The fog settled heavy over the hills of Nova Lima, thick and wet like a damp quilt. The red clay, soaked from the night rain, clung to boots and stained the makeshift paths with its iron-rich hue. To most, it was mud. To Marcos, it was foundation.
Not for a gold mine.
But for something larger and longer-lasting.
Dense clay, dark sand suitable for filtration, and small traces of surface iron ore. All local. All usable.
All strategic.
Marcos met with Mateus Braga, the community leader from Vila dos Cordeiros, accompanied by a few trusted men. They watched cautiously as Marcos pulled three items from his cart:
A water filtration barrel, made from local clay and charcoal.
A bag of iron oxide pigment, extracted from the damp slopes.
A vial of clean water, drawn straight from the filter.
He didn't use technical words. He spoke plainly.
"This will clean your water. No more boiling. Less firewood. Less sickness."
Braga sniffed the vial. Drank. Looked at Marcos for a long, silent moment.
Then nodded.
The agreement was simple: the village would provide clay and filtration sand. ShadowMarket would deliver barrels and tools. Payment would be in mixed trade — some in transport labor, some in raw material.
It wasn't charity.
It was interdependence.
Back at the manufactory, Ana reviewed the latest balance sheet:
ShadowMarket Reserve: 62,700 réis
Quarterly Profit: 18,540 réis
Allocation:
– Nine Fingers Operations (20%): 3,708 réis
– Infrastructure & Expansion: 5,000 réis
– General Reserve: 9,832 réis
Of the 5,000 réis allocated to infrastructure, a portion had already been invested into building a distribution hub in Contagem — a key point between routes and not far from Betim, which had started requesting soap and tool oil.
"If we want to grow past the mountains," Marcos said, "we need more than bricks. We need roads."
The system pulsed:
[Mission Complete: Anchor the Region]
✔ Resource Village Secured
✔ Local Supplies Guaranteed
✔ Logistics Network Initiated
Reward: Blueprint – Manual Hydraulic Press (small scale)
A press. Not powered by electricity, but strong enough to compress clay, leaves, or pigments into solid forms. Marcos already saw its potential: faster production of ink blocks, hardened soap bars, even insulation panels.
The beginning of a silent industrialization.
Meanwhile, the Nine Fingers expanded.
The base near the slope had been reinforced. The share of profits funded tools, hooks, compact bows, coded scrolls, and the custom all-black uniforms with red accents, resistant to rain and wind, with the organization's symbol stitched onto chest and cloak.
The team now numbered six.
Tobias and Élio trained infiltration and escape techniques. Gaspar led night patrols and obstacle drills. Vicência taught local herbology and crafted natural sedatives. Two new recruits from the village — nimble and familiar with hidden paths — joined their ranks.
Each one a piece.
Marcos was the plan.
At the manufactory, Marcos restructured product flow. He hired two permanent messengers with pack mules to supply villages near Contagem and Betim weekly. Simple stations were erected using local timber and tiles, each with a clean water source using the new filters.
He also launched new services.
Ana proposed a tool exchange system: damaged tools could be replaced with new ones by paying half the value in product, and the other half in labor. It wasn't assistance.
It was organized reciprocity.
And then the whispers came.
Not of fear.
But respect.
"Marcos brought us clean water."
"They don't tax. They trade."
"This is what we needed."
The influence map updated:
Nova Lima – Stability: 48% / Reach: 12%
Contagem – Stability: 27% / Reach: 8%
Betim – Stability: 24% / Reach: 6%
Vila dos Cordeiros – Stability: 64% / Reach: 45%
The people's voice was spreading. And Marcos knew that soon, he would need to deal with neighboring states, trade paths toward the Espírito Santo, and contact with local and regional political agents.
But for now…
The land was responding.
The clay was solidifying.
And the silent empire was taking shape.