Eve was thrilled. The life of an elderly grandmother was utterly fulfilling. When she wanted to train, she trained. When she wanted to hunt, she hunted, at night admittedly, but still better than nothing. When she wanted to bask in the sun with a wolf puppy on her rocking chair, she could. When she watched a string of young men come in to buy potions, she enjoyed the discomfort her newly practiced gimlet gaze gave them.

It was fun thwacking the young men in the legs with her knobby, gnarled Kudzu-crafted cane when they tried to enter her shop without taking the mud off their boots. It was fun thwacking them when they walked out half-dazed with a silly grin on their faces after Sara sold them some of Kudzu’s potions. A pretty face and a nice pair of assets did a lot for someone selling anything in life.

Life is good. Eve thought as her fake blind eyes stared at the only other building that sold potions in the village. Sara’s Serums was the name of Eve’s shop, and it had effectively dominated the village market. Half of the population bought the stamina potions, while half of the village bought perfumes. It was literally a crushing monopoly, as the village Apothecary had no way to get the number of ingredients Eve could.

The hunters and gatherers in the village were even less willing to sell to the Apothecary, a wizened older man. Instead, most hunters and gathering types would much rather sell their accumulated stock to the gorgeous young lady who ran a cleaner shop. The fact that Sara was more than willing to screw the daylights out of her suppliers didn’t seem to hurt either.

Eve had been concerned at first. However, Sara patiently explained to her the brand of magic she used as a Dream Assassin could only manipulate what was already there. If someone were blatantly gay, for instance, no matter how the young noble plied her charms, Sara would be unable to spark their interest in a good bedroom romp.

As her skillset rose in making Contracts, Sara had taken great care to reward the men and women that chose to become exclusive suppliers for Sara’s Serums. Eve knew that some negotiation had been done horizontally on a bed rather than vertical at a table, but the results spoke for themselves. The competition that the Apothecary represented was fast choking on a sudden loss of supplies, combined with brutal undercutting from Eve’s shop.

Within a month, perhaps three at the longest, the Apothecary will be out of business. Eve thought, basking in the warmth of the early morning while petting Shadow in her lap. At that point, it will be even easier to start taking economic control of the village. With her ability to negotiate, Sara should have the entire village under Contract in no time at all. At that point, we can start reaching our hands into the minds and pockets of traveling merchants. Branding is practically unheard of from what I can see of the various businesses around.

A few of Kudzu’s more effective pleasure experiments used properly would go a long way to creating a loyal village that looked out for Eve’s family. A side effect of the drugs as they could gradually increase the potential of specific Stats. By strangling the source of most information that departed the village, the traveling merchants, and to a lesser extent the rare bard, there wouldn’t be any strange tales escaping the village. Lone travelers were not really an issue as most travelers thought villagers were strange, to begin with.

It was hard to see something strange and then see something stranger while identifying the difference effectively, especially when there was absolutely no reason to, either.

Sara had asked for permission to create a school in the village for those young women that didn’t have any clear path forward. She planned on training the women with her own personal experience, which Eve approved of heartily. Controlling the up-and-coming powerful figures in the village through younger, prettier, and much more attentive wives were a simple concept that would pay great dividends.

With proper training, women from such a school could become quiet bedroom advisors. Such trained agents would ensure early warning if any of the village's important figures should somehow slip their Contracts. A quiet cup of poison, an accidental fall, or even a tragic home invasion could then be arranged if absolutely required to keep Eve’s family safe.

It had been a suggestion on Eve’s part, and Sara had agreed. It was unfortunate that any competition for the young masters of the Glenwood would have to have tragic accidents. While death would be the last resort, there were many ways to remove female competition that would still be horrific. Neither her nor Sara wanted their trained agents as mere mistresses, as a mistress wouldn’t have full financial control over a household.

The creation of an orphanage for the village was also in the works, and it was a wonderful bit of philanthropy. The old orphanage filled with just under twenty small children of varying ages would give Eve nightmares for years. The new orphanage would also provide girls that would be much easier to teach in Sara’s school. From her own experience, Eve knew young women were easy to sway when shown that all they had to do to make a decent living was attend their husband in a well-lit room with the right Skill and Spells. The orphanage would also give them young boys that Sara could properly mold into loyal guards to assist in the entire village's slow takeover. While the orphanage and school would never force a child to pick a specific path, Eve doubted any girl given a choice between shoveling shit and cleaning endlessly or living in perfumed luxury would choose the former. The same for boys, given a choice between backbreaking work as a farmer or training to be a guard, the choice was clear in Eve’s eyes.

Those plans were years away, though, even though they were already in motion.

I can’t say the village isn’t more productive now either. Eve thought. Men finish their work faster, visit the shop to get something for their significant others, and the same for women. This is probably the most pleasurable period these peasant women have had in their entire lives! It doesn’t hurt that Sara provides a small booklet courtesy of my domain detailing several positions to use in the bedroom.

