Only when Lucian reached the age of fifteen was he finally old enough to look respectable and mature.
Though he still didn't have a beard, he grew taller and his voice deepened. It was enough for the people to take him more seriously.
"Heh, finally found you," Lucian muttered, looking at Jax from the top of the hill.
His binoculars were trained on the road below, where Jax walked in a group of people. They had collars around their necks and chains attached to their wrists.
Slavery wasn't tolerated by the kingdom of Diamante, but it was tolerated in the neighboring kingdoms.
Lucian traveled all the way here to get seeds that were only available in the enemy kingdom and ended up finding Jax.
'Finally, a possible employee, who will follow me through hell and back,' Lucian thought, feeling giddy, 'It's so hard to find a good worker these days...'
'You know others usually prefer to avoid trouble instead of getting themselves into it?' the voice asked.
'Troubles are just opportunities in disguise,' the young man said, a smile spreading on his lips.
He put his binoculars in the bag and slid down the hill.
His beggar rags he wore years ago were gone. The moment he learned the southern language, he stopped begging and returned to his trading roots.
It was a long and exhausting process, but his persistence had paid off. He earned enough to cross the borders and get back to the Diamante kingdom.
But it didn't end there. He continued his trading, but this time, Southern Alliance became a part of his trading route.
The territory that almost killed him, became the foundation of his new fortune.