The forge stayed quiet after Dory’s refusal, the weight of the conversation settling over everyone. Sirene stood still, watching him closely, while Elian remained by her side, his expression calm but tense. Horg leaned against the anvil, arms crossed, saying nothing for once. Maya shifted slightly near the doorway, her eyes moving between Dory and the two visitors. No one rushed to speak, but the silence didn’t last long.

Maya was the first to break it.

"You’re thinking too far ahead," she said, her tone steady. "You’re acting like this is some grand plan that will swallow the whole world. It’s not. It’s just another deal... just bigger."

Dory glanced at her. "Bigger is exactly the problem."

"And doing nothing is better?" Maya shot back. "You think sitting here and making snacks while a war starts around you makes sense?"

Dory frowned slightly but didn’t reply immediately.

Horg let out a low grunt. "She’s not wrong," he said. "If a war starts, this village won’t be untouched. Trade slows, prices rise, people panic. We’ll feel it whether we like it or not."

Dory exhaled slowly, rubbing the side of his face. "That doesn’t mean we jump into it blindly."

Sirene stepped forward. "You wouldn’t be jumping blindly. We already have information, routes, contacts. What we lack is execution."

Elian nodded. "And that’s where you come in. You don’t rush. You plan. You adjust. That’s what we need."

Maya crossed her arms again, but her tone softened slightly. "You already do this, Dory. You just call it something else. When you made those snacks, you controlled supply, demand, and people’s expectations. This is the same thing... just on a larger scale."

Dory looked at her, then at the others. Liam, who had been quiet in the corner, finally spoke up.

"I don’t get everything," he said, scratching his head, "but if this works, it means no war, right?"

Sirene shook her head slightly. "Not guaranteed. But it gives us a chance."

Liam nodded slowly. "Then... isn’t it worth trying?"

Dory stayed silent for a moment, his eyes moving across the forge. The tools, the ingots, the sacks of materials—they all felt grounded, simple, controlled. What they were asking him to do was none of those things.

’...This is messy...’

He adjusted his glasses again.

’...But ignoring it won’t make it disappear...’

Horg pushed himself off the anvil and stepped closer. "You don’t have to carry it alone," he said. "We’ll all be involved if you agree. You plan, we follow. Same as before."

Maya nodded. "And we’re not idiots. If something looks off, we stop."

Elian added, "You’ll have full control over how it’s done. We won’t force your methods."

Sirene didn’t say anything this time. She just watched him, waiting.

Dory let out a long breath.

"...If I do this," he said slowly, "it won’t be for free."

That caught their attention.

Horg raised an eyebrow. "Of course it won’t."

Dory looked directly at Sirene and Elian. "I take seventy percent."

There was a brief pause.

Maya blinked. "Seventy?"

Liam nearly choked. "That’s a lot!"

Horg let out a short laugh. "He’s serious."

Elian’s expression didn’t change much, but there was a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Seventy percent of what exactly?"

"Everything," Dory replied calmly. "Any profit made from this operation. Any gain from the manipulation, the trade shifts, the resource control. I take seventy percent."

Sirene frowned slightly. "That’s excessive."

Dory shrugged. "So is the risk."

The room went quiet again.

"You’re asking me to interfere with two nations," Dory continued. "If this goes wrong, it won’t just be lost money. It could be my head. Or all of ours."

Horg nodded slowly. "He’s not wrong."

Maya sighed. "Still feels like robbery."

Dory glanced at her. "You can walk away."

She rolled her eyes. "You know I won’t."

Elian folded his arms, thinking. "And what do we get?"

"Control," Dory said. "A chance to delay the war. A structured plan instead of chaos. You came here because you needed someone to make this work. That’s my price."

Sirene stared at him for a few seconds, then glanced at Elian.

They didn’t speak out loud, but the understanding was clear.

Elian finally nodded. "Fine."

Maya looked at him. "That fast?"

"We don’t have time to argue over percentages," Elian replied. "If this works, the gain isn’t just money."

Sirene turned back to Dory. "Seventy percent. But you deliver results."

Dory gave a small nod. "I always do."

Horg chuckled under his breath. "That’s true."

Liam looked between them. "...So we’re actually doing this?"

Maya sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Looks like it."

Dory pushed himself off the table and stood properly, his posture straightening slightly. The hesitation from earlier was gone now, replaced by focus.

"Then we set rules," he said. "No unnecessary risks. No rushing. Everything goes through me before action is taken."

Sirene nodded. "Agreed."

Elian added, "We’ll provide information and contacts. You decide how to use them."

Horg cracked his knuckles. "And what about us?"

Dory looked at him. "We handle logistics. Movement of goods, pricing, negotiations. Same as before, just wider."

Maya smirked slightly. "So we’re back to work again."

Liam groaned. "I just wanted a break..."

"Too late," Maya replied.

Dory adjusted his glasses one more time, his mind already moving ahead.

’...Two nations...’

’...Supply lines...’

’...Control the flow, control the movement...’

He looked at Sirene and Elian.

"When do we start?"

Sirene didn’t hesitate.

"Now."

Dory frowned. "No. Tomorrow. Once Liam gets back he’ll deliver the messages to the others and bring them here."

"Who’s Liam?" Sirene asked, although she didn’t get an answer.

Horg sighed. "So do you have a plan yet?"

Dory shook his head sideways. "No, not yet. I still have to see what’s going on with my own eyes. Scamming two countries in the middle of a war isn’t going to be easy. I have to be careful or the things might go the wrong way."

Elian yawned. "I still don’t know why I got into this mess in the first place. At least I dragged you two with me after taking twelve thousand from me."