bare."

That sounded nice and all, but not every merchant would follow along. "Won't he just find someone else?"

"He will," Rikyu agreed, "but the merchant who sells to those without honor often has no honor themselves. I wish them great profit in such an endeavor. Great, great profit."

The kind of profit that came from price gouging. If enough merchants blacklisted a buyer, others were certain to find out. He'd have absolutely no leverage against them to lower prices. After all, he'd either have to buy from them or go out of business. Any merchant worth their salt would know that and force him to pay extra. Being blacklisted by the merchant caravans this far out was like swimming in a tank of hungry sharks with your arms cut.

Adam always joked about how vicious the brothers could be in securing deals, but he'd never realized just how far they could go when pushed. It was frankly terrifying to behold, but given how it was all to punish someone for being mean to him, Adam couldn't help but enjoy it. They may have been a confusing, weird assortment, but they were family. Even through all the chaos of their journeys and the mysteries of the open road, Adam felt he belonged. He'd finally found his place in the world. He was happy at last.

A shame that happiness couldn't last forever.

Nah. I'm sure everything will work out great in the end. Definitely nothing ominous in that ending.

Hate that I have to do that right before the break, but that's just how the timing worked out. We're actually right on the cusp of an event I've been itching to get to. One of the ideas I came up with early on that I think should be pretty fun. Honestly, there's a few of those that come up pretty quick to get us into some actual meat in the story. 54 chapters in, and I'm still warming up. This might take a while.

For the naming people, Samoy with his white ears is a rather on-the-nose reference to the Samoyed dog breed. Fletcher is someone who makes and sells arrows. I actually know a Fletcher and hate that I made this guy so horrible, since the real life Fletcher is a great guy that I really respect. Oh well. Also, I'm aware that Vine's weapon in canon is called Thorn. These two are not related. I came up with the name before I stumbled upon a list of RWBY weapons and facepalmed a little. Still, I had my reason for it already and wasn't gonna rename it. Besides, I haven't heard any explosive complaints from Vine.

Too soon?

Next chapter: Life definitely won't be looking to mess with Adam's newfound happiness.