With Joy handling the overwhelming majority of the guild’s affairs, Kael found himself with far fewer headaches than he had originally anticipated.
Truthfully, he had underestimated just how valuable a specialist could be.
Every other day, Joy called to brief him of another completed task. Legal registrations had been finalized, suppliers had been contacted, logistics routes were steadily taking shape, and even the finer details of the guild’s internal management had already been drafted.
Everything progressed with remarkable efficiency.
Even so, there was one matter Kael had been particularly careful about.
Trust.
The Mothlight Guild wasn’t just another business venture.
It was the foundation of nearly every plan he intended to carry out in the future. Whether it was Dun’s potion, his research facilities, or countless other projects yet to be revealed, almost everything would eventually revolve around the guild.
As the person currently managing all of that, Joy occupied an extremely important position.
Naturally, Kael had to ensure she wouldn’t betray him.
That didn’t mean he intended to enslave her.
He wasn’t the type to abuse Sovereign Claim simply because he possessed trust issues. The ability was far too absolute, and using it on someone who had done nothing wrong crossed a line he wasn’t willing to cross.
Still...
Some precautions were necessary.
That was why he had quietly placed the Mark of Judgment on her.
Unlike Sovereign Claim, the Mark of Judgment didn’t interfere with a person’s free will.
It couldn’t force loyalty.
Nor could it alter someone’s thoughts.
It simply acted as an observer.
The moment Joy genuinely entertained the thought of betraying him, that very thought would immediately be transmitted back to Kael through the mark.
Her plans.
Her intentions.
Her motives.
Everything concerning that betrayal would instantly become known to him.
To Kael, that was more than enough.
He didn’t need blind loyalty.
He only needed enough warning to protect himself.
Just as he finished reviewing a few documents resting on his bedside table, his phone suddenly rang.
His gaze instinctively shifted toward the device.
The moment he saw the caller ID, a smile appeared on his face.
"Speaking of the devil..."
He reached over and answered the call.
"Good morning, Mr. Voss."
Joy’s familiar voice came through the speaker.
"I hope you slept well."
Kael chuckled softly.
"I did. Thanks for asking."
He leaned back against the headboard before continuing.
"What about you?"
"I hope you’ve actually been getting some sleep."
"I’d rather not have my first employee collapse from overwork."
There was a brief silence before Joy laughed awkwardly.
"You don’t have to worry about me."
"I can manage."
"My Class allows me to function on very little sleep."
"Besides..."
"I get paid far too much."
"The least I can do is earn my salary."
Kael rubbed his forehead with a helpless smile.
That much was true.
He had never been stingy when it came to paying people who worked for him.
In his eyes, talented individuals deserved treatment that reflected their value.
Trying to save money by underpaying exceptional employees was one of the quickest ways to lose them.
Besides...
A happy employee usually meant a healthy business.
That was basic common sense.
Even if Joy’s Class allowed her to survive on less sleep than ordinary people, constantly overworking herself would eventually lead to burnout.
Someone with her talent wasn’t easy to find.
The last thing Kael wanted was to exhaust one of the guild’s greatest assets before the guild had even officially begun operating.
"If you start feeling overwhelmed, tell me."
"I’d rather hire more people than watch you work yourself into the ground."
Joy laughed again.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"Good."
Kael nodded.
"Now then, what’s today’s report?"
Joy immediately switched into business mode.
"The main headquarters is completely operational."
"The remaining departments have also finished their preliminary setup."
"Most of the core staff have already arrived, although recruitment is still ongoing."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"The largest issue now is distribution."
Kael nodded to himself.
That was only natural.
The Mothlight Guild’s first major product would be Dun’s Mana Refinement Potion.
Unlike most businesses, they had no intention of partnering with existing pharmaceutical corporations.
No distributors.
No shareholders.
No joint ventures.
The Mothlight Guild would manufacture the potion.
The Mothlight Guild would transport it.
And the Mothlight Guild would sell it.
Everything would remain completely under their control.
Doing things that way naturally meant far more work.
"If we’re handling every stage ourselves," Joy continued, "then one headquarters won’t be enough."
"We’ll need branch offices across every district."
"Warehouses."
"Transportation routes."
"Dedicated logistics teams."
"Customer service."
"Regional managers."
"Supply coordinators."
"Every link in the chain has to be established before the launch."
Kael quietly listened.
Everything she said matched what he had expected.
Running a business wasn’t as simple as creating a good product.
If the infrastructure couldn’t support it, then even the greatest invention in history would fail.
Joy continued her report.
"I’ve also finalized the promotional strategy."
"Oh?"
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"What did you decide?"
"We won’t be hiring celebrities."
"We also won’t be using famous Hunters."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Good."
That approach is usually effective for standard product, but it won’t work for what they’re advertising.
Joy continued.
"Instead, we’ll allow the product to prove itself."
"We’ve already contacted several volunteers suffering from Mana Sickness."
"Most of them are in the early or middle stages."
"As long as they agree, we’ll administer the potion while documenting their recovery."
"We’ll record everything."
"Their condition before treatment."
"The treatment process."
"The improvement afterward."
"Nothing will be exaggerated."
"The results themselves will become our advertisement."
Kael couldn’t help nodding.
That approach suited him far more.
There was no better promotion than undeniable proof.
Joy continued explaining.
"Fortunately, finding volunteers wasn’t difficult."
"There are far more Mana Sickness patients than most people realize."
"Only a handful had reached the terminal stage, where the potion has little effect."
"The overwhelming majority remain in the early or middle stages for years."
"With the current potency of the potion, patients in the middle stage should experience significant recovery."
"As for those still in the early stage..."
"There is a very high probability they’ll recover completely."
Kael remained silent.
Joy quickly corrected herself.
"Well... completely might not be the correct word."
And she was right to correct herself, no one can completely eliminate Mana Sickness but she was right to some extent.
Ambient Mana constantly enters the body.
Eventually, the illness can return.
However, Dun’s potion continuously refines that Mana while strengthening the patient’s body.
The stronger their body becomes, the harder it is for Mana Sickness to accumulate again.
In other words...
Even if it returns, the process becomes slower and slower.
And repeated treatment should continually reduce the severity.
That was exactly why he had placed so much importance on the potion.
It wasn’t simply medicine.
It fundamentally changed how Mana Sickness was managed.
The conversation continued.
One topic led naturally into another.
Neither of them noticed the passage of time.
By the time the discussion finally came to an end, nearly an hour had already passed.
Joy let out a small sigh from the other end of the phone.
"Those are all the major updates."
Kael nodded.
"You’ve done well."
There wasn’t a trace of empty praise in his voice.
She truly had.
In less than a month, she had transformed what was little more than an idea into an organization that was almost ready to enter the market.
"The final preparations are nearly complete," Joy said.
"If everything goes according to schedule, we’ll be fully ready before next week."
Kael’s gaze drifted toward the window.
A faint smile slowly spread across his face.
Next week...
That was when Dun would officially release the Mana Refinement Potion to the public.
Once that happened, the Mothlight Guild would no longer remain an unknown name.
Its true journey would finally begin.
And when that day arrived, Kael intended to make sure they were prepared for everything.
Success brought opportunities.
It also attracted enemies.
The last thing he wanted was to be caught unprepared when the storm inevitably arrived.