The increased productivity easily handled the influx of new life that was sure to be arriving. More meat found its way onto the table, as Kudzu could effortlessly produce poisons that murdered beasts and were harmless to humans. Agriculture was simply the result of expanding fields by clearing more plants. While clearing trees was normally a challenge, Kudzu’s Necrotic Touch with a proper distillation handled killing the trees. From there, it was just chopping the dead tree down and processing it.

After a bit of cutting, the trees around the village had drawn back enough for new fields to be sown.

Eve suspected the forest didn’t see any point in fighting further. For creatures that measured their lifespan in centuries or millennia, this village was just another blip that would vanish with a single bad set of years barring her personal intervention. It was rather shocking to Eve how close to death people lived in this world. Before her arrival, the village commonly faced attacks from creatures in the forest. Nightguard duty was a nightmare that only the bravest men were able to take.

Of course, once Eve had chosen this village as her home, the wolves had pruned back most of the issues. She handled the beasts that were too much effort for the wolves and kept the Nests in the surrounding area to minimal levels. This work didn’t really pay in experience, yet it certainly paid in the peace of mind.

As for predatory plants, weeds, or other flora, they never had a chance. Kudzu spread himself throughout the town. It had caused a slight alarm until Sara had explained that the vines would ensure no dangerous plants took root in the area. At first, people had been amused until the results spoke for themselves. Screaming Death mushroom patches, Bloodroot grass, and Silent Fairy Dust pollen flowers vaporized as if they had never existed. The headman was beside himself with joy and had actually asked if they could export Kudzu to other places. Sera had to gently explain how it wasn’t possible until he dropped the idea. Still, the sheer level of danger that suddenly vanished made all the villagers quite happy.

There was the odd person out, like the Apothecary, that claimed the vines were mind-controlling everyone. No one really paid attention to him, though, as most villagers attributed his attitude and words to Sara’s Serum being so much more successful.

I do admit. It was hard not to murder him in his sleep. Eve thought. However, if the only other person selling potions in town dies, even of natural causes, there would be some suspicion cast our way. Better if he is forced to close of his own free will.

Eve was certain the Apothecary would decide to cut his losses and relocate. There was a minimal chance that he might try something else since he was constrained by the same logic that prevented her from killing him. Once he left town, Eve would let the wolves take care of it.

Bringing herself back from musing about the future, Eve watched her favorite munchkin come out of the shop to visit her. Rin brought with her small cups of tea and a few of her recent snack attempts. Eve was happy that the two girls were moving past the tragedy in their past. Rin had taken up cooking with a passion, while Ren was more interested in roughhousing with the puppies. Moving the puppy in her lap gently to the ground, Eve made Rin's room in her lap. The small girl jumped up, confident that she would be caught by the clothing she wore, and floated into Eve’s lap with ease.

“Why hello, little one. How are your studies going?” Eve said as the girl snuggled into position before shifting to look at her.

“Fun! Big Brother Kudzu is very nice!” Rin said, pronouncing sentence on her big brother without mercy before asking, “Are we going to need to learn to negotiate with people the way big sis Sara sometimes does?”

Eve coughed suddenly, barely restraining the sip of tea she was taking before saying, “No. The way Sara negotiates is simply the easiest for her. With the Skills and Spells she uses, it is more effective to get a good deal that way for her. If someone is dead set on their prices, tight clothing and a pretty face won’t help her much. As for the few exclusive deals made in the bedroom, those are when she mixes business and pleasure.”

“Big sis Sara said we were going to get playmates?” Rin said, her tone hopeful.

“Hah! Trying to escape lessons already?” Eve teased.

“N-No!” Rin said, her eyes swimming nervously while her fingers fidgeted.

Eve looked at her out of the corner of her eye before grinning, “It might be a few years. However, once the orphanage is built, you will be the big sisters of many small little ones. You can help them decide the best path forward for their future!”

Rin’s face lit up before she said, “Really?”

“Indeed.” Eve replied before continuing, “Do you and Ren like living with me?”

“Yes!” Rin replied.

“Excellent.” Eve sai before half-closing her eyes to continue rocking slowly. She wrapped the cup in a small circle of paper and snagged a few cookies with a few folded pieces of paper. If anyone were to look, they would see an elderly mage eating.

“How many Levels do you and your sister need to start your plans?” Eve asked. She already knew they planned to combine their efforts splitting the path of physical and mental into separate pieces. Kudzu had kept her informed, and she agreed with the concept. If it worked effectively, Eve would pair all children in the orphanage to achieve similar results. The sad fact was that animal attacks had slowly increased the number of orphans in the village until Eve arrived.

“Fifty,” Rin said, her eyes dim.

Eve hugged her before saying, “Fifty is nothing to us! Big brother Kudzu will make sure you reach it before both of you reach the age of majority.”

Eve received a hug in response before she felt Rin’s body slowly relax. For some reason, both girls felt that her lap was the most favorable location to take naps. Eve did admit she had carefully placed her rocking chair for maximum comfort, so it didn’t surprise her in the last.

Being immortal is going to be a challenge. Eve thought. I need better information on the life expectancy of higher-level individuals. I would hate to be separated from those in my family if a mere few levels could increase my time with them.

Eve pulled her notebook for future planning out of her inventory before scribbling a few notes and putting it back in. Glancing at the young girl that was slowly starting to drool, Eve shifted that side of her paper clothing to prevent a stain from forming.

Just as she was going to take a nap, the arrival of several thuggish individuals along with Glenwood’s competing Apothecary, Riggald Brewstein, interrupted her.

Eve gave the gimlet eye to the men that approached her porch. They gave hard looks back while Riggald led them forward from the front. Eve sent a slip of paper into the shop to inform Sara before she reluctantly stopped rocking in her chair. Shifting her paper robe, Eve attached Rin, so she didn’t require maintenance before standing up. Soft paper earplugs fitted themselves gently into the young girl’s ears with extreme care. Once that was completed by Eve, she hobbled over to stand in front of her shop right as the group of thugs arrived.

Sara appeared from the door behind her, and her appearance lit up the eyes of several men in the small crowd.

Before either Eve or Sara could say anything, Riggald said, “It is time for you to leave the village. The Alchemist Association can ban any store selling inferior products to prevent danger to the public. I have already filed the appropriate paperwork with the headman. By this time tomorrow, your filthy addictive stamina potions and aphrodisiacs will be banned!”

Eve raised an eyebrow before glancing at Sara, who came up to her side.

Sara waved her hand dismissively, somehow making it appealing before speaking in a calm tone that drew all the men’s eyes, “Are you sure you wish to challenge me, Apothecary Riggald?”

Riggald sneered before saying, “It isn’t a challenge to remove infections for the safety of all.”

Sara gave a soft sigh before turning to Eve to say, “Grandmother, could you take care of this, please? I’m just a poor defenseless shopkeeper.”

Eve rolled her eyes before taking a look at the surroundings through her paper spy eyes and then her two own eyes. There was no telltale glow of magic in the area other than from the Apothecary’s robes. Satisfied there was no one watching that would be able to give a clear account, she straightened her back. Her face shifted, and her scales altered to give a more dangerous look. Without warning, a look of ageless beauty appeared on her face causing the men gathered before her to gape.

“This. Land. Is. Mine.” Eve said, her voice brooking no interruption heavy with the power of her own Level and mana. Eve continued, “You have trespassed where your stupidity cannot extricate you. There is only one result to this.”

Apothecary Riggald screamed, “Kill the witch!”

As the men attempted to surge forward, Eve said, “Goodbye.”

Once the word left her lips, a massive cloud of red mist appeared. It was all that remained of the men that had been gathered to attack her.

Apothecary Riggald had managed to dodge the first lethal attack, but Eve wasn’t concerned.

Men missing a leg rarely escaped. The concentration required to use spatial Skills or Spells was too high for them to use.

Eve looked down at the fallen Apothecary, her eyes merciless. “This is the Level between you and me. Remember it well for your next life.”

Raising one hand, palm up, Eve clenched her palm into a fist. The nearly twenty Runic Die hovering gently in the slowly falling red mist immediately reacted. Apothecary Brewstein had merely a fraction of a second to register his death in reality before Uno unfurled from Eve’s hair, ripping his soul to shreds. When her loyal Samurai returned to his favorite resting place, Eve sighed. This had not been one of the more likely possibilities she had thought would occur.

Sara looked at the mess on the ground before saying, “Who’s going to clean this up?”

Eve moved back to her rocking chair, managing to seat herself comfortably again before saying, “Kudzu!”

Vines from the house's side moved swiftly to remove all traces of blood, bone, flesh, and feces.

As soon as they finished, Sara said, “Huh.”

Before she went back to rocking, Eve said, “Make sure we buy the rights to his shop and everything inside. Kudzu will be interested in any good equipment to assist with training the girls.”

Sara smirked while making a shooing motion, “Go back to sleep, old lady. I got this.”

Eve gave her a stronger gimlet eye before shifting her appearance back to her normal disguise and starting to rock once more. The noise hadn’t even waked rin due to the paper earplugs that Eve had created for her as she was getting up. Removing them was the work of a moment, and with that done, Eve pulled the Runic Die back into her inventory from where she’d slipped them out. It had been a bit overkill to use the same weapons she farmed monsters with. However, the idiots had interrupted her nap.

Drifting off, Eve dreamed of the future without fear.